When you can't be bothered (or have a lack of time) to make a full kimono just to have only the collar showing around the neck... then you figure out a way to fake the collar. I did and here's how:
Note! This is not authentic in any way, just for cosplay purposes!I had very pale blue leftover fabric from the time when I had made Ukitake's yukata that I figured would work for Ichito's innermost kimono.. or well, probably juban in that case. I cut out a semi-long 14 cm wide piece that I thought would work for my plan. Then I went and zigzaged around it and ironed it so that I would get a nice middle fold.
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| After being zigzaged and ironed |
After that I went and got some interfacing fabric to stiffen it. I didn't bother to cover the full length, only used enough to cover most of the middle part, meaning the part that will be closest to my neck. You can skip this but it makes the collar sit nicer and not be as floppy.
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| Ironing on interfacing |
After that I took the fake collar, folded it in middle and folded inside the edges and started to sew it closed.
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| After sewing |
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| Close-up |
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| The interfacing helps it keep forms such as this... |
When that was done I had to find a way to attach it. I didn't want to sew it on the dark blue kimono's collar (which I haven't started sewing yet) because I'm not fond of how the fake collar would have gone all the way down instead of ending where it should.. like for example on those bad cheap mass produced
Bleach cosplays.
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| (photo from Google) |
So I definitely didn't want it to look like that because it screams fake to me. I wanted to do the illusion of actually having another kimono layer underneath and not just an obvious add-on collar.
After thinking for a while I figured I could try using some wrap-around tie fastening method and see if it worked as well in real life as it did in my head. I went and got some wide cotton ribbon.
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| After I had cut out two same length pieces of the ribbon (no, it's not that yellow IRL) |
I used around 130 cm long pieces. You can use longer or shorter if you want, personal preference. I wanted long ones so I could wrap them in my back and back to the front again for extra hold.
Then I just zigzaged the ends of the ribbons and sewed them on close to the ends of the collar. It makes life a lot easier if you wrap the collar around your neck and keep it folded the way you want it to be when you wear it with the final product, this way you can easier see where you will need to sew on the ties.
I had to redo the ties twice before I got them placed right. I had to make sure to wear my collar reversed instead of left over right because Ichito wears his kimono like a dead person would...
and that's because while he is not dead himself he's an immortal spirit, who lacks a physical body of his own because of a curse, so he needs to kill someone in order to have a body he can use... |
| Ties attached |
And now some "how it works" photo. Please don't mind that I used a purple kimono as a substitute, I have yet to start sewing the dark blue one...
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| With kimono on over it (feels so weird to wear it right over left...) |
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| Front without a kimono.. it's just tied over my chest |
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| Seen from back |
I guess that's it for today. Tomorrow I'll continue sewing on the blue kimono.. or at least that's the plan.
