How to make a kimono jacket : Free patterns & tutorials

Kimono Jacket is a must-have versatile garment that should be in every girl’s wardrobe. You may have heard of it as a kimono cardigan, kimono style jacket or maybe even as a kimono wrap.

Kimono Jackets are mostly sheer, long, cardigan-style jackets that you can wear as an outer garment. Sew them in knits or sheers or any beautiful patterned fabric you love and wear them with absolutely everything.

Please do not confuse these trendy jackets with the traditional Japanese Kimonos. They are nothing like them. If you have come here, mistakenly, looking for a pattern for making a Kimono (which is nothing like the kimono jacket) you can head over to the post on drafting a pattern and sewing a Kimono. Learn more about Kimono and different types of Kimonos here

Kimono Jackets are trendy throughout the year – You can sew them for summer as a light and airy jacket over your tank top or wear them over a romper on chilly night outs. You can wear it over your bath suit as a cover-up. Read about making a similar swimsuit coverup here.

Transform your boring dresses or t-shirts with a brightly patterned kimono jacket in brilliant color. I have seen black simple dresses transformed to chic with beautiful kimono jackets sewn with a fringed fabric.

Below are some brilliant tutorials to sew kimono jackets. They all have detailed easy instructions and will make you want to sew at least half a dozen in one single sitting.  

Related posts : How to sew shrugs with minimal sewing – 2 ways ; Make a waterfall jacket – easy tutorial; Make a bolero jacket ; Sewing capes – tutorials

Easy Kimono Cardigan pattern & tutorial

kimono cardigan diy patternThis kimono sleeved cardigan is made best with a sheer, lightweight, flowy fabric like chiffon, georgette, crepe etc. Yes, you are going to have a lot of trouble sewing these fabrics. They are trouble with a capital T. But once stitched, they are beautiful. Or else sew in a silk fabric as I did.
Related posts : Sheer see through fabrics – list; How to sew with silk – 12 problems answered; How to sew sheer fabrics.

How to sew the easy Kimono Cardigon 


Step 1 Cut out the front pattern.

 Take a fabric piece 40 inches wide and 30 inches long and fold by half (by the vertical). This will be cut and separated by the middle after marking and cutting out the neckline, sleeve etc. Just follow the picture below for the dimenions

 

fold fabric and mark the pattern of the kimono cardigan

( If the front piece you are using is finished as mine is with fringes, you will have to add 1/4 inch extra at the bottom edge to make the back piece same as the front piece) If the front piece doesnot have any fringes like mine, finish the hem now. Just use a fabric strip of 1 1/4 inch to bind the hem.

If you are petite or thin, you may reduce the width of the fabric from 20 inch to a suitable width for your frame. The following pattern for a less widern kimono cardigan.

the kimono jacket pattern

If you are interested in making tassels like the one preceding look at this post on making tassels.

Step 2. Cut out the back pattern for the kimono cardigan by folding a 40 inch wide and 30 inch long fabric by half.

The dimensions as given in the picture below are marked on the fabric ; for the sleeve mark 14 inches – this will give you the wide kimono sleeves

kimono cardigan back pattern marked on folded fabric

This is the back pattern when it is opened up 

kimono cardigan back pattern cut

Finish the lower edge of the back pattern with a binding – just keep a fabric strip of 1 1/4″ and bind the bottom edge of the kimono cardigan back piece

 

The hem of the kimono cardigan finished

 

Step 3 Join the shouder seams.

For that first, Keep the back piece right side up infront of you. Keep the front pieces on top of this rightside down- top edges of all pieces aligned. Stitch the shoulder seam together.

 

 

The shoulder seams of the kimono caridan finished

Step 4 Finish the sleeve hem.

Just turn under twice and stitch the whole 28 inch edge – do for both the sleeves

Sleeve hem of the kimono cardigan stitched

Step 5 Cut a bias strip long enough to finish the lapel edge and neckline.

You will need a 1″ bias tape for this.

 

A slong piece of fabric cut to bind the neckline and front of the kimono sleeved cardigan

Stitch the bias tape up from the bottom edge – first turn under the bias tape and then strat stitching . When you reach the other end also turn under the bias tape edge.

Fold the edge up as you sew

Turn to the back and stitch in place effectively binding the whole edge.

Bind the fabric edge

There, I have finished the kimono cardigan in under an hour or even less. 

Kimono Cardigan

Kimono jackets on other sites


Kimono Jacket
kimono tutorial

This site has instructions to make this cute kimono jacket ; The one in the picture is made in a luscious voile fabric and has a beautiful trim

Lace Kimono tutorial
how to make a kimono jacket

How to sew a Kimono Jacket 

how to sew a kimono jacket

Kimono Jacket from scarves
>kimono jacket
An easy to make Kimono Jacket from scarves with a border print. Love Love.
Kimono cool tutorial
Made in a gorgeous silk fabric this kimono jacket is beyond cool ; The author recommends making a paper pattern before cutting on silk as it can prove slippery; you definitely do not want to ruin a precious fabric like this one.

DIY Kimono cardigan tutorial

kimono cardigan tutorial

1 1/4 yards of a beautifully printed cotton/rayon blend material and some length of pompom trim makes this very cute and simple kimono. 

free sewing patterns for womens clothes

How did you like this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 5 / 5. Vote count: 5

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

This article was written on

& updated on

Subscribe to get weekly notifications of posts in your email

Author: Sarina Tariq

Hi, I love sewing, fabric, fashion, embroidery, doing easy DIY projects and then writing about them. Hope you have fun learning from sewguide as much as I do. If you find any mistakes here, please point it out in the comments.

6 thoughts on “How to make a kimono jacket : Free patterns & tutorials”

  1. Joy

    Awesomely beautiful

    Reply
  2. Aridah

    I can’t even get any useful information outta this goooosh

    Reply
    • Sarina

      Hi Farida
      Why is that so? If you click on the links on the page – that will take you to the web pages with the tutorials or is there another problem?
      Thanks

    • Kathy

      Same here. I wanted to see the lace tutorial, but it takes me to an update. I clicked on the 1 hour kimono tutorial takes me to a different site (which I already checked out) and THAT site has a link to a tutorial that doesn’t work.

    • Sarina

      Hi Kathy
      Sorry for the trouble. I have replaced the wrong tutorial links – please have a look again

  3. Lawal mira

    Love it

    Reply
Your opinion is important here. Leave a comment