Well, since my computer's still screwed, I haven't been able to upload anything (sorry). However, something good has come out of the lack of Shelia: My traditional drawing skills have started to return, and with a vengence. Sure, I'm still a bit rusty, but I have quite a while to practice. And since I bought another ink pen, I can finish all of the drawings from January up until now. Getting them uploaded might be a problem, but if the library has a scanner for public use, I might have a shot. Also, if my fashion teacher will let me, I might be able to upload them a lot sooner.

Speaking of fashion class, I've begun to make a male samurai outfit (since I specialize in costume/cosplay/theatre design). Currently, the haori(medium length coat worn mainly by males) is finished (although it was originally intended to be similar to a long robe), and I'm making progress on the hakama, which is a pair of large pleated pants, although it can be mistaken for a pleated skirt because of the extremely low crotch line.

My end of the year project, though, is the kimono itself, which I found a pattern for yesterday at a fabric store. However, a couple problems have presented themselves with this article. First off, it was meant for girls or women, therefore I might need to make slight adjustments to make it fit me (if you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a guy). Since kimono can be worn by either men or women, that shouldn't be too difficult.

The main problem though, is the required fabric. Most clothing requires roughly one or two yards of fabric (three to six feet). My kimono pattern though demands 5.75 yards of regular fabric (either cotton or silk), and another 5.75 yards of lining fabric (which is extremely slippery). First issue with this is the cost of the damn stuff. On sale, the black cotton I was looking for was four dollars a yard. Since I require almost six feet of it, it would instantly cost me roughly $24 (something I don't have). More exquisite fabrics like silk or lining are even more expensive.

Besides killing my wallet, the second major issue is the silk/lining itself. I'm only a first year student in fashion (though I'm a senior, go figure), and I have little to no experiance whatsoever with slippery fabrics. Hell, I have a hard enough time staying on 5/8ths of an inch (standard sewing length from the edge of the fabric) with regular cotton. Thankfully, no advanced techniques like gathering or pleats are required for the kimono, so I might just be in luck.

Anyway, until next time, see ya.