self drafted | Sewchet

Well that’s it, all my lovely linen used up and made into loose Summer garments which have been perfect in this recent spell of hot weather.

Remember these citrus shades I bought from Calico Laine?

I made a sleeveless dress from the “Pool Blue” and self drafted a tunic from the “Leaf Green” (Don’t you just love the descriptive colours?)

I wanted something along the same lines for the fuschia linen, another loose fitting, easy-to-wear item that would be a delight to wander around in on even the hottest day.

In the end I decided to make a dress based mainly on the tunic but, this time, with sleeves, albeit short ones.

This is what I came up with for the pockets, the lines marking the placement for an inverted pleat.

I used a combination of flat fell seams and French seams for the construction.

Narrow hems were made throughout, so no need for facings.

I really liked the details in the tunic so I applied them to this dress as well.

The parallel pleats on the front and back which draw the centre upwards and allow the edges to hang lower in an interesting shape….

…the exterior pleats on the back which add shape as an alternative to darts…

….and the inverted centre front pleat adorned with two coconut shell buttons.

I added two pockets this time, in a slightly different style….

…and this is the finished article!

The sides are split to mid thigh level which lets the breeze in to keep me nice and cool!

I can also wear linen trousers underneath for a different look (or if it gets cooler).

Very casual, comfortable and cool – three reasons why I LOVE linen!

You may remember that a few weeks ago I showed you some brightly coloured linen that I bought from Calico Laine.

I made this Vogue designer Summer dress from the ‘Pool Blue’ and blogged about it here.

The gorgeous ‘Leaf Green’ was destined to become a tunic top of sorts, but I couldn’t find an off the shelf pattern that I liked enough so I decided to draft my own.

I had several features in mind from other tops I own that I wanted to incorporate, so I played around awhile until I came up with this: –

A one-piece front with a centre front pleat and two horizontal partial pleats running parallel to the hem.

The back was also to be one-piece and would have some added shape in the form of external darts.

It was also to be shorter than the front and there would be slits on both sides.

This is the finished tunic which, from the creases, you can see has been worn quite a bit already.

The inverted centre front pleat was reinforced with a line of top stitching….

…and a couple of coconut shell buttons.

The parallel pleats at the bottom were designed to lift the tunic in the middle leaving the sides to drape lower.

To acheive the desired effect, the pleats were only partial and I only sewed between the pins as shown below.

I like the darts from the dress I made but was happier after securing them flat against the back, so I did the same with this tunic.

Much better!

French seams and narrow hems were used throughout.

The front pleats hang exactly as envisioned….

…and I added a gathered pocket at the last minute, matching the style with a pleat and another coconut shell button.

It’s a little bit stiff at the moment but will soften after the first wash.

I love it – the perfect loose, linen tunic to throw on over a pair of comfy linen trousers and mess around in the garden.

So cool and easy to wear and a lovely cheerful shade of lime green!

I could have brushed my hair for the photo though – I look like a tree with a bird’s nest on the top:)

Sewchet

Sewing, crochet, crafts, accessories, baking, tutorials,

Tag Archives: self drafted

Fuschia Linen Tunic Dress

Self-Drafted Linen Tunic

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: