I have become kind of obsessed with kimonos. Obviously, theses aren't authentic Japanese kimonos, but the basic shape is similar. They are usually made with flowy fabrics and are great for layering over tanks, for use as a swimsuit cover up, or for just lounging around the house. All the super cute ones I see for sale are rather expensive, and I can never seem to find cute enough fabrics for making my own at a fabric store. Enter: the shawl. You can usually find some cute, flowy printed fabric scarves online or in most clothing stores for around $9-$15. More if you get more expensive fabrics, like pashmina or silk (which also make great kimonos!).
The problem I had was finding a pattern online on how to make a kimono from a shawl/scarf that would fit me correctly. Most of the patterns I found said to fold the fabric in half lenthwise, sew up the edges (except spots for arm holes), and cut up the middle towards the fold for the opening. This is all well and good if you're skinny, but if I made my kimono that way it wouldn't wrap all the way around my belly to close even if I wanted it to. So I redesigned the layout and came up with this pattern. It's pretty simple, with just two cuts, two sewn seems and a quick zigzag stitch around the arm holes to keep the fabric from fraying.
Start with the right side of the fabric (the side you want on the outside when you wear it) facing you when you lay the fabric down. Check to see if the scarf already has seams on the ends where it was sewn, so you can match these.
So there ya go! An easy kimono that is big enough around to fit a plus size body, or just be loose and flowy on a smaller body. Enjoy!
