Making kimono starts with taking accurate measurements. Depending on your body shape, we may need a few basic measurements to make sure your kimono fits comfortably and looks the way it should. All you need is a soft measuring tape and, ideally, another person to help you. 1. Height Stand upright, preferably barefoot, on a flat, hard surface. Keep your back straight and your head in a natural position. Measure from the floor to the top of your head. Please provide your height

The same design can look surprisingly different depending on the fabric and the printing technology used. For someone who is not familiar with textile printing, this can be confusing: if the graphic file is exactly the same, why does the print look different on cotton than on polyester? The two examples in the photos illustrate this very well. In both images, the fabric on the left is cotton printed using direct-to-fabric digital printing, while the fabric on the right is pol

I want to talk a little more about plus-size kimonos, because I really believe beautiful kimono designs should be available for every body. Over the years, I’ve made kimonos in many different sizes, including for clients who need a lot more room than a standard size can offer. One of the largest custom kimonos I’ve made was for a client with a 170 cm hip measurement -and I was very happy to make it for her. ❤️ I never want size to be a reason someone thinks, “This kimono isn’

One of the most interesting commissions I’ve finished recently was this thickly padded yogi - a traditional Japanese kimono-style comforter. The design follows the four seasons across the garment. One sleeve starts with sakura blossoms, while the other features wisteria and falling raindrops. As the design moves across the kimono, spring turns into autumn, with maple leaves, and finally into winter with delicate snowflakes. The yogi is thickly padded, making it wonderfully wa

This one started with my Temari Cats kimono, but my client had a very specific idea in mind. She wanted something more kira-kira - brighter, sweeter and a little more magical. So we changed the original colours to a pink and light blue palette and, instead of cats, filled the design with bunnies. And one of those bunnies is particularly special, it’s a little portrait of her own rabbit. I really love details like this. It turns a kimono into something personal, with a little

I really love when a kimono design becomes a starting point rather than a finished idea. This time, the client chose my Furisode Higanbana kimono, but asked for one change: she wanted the background replaced with an asanoha pattern. I honestly love how this turned out. The Higanbana flowers are quite expressive on their own, while the background brings a more structured, geometric feel to the design. The two patterns work surprisingly well together and give the kimono a sligh

There’s something unsettling about combining softness with something that shouldn’t belong. Cherry blossom- delicate, fleeting and a serpent- quiet, otherworldly (I mean snakes ARE creepy). This design started exactly from that contrast. I didn’t want to make another floral pattern. Sakura is everywhere , don 't get me wrong , I love sakura patterns but they can get predictable . So I started thinking about how to disrupt it. What if something moved through it? So

Recently I finished a new kimono design with kitsune theme. I don't really like drawing foxes, they always seem to me like something between a cat and a dog and it's hard to make them look like A FOX, not a dog with bad proportions...(but I think I managed here?) After finished the foxes outlines I added plum branches and started figuring out what else could be on this kimono. I went with - flames and smoke, bamboo, coins and maple and gingko leaves. Everything in warm color

And one more doll, this time without nihongami so if was much easier (simpler hairstyles are much easier to make). The idea was a street-fashionista nekomata. I made her pink furisode with white juban and haneri printed with camellia flowers. Her obi is made of a scrap of a vintage fabric. I gave her slightly round face, with wider nose and bigger upper lip. Originally I wanted her to have pink hair but her face wasn’t looking right with it so I went with vivid red ❤️

It took me a month but I made the Rokurokubi I really wanted to make. Rokurokubi are my 2nd favorite yokai, and I was really curious if I can make a doll based on this creature. It turned out more difficult than I expected - keeping the proportions of the body looking good when the neck is as long as the body was quite a challenge 😅 but I think I managed to make her look good. I gave her a neutral face expression, silk hair and a kimono printed with bamboo, sakura and pine.

For a very long time I wanted to make bijin ningyō. It was just a loose idea, I didn’t have any details or particular story for her. Then when my kid was born I found myself with lots of time on my hands while being nap trapped so I started developing the idea of making a namanari hannya doll - figuring out how to make the face, what to use for the hair, how to construct the body, etc. I started actually making her sometime around late summer, it took a while since I only ha

When I first stumbled upon the world of Japanese kimono, I was instantly captivated. The intricate designs, the rich history, and the sheer artistry behind each garment - if you’re anything like me -someone who loves fashion with a story, then diving into traditional Japanese attire is a must. Today, I want to take you on a tour of this fascinating world, sharing what I’ve learned and why it might just inspire your next wardrobe choice. pride kimono with vivid rainbow accent

As some of you already noticed I'm changing a lot in the shop recently. The biggest change however are the fabrics. Since January 2022 I...

If you're just starting your kimono journey I'd recommend a yukata for the beginning. It's much more relaxed outfit - easier to put on...