How to Sew a Judo Gi

Wearing a Judogi or gi, the uniform for Judo practitioners, is a must during class and competition. The top is a kimono-styled jacket while the pants are easy pull-on style. The accompanying belt is symbolic of the level of skill you have acquired. Making a judogi is possible if you have basic sewing skills, and the project can be accomplished quickly with concentration.

Things You'll Need

  • Martial arts uniform pattern
  • Medium- to heavyweight cotton material
  • Thread
  • Cutting board
  • Scissors
  • Pins
  • Sewing machine
  • Size 14 sewing machine needle
  • Elastic (optional)
  • Drawstring material (optional)
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Instructions

  1. Getting Ready to Construct the Uniform

    • 1

      Go to a store that sells fabric and sewing notions to look in the pattern books for a pattern in your size for a martial-arts uniform. Use the fabric requirement guidelines for the uniform size you plan to make. Choose a medium- to heavyweight cotton in either blue or white, the most common colors of a gi. Also, buy your thread and any other needed notions as suggested on the pattern envelope. Pants can have either a drawstring or elastic at the waist. Decide which will be used on your uniform and buy the appropriate notion.

    • 2

      Wash the cotton fabric before you begin cutting to allow for shrinkage. Once fabric has gone through the dryer, iron the fabric if necessary. Read the pattern directions for layout suggestions and assembly instructions. Cut out needed pattern pieces before sewing, putting to one side the pieces you need for the uniform you are making.

    • 3

      Using a cutting board to protect surfaces underneath, lay out the fabric with selvage edges touching unless otherwise directed by the pattern layout suggestions. Lay the pattern pieces on the fabric to make sure it all fits correctly. Pin pieces to the fabric and begin cutting out pieces of the pattern.

    • 4

      Make a bobbin of the matching thread. Place a size 14 needle in the needle holder, tightening the screw to make sure the needle is secure. Thread the sewing machine with the remaining thread on the spool.

    Construction of the Judogi

    • 5

      Read the construction instructions at least two times through to understand how to make the uniform. Gather pieces for the jacket first. Follow the instructions, step by step. Many begin with the top shoulder seams and work their way to adding the collar, sewing on the sleeves before the final hemming of sleeves and jacket body. The collar band that goes on the front of the jacket must have five rows of top stitching once it is attached to the jacket.

    • 6

      Gather pattern pieces for the pants. Read over the instructions for pant construction. Begin sewing the pieces for the pants per the instructions. If using a drawstring to hold up the pants, make the casing or the fabric pocket at the top of the pants with a button hole on each side of the front center. Measure your waist and add at least 12 inches to that number. Cut a length of drawstring measuring your final number. Thread the drawstring through the casing starting at one buttonhole. Keep moving the drawstring along the back until you get to the other buttonhole. Tie knots at the ends of the drawstring once they have been threaded through the casing.

    • 7

      If using elastic, measure your waist where the pants will sit. Subtract two inches and cut your elastic at that length. Make casing per the instructions of the pattern but leave eight inches of the seam open. Thread elastic through the casing along the back until you get to the other opening. Pin elastic together so there is an overlap of one half inch and sew it together with two lines. Stretch fabric to make elastic lay inside casing and sew casing shut without touching the elastic.

    • 8

      Re-enforce seams at the underarms and crotch areas by sewing over the seams two or three times to aid durability of the garment.