DIY NO SEW FRINGED KIMONO

Ok so despite the torrential rain (that anti rain dance wasn’t worth the trouble), Glastonbury was a seriously fantastic weekend. But more on that later! One thing I noticed while I was there was the dominance of a few key ‘festival dressing’ trends. One which sort of surprised me was the proliferation of the mermaid/ sea punk theme – there was seriously miles of blue and pink hair on display and flat backed pearls applied to faces like it was nobody’s business. Another trend which I have to say I was getting amongst myself was the kimono one – not so practical in half a foot of mud but that sure didn’t stop me or any other girl! Being a lover of kimonos ourselves, last week Wander & Hunt and I created this no sew one (you got a glimpse of the BTS here during my week with Ferragamo) – perfect for those of you a bit scared of the thought of a needle and thread. It’s available in two prints so there’s something for everyone, and is Glastonbury festival tested so what more could you want?

You need:

• 1 floral scarf
• Black fringe
• 50 x large gold prong studs
• 50 x gold metal backing plates
• plyers

You can buy the kit in floral and in geometric.

Instead of sewing you’re going to be using round prone studs to attach the fringe and create the arms, we were excited while we were creating these because it really is such a simple method!

How to:

1. Iron the piece of fabric and fold it in half lengthways.

2. Measure approximately 60cm (24″) from either ends of the fabric and mark it clearly with a pin or chalk. You will be attaching the sides together to create sleeves while the middle section will be open and act as the body of the kimono. The fringe will go all the way along from end to end, but in the middle section it will only be attached to the bottom side of the fabric.

3. Place the fringe along the edge of the double up edge of fabric.

4. Using the round prong studs, start pressing them through at 3cm (a little more than 1 inch) intervals, sandwiching both sides of the fabric together.

5. When you are closing the prongs, add one of the ‘blanks’ into the back so it locks the fabric in and then press the prongs down.

6. When you get to the 60cm (24 in) point where you marked with pins, continue to attach the fringe all the way along but only to the underside of the fabric rather than both.

Volia! Alanna from Wander & Hunt and I are loving it!

Buy the kimono kit in floral and geometric (and read a slightly more detailed tutorial over at Wander & Hunt here).

Photos by lovely Marion Tessier