Monday 11 July 2011

shifting projects and fabric around, Burda July 124 kimono coming up


Because of our family medical issues and various distractions, I bombed/failed/epically let down the Vintage SewAlong gang. However, in waiting to get back to the sewing room, I played around with the velvet I'd dyed for that project and realized that three layers of velvet meant it was too thick to tie and drape properly in the Adele Simpson Vogue design I'd chosen without looking like I'd grown a huge royal blue barnacle on my lower tum.
 I've decided to order much slinkier crepe de chine for the Vintage dress, and meanwhile use the blue velvet and matching silk lining for the Burda kimono design, above. I've always been a sucker for kimono dressing, and years ago made two Vogue kimonos from a now-discontinued pattern, I am also the happy recipient of an authentic antique Japanese kimono from friends in Japan which I've worn for years when entertaining at home. I adore the kimono CyberDaze sewed for herself recently, too, because it signaled to me that the world of sewing people much cooler than myself was giving the green light to kimonos, which really haven't been "in" since Noel Coward and cigarette holders held sway.
One of the quirks of my protagonist in the Handover Mysteries, the journalist Claire Raymond, is that she collects antique kimonos and Chinese dressing gowns for relaxing away from the newsroom. That's one of the great things about writing fiction: your imaginary world is streaks ahead of your terrestrial limitations, especially when it comes to wardrobe, lovers and happy endings.

3 comments:

  1. Ooooh, I am really looking forward to seeing your version of this kimono. It caught my eye too, but I couldn't imagine a fabric I would like to use.

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  2. Great! I purchased this month's Burda just for this pattern (I own a lovely silk-satin mix that was waiting for the perfect kimono pattern).

    I don't plan to make it before the winter (I already have too many sewing plans for a semi-beginner like me), but I can't wait to see your version!

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  3. Thanks :-)

    I'd completely missed that pattern...this is why it's so interesting to see what other people pick out. It will look fantastic in velvet. Really elegant. I bet you can cope with the sleeves too. I'm forever catching mine on things but I still love the look.

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