A Beginner-Friendly Kimono for Festival Season | Video Tutorial

Introducing: an affordable, airy and beautiful DIY summer kimono. Using Spoonflower’s Chiffon, this kimono sews up quickly, and can be worn around the house or layered for a breezy boho look that is music festival and Sunday picnic-approved! Keep reading to see the complete video tutorial or jump ahead for the step-by-step photo instructions. 

Materials

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3 Yards of Chiffon 
  • We’re using Blue, Red, Turquoise & Cream Geo Botanical Doodle by micklyn
• Ruler
• Pins/clips
• Pattern weights
• Tailors chalk
• Microtex needles
• Rotary blade and cutting mat
• Sewing machine

Prepping the Fabric

After pre-washing your fabric, cut off the selvage of your chiffon, and then cut out your fabric based on how long you want it to lay on your arms and legs. For a shorter, cropped kimono, cut out a 40” x 55” inch piece of fabric. We want our version to be longer, so we’re going to use a 54” x 108″ piece of fabric (Spoonflower’s Chiffon is 54″).

Fold the fabric in half lengthwise with wrong sides together. We’re lining up the folded and selvage edge with the grid lines of the cutting mat to keep the grain line straight which helps the finished garment hang properly.

Creating the Sleeves

Measure down 15″ from the fold and mark with your tailors chalk. Next, mark a line 6” in from the selvage edge down the length of your fabric. Starting at this mark, draw a line at a right angle down the length of your fabric.

This will create an L shape on the fabric. Cut out the L shape. This is the side of the kimono and your first sleeve. 

Pro tip: Chiffon is slippery–put tissue paper under the paper to hold it in place easier OR pin in place.

Repeat this process on the other side. Your fabric should now be an oversized T shape.

Sew your seams together, using a ¼” seam allowance. We’re going to be doing french seams for this project.

Pro tip: As you sew, pull the thread lightly from the back to keep it from getting sucked in.

Press your seams flat.

Trim the seam allowance down to ⅛” of a inch. This will help the second seam fully enclose the first.

Creating the Opening

Now we’re going to create the opening of the kimono. Measure in from both sides to find the middle of your t shape.

Cut your fabric from the bottom to the fold, being extra careful to cut just the top layer of your fabric.

To help the neckline lay flat, we’re going to cut a subtle curved opening for the neck.

We’re also going to round the bottom hem so we can sew a continuous rolled hem all the way around the garment.

Hem everything using a ¼” seam allowance to finish your french seam. Press your seams again.      

And you’re finished! Now you have a beautiful, lightweight kimono!

The DIY fun doesn’t have to stop here! See another take on this festival staple with Spoonflower maker Maddie Flanigan‘s lace and chiffon robe tutorial.