Wagesa instructions:

Sewing instructions click here

Knot tying instructions click here

Colors and material to be used: In constructing a kesa, take coarse cotton cloth as your base. When you do not have coarse cotton cloth, use a fine cotton cloth. If you have neither coarse nor fine cotton, use raw silk cloth. If you have neither silk nor cotton cloth, then use, say, a wool twill or a thin silk gauze, all of which the Tathagata endorsed. In a country that does not have any variety of silk, cotton, or twill, the Tathagata also permitted leather kesas.

Speaking in general terms, when dyeing a kesa, we should use blue-green, yellow, red, black, or purple. Whichever color we choose, it should be a loaded (primary) color.

Dogen's Spiritual Merits of the Kesa (Robe) click here

You might want to choose a traditional color and material per Dogen. Or not.

One alternative that I chose is Funzo-E.

Funzo-E sewing is to find cloth that is dicarded. Handed down material that is no longer useful. You can ask someone that you want to remember or care about for some material. For instance a Grandparent that you like or admire. Or a friend.

Found material that has no commercial value is part of a tradition that spans 2600 years in the Buddhist practice of making a robe. It protects against bandits, both of the internal and external sort.

Zen and Rags by Paula Arai click here

This is a picture of a classy Japanese Wagesa. Nice, but I like the simple American homespun look. See my own Wagesa pictured below. You could order one on line. They are not too expensive and perhaps you like the more traditional look of a Japanese Wagesa.