Sewing: How to Make a Kimono

Follow these easy steps to sew a lightweight kimono that’s perfect as a poolside cover-up or an effortlessly stylish layer.

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Sew an Easy, Breezy Kimono

A versatile piece for all occasions, kimonos are wardrobe essentials that are simple to make with your choice of drapey fabric and a few lengths of trim. See the full tutorial below to sew your own.

What You'll Need:

Brother Sewing Machine
38" W x 60" L piece of chiffon or fabric that has drape
120" – 144" of trim (optional)
Thread
Sheers
Measuring tools
Iron away marking pen
Iron

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Step 1

Fold your piece of fabric in half.

Step 2

Find the midpoint of your fabric and use a marking pen and ruler to draw a straight line to the fold.

Step 3

Cut the line all the way up to the fold, making sure to only cut the front portion.

Step 4

Cut a little keyhole 2.5" up from the fold line. Refer to the pattern template if you need a visual.

Step 5

Finish the centre hem you just cut. We folded the hem over 1/4", pressed, and then another 1/4". Top stitch the hem into place.

Quick Look

It should look like this now.

Step 6

Measure the length you'd like your armhole to be. This one was 13" (front to back 26"). Fold your fabric right sides together, lining up your bottom edges and pin all the way up till you hit your measurement for your armhole. Then sew the part you pinned using a 5/8" seam allowance. Repeat for the other side.

Tip: If you don't want the chiffon to fray, use your serger or a French seam for the interior.

Step 7

Finish your armhole edges. We folded the edges over 3/8", pressed, and then another 3/8" and topstitched into place.

Step 8

Add your trim to the bottom edge. The bottom of our kimono was the selvage edge so we didn't need to finish it. If yours isn’t already finished, do so before pinning the trim into place, then topstitch along the trim edging.