Where to find the perfect pattern and tutorial for a baby kimono, simple enough for a beginner with only a mini-sewing machine.
After successfully making the first baby romper for my son back in 2016, which he quickly outgrew within just 2 months after being born, I started looking for patterns to make more outfits for the son. And I came across this really cute baby kimono pattern and tutorial by Sew In Love. The patterns are available in sizes 3 to 9 months, and although the tutorial said to use a knit fabric, I have used a woven fabric instead because my mini-sewing machine could only do straight stitches, and it turned out great (knit fabrics will need at least zig-zag stitches).
At the time, I had in my stash this blue and white cotton fabric with Japanese cat motifs, which I bought from a neighbourhood fabric and craft store near me. It was perfect for a baby kimono! So there hatched my plan to sew a second outfit for my son.
The sewing was actually very simple, though quite daunting to me at the time because I was still very new to sewing garments (and sewing in general). It was something that had to be strong against tugs and pulls, and fit well too. I also wasn't sure if my then mini-sewing machine could do the job (Note: The machine did the job just fine).
Luckily for me, the pattern and tutorial were very clear and easy to follow. Despite that, I still spent quite an amount of time making sure my cutting and sewing were on-point, with the tutorial opened in my laptop right in front of me, following it to the tee. The slightest mistakes were rectified immediately, no matter how painstaking. No imperfections were tolerated at all. My Type A personality totally reigned then.
The result was of course, a very well-fitting baby kimono, thanks to the great pattern design and tutorial by Sew In Love.
Thankfully, I have since learned that such perfectionist sewing habits were not sustainable and would only result in painfully slow projects.
My son has since, of course, outgrew this kimono. But I have made a new one for him, with matching outfits for the husband and myself! Another post on that soon!