Step One of Arai Hari - Picking the Kimono Apart

Meisen Kimono prior to Arai Hari

An authentic kimono is hand stitched. There will be no machine work. The hand stitches on seams are usually about .5 cm apart and usually sewn with silk thread. However, there are lots of sections of the kimono that will be basted with cotton thread to keep the lining seams aligned with the seams of the outer kimono fabric.

You will need to buy a quality seam ripper (it needs to be sharp since there are so many stitches). Small sharp scissors are also helpful.

I consider the un-stitching of a kimono a meditative process. I’ve taken one of these garments on each of my last two business trips to help me use my time when stuck in airports with layovers.

Consider approaching your process like this - Contemplate the fact that every stitch you are removing by hand was hand stitched by someone. Look at their work, the detail, the crisp edges, the patience it must have taken to create this work of art. When you are working around hand painting or stitching, think about the artisan and the precision they used to create that one of a kind art. If sections of the pattern are stitched together to create a continuous pattern, look carefully at where and how they matched up the patterns. I find this part of the process quite calming.

Take lots of pictures. The photos will help you to remember what the garment looked like in its original form. If you choose to restitch any sections for your art, those photos will help you reconstruct how the kimono was originally assembled.

Notes on Hand Dyed Fabrics

I have been hand printing, painting and dyeing silk scarves for decades. However, I am no expert. I just love working with the fabric and seeing where it takes me.

Fabric dyeing is a bit of a science experiment as it all relies on chemical reactions. Some dyes, acid dyes for example, require heat to create the chemical bond between fiber and dye – essentially using the heat to open the fibers to permanently bond the dye. Other dyes react to chemicals either presoaked into the fiber or added to the dye vat in order to bond with the fiber. If the kimono maker did not use one of these methods to chemically bond the dye to the fabric, the fabric will always bleed.