Wedding Uchikake Sakura
Sakura was on my cosplay list for many years, but it wasn’t until Katsucon 2019 that I finally had the opportunity to add her to my current projects! However, as the weeks to Katsucon counted down and real-life responsibilities piled up, Lettelle and I began to doubt our abilities to finish the much more intricate designs we had originally planned to make. Fortunately, when hunting through the Tsubasa artbook archives, we stumbled upon a yukata-esque version of Sakura and Syaoran that looked much more manageable to make in the time we had left!
That is, until… I realized Sakura wasn’t wearing a regular yukata in the reference. She was wearing an uchikake: a traditional Japanese wedding robe. Suddenly, my work for the project doubled — but in the best of ways! After thorough research, I decided this was the perfect opportunity to tackle some intense silk painting, which I had been absolutely dying to do at that point. It had been four years since my last intense silk painting project, and I definitely wanted to see if my skills had improved a bit since then!
As I waited for my supplies to arrive, I set about creating my silk painting design for the uchikake. The lower half of the robe and sleeves aren’t visible in the reference, so I was able to design my own floral pattern. I referenced a few traditional Japanese fabrics and created a template for the full design, which I then printed out on multiple pages and taped together. After that, it was a matter of translating the lines of the pattern to my silk with gutta, then adding color using acid dye. (A full write-up of this process is coming soon — thank you for your patience!)
I lined the outer silk robe with red bridal satin and finished it with a padded hem to allow it to drape properly. I used white peachskin to line the sleeves, as per the reference. To add the red ribbon to the edges of the sleeves, I sewed individual sets of buttonholes; it was horrendously tedious but well worth the results!
Sakura’s kimono, worn beneath the uchikake, is entirely hidden in the reference, so I had some fun with it! I painted a variety of cherry blossom designs along the lower half of the robe, as well as the sleeves. This way, if I take off the uchikake, the kimono still has some sort of interesting visual element to it. As for the obi, I chose to replicate the white horizontal lines on Syaoran’s design using satin ribbon. I added cherry blossom shapes using silk dupioni appliqué with a couching stitch to finish the edges. And for those of you who have made a Summoner Yuna cosplay before, you may recognize where my inspiration came from for the obi bow and the tasseled blossom accent…
I made Sakura’s undershirt from cotton sateen, I added the cherry blossom details on the collar with fabric paint. I used traditional construction methods for Japanese kimono when sewing all of the layers, which tie across the body individually.
To make her wing headpiece, I used a combination of Black Worbla and craft foam. The beaded strands include Preciosa pearl beads and Swarovski teardrop crystals, and I accented the cherry blossom with Swarovski rhinestones. I painted the entire piece by hand. (It was below 20 degrees in the Mitten during the week I was constructing the hairpiece, making it difficult to use any sort of spray paint.)
All of the tassels on the costume were constructed from scratch and ombré-dyed using RIT DyeMore. Otherwise, in terms of accessories, I whipped up a hakoseko… which I promptly forgot to tuck into my obi during Katsucon, and it spent the day in my wig box instead. I’m in the process of finishing a hand-painted silk fan. I’m hoping to finish her full bridal set before I shoot this costume again. (And to not leave anything behind next time!)
For my Sakura wig, I used a Jane in Sandy Brown from Arda Wigs. If you’d like to know more about the styling process, including making the ahoge, please check out my step-by-step tutorial!
This costume was one of those projects that, in some ways, feels like it appeared out of no where. The motivation to make Sakura came in a rush, and I decided to just go with the flow and enjoy the creative freedom it offered me. Even after all these years of cosplay, it was my first time sewing a kimono. I had a wonderful time learning the traditional methods of construction for that style of garment. It was also fantastic to break out my silk painting supplies again!
The best part, though? It’s so dang comfy. Any costume that has the same comfort level as a bathrobe is a win in my book.
(Featured photo by StarsOfCassiopeia.)