It's only natural...

So... it's been a little over a week and a half since my last post, that being about Frida's Kimono, leaving me half of the way done with finishing my ABBA Kimono replication.  I hadn't planned on working on the next kimono so quickly after finishing the last, especially since, while being pretty easy, it's quite a tedious job, especially when it comes to studying the designs on the kimonos, sketching them out, and then drawing them onto the garment itself before painting all of it with the tiniest of tiny paint brushes.  But, I've also been having a lot of fun working on this project, so just about a week after I finished Frida's kimono, I started working on both Bjorn and Benny's kimonos. 

Bjorn's Kimono was fairly easy - the designs aren't super complicated despite not having very many good quality reference photos to look at the designs and their placements - however Benny's was a nightmare!  (Okay, it wasn't that bad, but it was the hardest of all the Kimonos I've made!)  I had a good amount of reference photos, but let me tell you, Owe Sandstrom really outdid himself in making the most complicated design ever.  The pattern on the front of Benny's Kimono is super large and has so many intricate details and there's no consistent pattern, and the big design at the back isn't even symmetrical!  I had so many difficulties making it, but I am soooo happy with the end results.  Both kimonos came out really well (despite the fact that I'm not 100% happy with the way the flowers on Bjorn's came out....) and I enjoyed testing my limits while making all four kimonos.

As usual, before I show you the end result, let's take a quick look at some of my older attempts. 

To be completely honest, I'm not that mad at the way my first attempt came out.  I did a decent job with the designs even though they're not even accurate, but the placement was fine and it resembles their actual kimonos a lot more than the girls' kimonos did.  Of course they didn't fit properly and I cut Bjorn's collar way too low...  I didn't even add the design at the back of Benny's kimono for this one because I actually wasn't aware of it until after I made the kimonos, lol.

Kimono v.2 on the other hand, was terrible.  The designs aren't even accurate at all, like was I even going for accuracy??  And why is Benny's orange instead of red?  This was my first time using actual belts instead of just gluing on strips of fabric to mimic the look of belts, so I don't blame myself all that much, but the guys' kimonos didn't stay shut at all, and again, I cut the collars way too law. 

Let's not talk about the design at the back of Benny's kimono though.   That was a disaster!  At least I tried to include it.

I did a lot better this time around, though the outfits didn't stay closed all that well.  With Benny's kimono, I wasn't really going for accuracy, but it turned out pretty well.  And the design at the back turned out much better (though it's not very accurate, lol.)

And finally, we have my newest and probably final attempts.  It took me about two days to complete both of them, and I'm really proud of them.  :)  First we have Bjorn's Kimono:

Unfortunately this isn't my neatest or best painting job, but it gets the job done at least!  I'm happy with the result even though I could have done better.

Unlike the girls' outfits, the boys don't have the colored band at the bottom of their trousers. 

The boys also don't have that small slit at the side of the kimono as well.

And here's Benny's kimono:

I didn't draw the design at the back all that evenly or proportional to the original ,but I did my best and it came out pretty darn well if I do say so myself. :)  There are areas I could have done better, and if I could move the central heart-flower thingy down a little bit and slightly bigger, I would, but I can't, so this is how it is.  It's pretty good though. :)

And last but not least, here's a group photo of all four dolls in their new Kimonos.

(can you believe I got them to stand?  That's not something I could do with their old floppy bodies, lol.)

I am sooo proud with how this project turned out, and while I don't know which costumes I'll make next, I look forward to when I do and can't wait to work on it!  Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed seeing me work on this project and recreating their Kimonos for the 4th/5th and hopefully final time.  :)