Legend of Zelda Inspired His and Her Robes/kimono for a Wedding Gift

For wedding gifts, I like to think outside the box. If I know the couple, I will figure out a gift that is beyond the gift registry. This gift is for a couple of nerds. I am a nerd too so it's something I know that they will love.

You're going to need:

Fabric (a little more on that later)
Thread
Sewing Machine
Good sharp fabric scissors
Tape measure
Pins
Paint brushes
Tulip fabric paint


Note: I am not a professional. I sew for fun. My terms are not technical and my techniques are different. It's OK to be a novice.

Robes and kimonos are generally loose fitting, so measurements don't have to be exact. The couple is not as tall as I am, so that's a good indication of the length. As for width, I needed help, so I called out to the mother of the bride to give me some measurements. Perfect! On to drafting a pattern and buying the fabric.

Kimonos are simple, the pieces are all rectangles. One rectangle for the sleeves, one for the front and one for the back. See the above picture for my diagram.

You'll need to get a pink (for Zelda) and green (for Link) fabric that is 3m in length. That is plenty of fabric for the kimono. You'll also want a light and flowy fabric, which also means frays! (Oh boy) For fabric choices you could use:
Silk
Satin
Light weight polyester
Light weight cotton

For this project I am choosing to use bridal satin. It's going to fray like a banshee, but be beautiful and shiny when finished.

Measure and cut out fabric. Be careful! This fabric frays a lot. Make sure you are using the best fabric scissors you have. When cutting out the sleeves for "her" , temper in the bottom edge a little bit.

You will be cutting out:

One back piece
Two front pieces
Four sleeves pieces

Pin your sleeves, right sides together. Make a mark about 25cm from the top. This is the arm hole. Do that on both sides.

Starting from the top, sew a straight line, normal stitch across the top. I use the 1.5 guide on the machine's footplate. Be sure to forward and reverse your stitches on both ends. Change your stitch type to one that stops frays (I will call zigzag stitch) and go across the top again.

Time to sew the rest! Starting at your mark (in my case, a pin) sew a normal stitch all the way around to the mark on the other side. Follow that with a zigzag stitch to stop the frays.

We'll have to use a different process for the arm holes. They will be under a lot of movement when someone sticks an arm in and out. I also want the hem to be stiffer than the seams.

On one side turn the fabric up about 1cm and stitch around the armhole only once. This will attach to the front and back pieces. On the other side, repeat the hem process once around. Then roll it in again (1cm) and stitch around again. This is so the raw fraying edges are locked into the hem.

Repeat the process on the other sleeve.

This is the tricky part. You'll need to leave a 5cm gap from the sleeve down. This is to allow movement of the arm. I find that it's easiest to stitch one side of the sleeve first to the back, then stitch the front to the sleeve. Finally stitch the front and back top edge about 20 cm. Normal stitch then zigzag down to finish the sem. Repeat on both sides.

At this point you can attach the front and back together just below where you sewn the sleeves on. Do this on both sides and zigzag after.

To stop the frays you'll need to use the lock the frays inward hem. This needs to be done with the neckline, down both sides, and the bottom hem.

Now repeat all of that with the green fabric. By the end of it all you'll have two robes.

Once you have finished both robes you can start decorating. Use fabric paint only because other paints will crack under movement. Start off be making rupees (currency in the game) alone the sides and down around the bottom. You start with a long hexagon and outline in black. You can also add a Link (the hero) in there. I am using the Link from Link between worlds. Don't forget to place "her hero" somewhere on the robe. I was told that when wearing a kimono the left side goes over the front, so the most indicate designs will go there (which would be the right side if you are looking at the robe).

If you have a die cut machine you can get some iron in vinyl and put them on. Just follow the instructions to adhere the decals.

For "her" robe, you can paint a Princess Zelda. Don't forget to write "his princess" somewhere.

Iron and press the seams to finish off the robes.

And there you have it!