(Note for Gene^® , Tyler^®, Brenda Starr^®, Dawn^®, Willow^®, and other non-Barbie^® scale dressers: there will be a chart of body measurements so you can figure out your own draft of the parts. Sewing them together takes the same steps.)

Kimono: in Japanese, the word means both a robe and clothing in general, and the singular is the same as the plural. Kimono can be as comfy as a cotton yukata worn for lounging and sleeping, or as challenging as the kabuki costume for a first-class courtesan (tayu). We'll stick to the simpler end.

To begin with, you should know that kimono have no buttons, zippers, or togs. They all tie in place, with sewn-on ties or with separate bands called himo. Also, there are no darts and nothing like curve to recurve seams, so the sewing is easy. The tricky part is draping them properly when you go to tie them on. There is no shortcut that keeps the look right -- or I'd be using it.

Many parts of Japanese dress depend on this same cut of garment, shortened in the body or the sleeves, or made a little snugger or looser, so once you master this one pattern, you are set to do many different outfits. This article will show you how to sew this group of garments, layer and drape them. Of course, to do that we have to cover the obi or sash as well.

Dolls need not have the moon-faced Oriental face. A Mackie^TM or Diva^® or Steffie^® face works perfectly well if you strip off all the paint and repaint the eyes with the slight vertical line at the inside corner and lack of eyelid crease that suits the epicanthic fold. Be glad of this, because they never have made an Asian boyfriend for Kira^® and the others. You will have to do this to a Ken^® as well, to make him appear Asian.

Butterfly Art^TM Kira^® has lost the shadows that made her eyes look far too "double." Rooted or painted-on lashes look odd on Asian dolls because on the real girls the epicanthic fold hides most of the lash! This Mackie^TM face has been repainted like an actress in exotic makeup. In the wrong light, like this scan, her eyes still look very double.

Girl dolls can need to have poseable feet, but the flat on the ground vairety. These usually come with the gymnast body, so your doll will be slender and very prone to wiggle out of alignment as you dress her. Once dressed, you can have a lot of fun with her flexibility, like Jean MaDan does.

(Note to those dressing Teen Skipper^®, Skipper^®, Stacie^®, or Kelly^®: pay attention to the notes for other scales. Stitch narrower and shorter. Little girls are dressed from the same size tan as Older Sister, but you may find the seam allowances get silly, and want to use a smaller tan width. Only Kelly^® will need the collar opening scaled down to a mere slot.)