How To Make a Pen Kimono

[Tony Rex]

For those inclined to make one, here are the materials needed:

• Japanese crepe fabric aka. Chirimen
• Microfibre. Anything good enough to wipe your pen would do.
• Ribbon or string
• Iron on cloth adhesive tape.
• Tools used: Iron, Scissors, Sewing kit, sewing machine*, rotary cutter*.

Steps:

1. Cut both fabrics to size. Mine was 4" x 12", and it's enough to fit a MB 149. Adapt accordingly.
2. Iron the cloth adhesive tape to the chirimen overlapping each other by about 2 mm, then gently remove the tape backing.
3. Then attach the microfibre to the above, again, by ironing.
4. Trim the unglued edges on the rotary cutter.
5. Fold outside in, sew (3 mm from the edge) from the bottom, turn to about 3/4 way up, then turn it inside out.
6. Attach string about 100 mm in the middle so that you can just wrap that bit onto the long roll.
7. Now push in the bottom part, sew, then finish with ironing the whole thing.

Phew. Now that I realized what it takes to make one of these, I reckon $20 asking price from Nakaya is quite reasonable. But if this idiot can do it, so can you!

TR