Ok, here’s my second take on making the yukata/kimono. First version is here.

I smoothed out the curve on the first pattern I made. I also made the area where the front joins the back (a the shoulders) a little smaller by shaving .5cm off it.

I should have added a centimeter to the bottom of the back pattern (*making it 28 cm tall not 27cm) .  I also used a slightly different sleeve (bottom of the two) because I already had cut those sleeves and didn’t have more fabric.

one back, two front, two sleeve cut on a fold.

I sewed the front pieces to the back where the shoulders meet. I think I used a 1cm seam allowance.

Cut a little bit of the fabric away for the neck hole. After this photo I serged those edges.

I opened the pattern and joined the sleeves to the body.

I serged the sides and the opening.

Then I folded it, right sides of the fabric together, and stitched the seam from the armpit to the hem.

See what I mean about needing the back to be 1cm longer?

Blue is where I hand stitched to make sure the stitching on the side meets the sleeve stitch.

Starting the sleeve stitch first by hand. I’ve basted a fold where the wrist goes through.

Then I machine stitched along the edge from where my thumb to where my finger is.

I used a zig-zag stitch afterwards to finish the edges inside the sleeve. I forgot to take a picture of this step.

Turning everything right-side out. I’ll hand stitch the sleeve opening where the hand emerge later.

Front. I’ve hemmed the opening.

Neck sash; 5cm by 36.

Pressing the edges of the neck scarf inwards.

Matching up the midpoint of the neck scarf with the middle of the neck.

Pinning the neck scarf to the opening before stitching in place.

I had a train ride ahead of me so I hand stitched the neck sash to the body of the kimono.

I folded the neck sash in and stitched it into place.

I whip stitched the sleeve holes I’d previously basted. Then I removed the basting stitch.

I hemmed the whole thing. Pressed it. The usual.

It feels a little short..like I should have added 2cm to the length of the back and 1cm to the front panels.

There you go. Take two.

Next up: Making the obi sash(es)