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by Esi Hutchinson
Folkwear recently re-released its 1980's pattern 234 Cameos, which is a versatile pattern that blends well with its late-Victorian origin and what is considered a popular vintage style of today. You can wear it for costuming, casual, or evening wear, depending on the fabric of course. 234 Cameos includes three sewn views, one long-sleeve and two sleeveless, with a crochet and knitted cameo pattern as well. Read more about this pattern on our blog!
For the sewn camisoles, the lace embellishment is encouraged, and Folkwear has a small lace and beading trim selection that work perfectly for 234 Cameos. And our fabric collection keeps growing and we are proud to carry a variety of beautiful quality fabric. Below are some of my fabric suggestions for 234 Cameos pattern of the month!
First is our handkerchief linen. We always try to have white handkerchief linen in stock, and it's probably one of Folkwear's most popular fabric, its washes really well and feels lovely on the skin. And it is perfect for a traditional vintage camisole.
56" Handkerchief Linen - White
We also have a handkerchief linen in a pale blue that would be subtle color substitute and make a beautiful blouse.
We also have these great natural Indian cottons that are light weight and semi-shear and have some pretty embroidered designs woven in. These are very soft and feel amazing. These are a great choice for the camisoles, especially those that include lace insertion and edge lace. You can use them without the tucking and still have a delicate and interesting blouse.
Natural Indian Cotton - Neighborhood
Natural Indian Cotton - Lady Luck
These floral flat seersuckers are new at Folkwear! I think these make a beautiful camisole that is lightweight and pretty. And, they are great fabrics for the summer -- lightweight and have a luxurious feel.
Flat Cotton Seersucker - English Garden
Flat Cotton Seersucker - Florence Garden Green
Flat Cotton Seersucker - Florence Garden Orange
Folkwear also has some lovely light cotton and cotton/linen blends in check patterns that actually work really well for this pattern. The long-sleeved peplum is cut on the bias and it makes an interesting detail. I made the green one at the top with a large check pattern (there's only a small bit of this fabric left).
We also have this pretty light-weight 100% cotton options that would work really well also as a print.
Cotton Lawn - Garden Peonies Yellow
I hope these suggestions help when thinking of what fabric to use for this new reprint of 234 Cameos! We love this pattern and used several of these fabrics when making samples. There will be some tutorials and sewing tips for this pattern on this blog in the near future, so stay tuned. Which fabric are you going to make your camisole in?
During the late Victorian and early Edwardian era, camisoles played a crucial role in women's fashion. These undergarments were not only functional but also served as a fashion statement. They were typically made of lightweight fabrics such as cotton, linen, or silk, which are known for their breathability and comfort. Unlike earlier styles of camisoles, late Victorian camisoles were often more embellished and decorative. They featured intricate lace trims, delicate embroidery, pintucks and ribbon accents, adding a touch of femininity to the undergarment. The undergarments were not only practical but also served as a symbol of modesty and femininity. They were designed to provide an extra layer of coverage under sheer or low-cut dresses. These late Victorian (and early Edwardian) camisoles were a reflection of the societal norms and fashion trends of the era. Their intricate designs and functional purpose make them a fascinating piece of fashion history that continues to inspire clothing today, and inspired us to bring back the pattern, 234 Cameos.
234 Cameos has been sitting in the Folkwear archives for many years. First published in 1985, this pattern went out of print at least 10 years ago and was never brought back (until now). And that is a real shame because this pattern is delightful.
234 Cameos consists of 4 patterns: two sewn camisoles, one long sleeve, one sleeveless (with two views); a knitted short sleeve camisole, and a crocheted sleeveless camisole. These designs come from the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras; the long sleeved camisole pattern is based on an original from the 1890s. These camisoles feature lots of lace worked into the patterns, from lace edgings to lace insertion to lace designs in the crochet and knit work.
I have tended to shy away from lace in my clothes, but I really loved the look of these camis (which is a reason we wanted to bring them back into print), especially with the lace. Not only is lace in clothing on trend right now, it adds romance and interest to your clothes, and it can be fun to sew with (learn new skills, loads of design possibilities).
This pattern took a lot of work, or re-work, to be ready to release. First, we had all the camisoles graded up. The original pattern was available in sizes 6-16, which is our current X-Small to Medium. Which is quite small. We had the sewn camisoles graded up to 3XL and the knitted and crocheted camisoles to 2XL. Then we tested the sewing patterns, then made sample garments. Which is when we really fell in love with this pattern! We loved working with the lace, loved the seemingly endless combinations of fabrics, views, lace, tucking, and modifications that can be made to make these very flattering camisoles. We actually loved the lace and beading so much (and had a time finding lace and beading we loved) that we decided to stock lace and beading in our shop. The lace and beading we have works perfectly with this pattern.
The long sleeved camisole has a darted sleeve, lace at the neckline and cuff, tucks in the front and back, as well as optional lace insertion. The waist is gathered into a flattering peplum. The scoop neckline and the waist is gathered with delicate ribbon through lace beading. We will soon have blog posts to show you modifications for the sleeve and how we made some of our samples.
Long-sleeved camisole in green cotton/linen blend.
Long-sleeved camisole in yellow linen with lavender lace.
The sleeveless camisole in this pattern has two views. Both have wide set scoop neck fronts, princess seams and darts to create a flair below the waist in the back (to go over a bustle in years past). View A has a plain yoke; the yoke of View B has pintucks and lace (insertion if you want). Both views have lace around the yoke and are finished at the neck and armholes with lace edging.
Sleeveless camisole, View B, with a plain yoke in a cotton with fine embroidered designs.
View A with a plain yoke in a flat seersucker print.
View B with a tucked yoke.
Back of the sleeveless camisole (View B) with tucked yoke and lace.
A beautiful chevron lace pattern is used to knit the short-sleeve knitted camisole. The waist and sleeves are gathered with ribbon or knitted cord and make a very pretty top. The sleeveless crocheted camisole has a lace pattern made into each side of the front, and is buttoned in the front. The waist is also gathered by ribbon or cording to create a pretty silhouette.
Crocheted camisole worn over the long-sleeved camisole (with the 206 Quilted Prairie Skirt)
Stay tuned for some blog posts showing more details and modifications for this pattern. We really enjoyed using this pattern to create samples (and garments we are going to continue to wear) and hope you enjoy it just as much!
A few weeks ago I took my children to Italy for a vacation. And since I work with cloth, textiles, and clothes everyday, I really took notice of what I saw there and learned. I wish I'd had more time to do a truly textile-focused trip to Italy. This time was mostly vacation on the Ligurian coast. Maybe next time! However, the colors, landscape, and food of the coast was also inspiring.
Pretty little doors and rock buildings everywhere.
Delicious fresh food everyday!
Linen
Italy is renowned for its linen. There are many linen mills in Italy producing luxury linens and everyday linens. Linen is seen everywhere - from towels to clothes. Men wear linen shirts, linen suits, linen pants. Women wear linen dresses, skirts, shirts, and pants. And especially in summer, linen seems almost ubiquitous - and nearly all of it is milled and sewn in Italy. And I would venture that linen was probably so prevalent partly because we were visiting in summer.
We carry quite a bit of linen in our shop and use it often. And most of it comes from Italy. It made me glad that we have access to this great fabric.
The colors I noticed most in linen clothes while were were in Italy (in the city and on the coast) were white, light blue, and tan. These are classic colors, great for summer, and go with just about anything. I also saw a lot of stripes - blue and white and tan and white. Darker colors were brown, dark olive, and navy blue. It felt so very classic for fashion and I loved it! I do love linen so much! I bought a couple of linen shirts while there.
Linen selection at a fabric shop.
Milan
We did have one long afternoon in Milan where I tried to fit in everything! I really wanted to go to the Dolce & Gabbana exhibit at the Palazzo Reale. The exhibit is called From the Heart to the Hands and goes through the end of July. Unfortunately there were no tickets available the day we were going to be there! So if you are going, get your tickets well in advance.
We went to see the fashion exhibit that explored the changing styles from the late 1800s to the late 1900s at the Palazzo Morando. It was quite good and it was really amazing to see all the other artwork in the palace, including the incredible wall cloth.
Fashion exhibit in the Palazzo Morando - this one from the 1950s reminded me off our 241 Fit & Flair (but with a bubble skirt!).
I loved this one from the 1920s - gorgeous silk with bias skirt (somewhat similar to our 237 Tango Dress).
Such stunning fabric and cut on this dress from the 1930s.
This jacket is actually from the late 1800s, and the fabric is a gorgeous jacquard - and reminds me of our Basics Jacket. This is anything but basic with that fabric!
Inside rooms of the Palazzo Morando.
Another room in the Palazzo Morando - this wall cloth was stunning!
We, of course, saw the Duomo, which is stunning. And the area around the Duomo is full of high end fashion shops -- Balenciaga, Prada, Alberta Ferretti, Cartier, Dolce & Gabbana, etc. Window shopping here is incredible! I couldn't afford to go in any of the shops, and it is a bit intimidating when there are guards at the doors! I saw a gorgeous gold cuff in one window with a ruby in it - for 110,000 Euros! So, we just stayed outside and walked along the avenues.
Duomo
Cartier -- so many diamonds!
I loved these fabric covered chairs in a Milan shop window!
Versace store
One of the shops we loved the most was the American Bookstore, which is a beautiful book shop with many new volumes, many very nice used books, and just out of reach above the shelves are very old and probably rare books. Not only were the book displays good and full, there were gorgeous displays of stationary, prints, artwork, journals, and paper. My daughter and I loved this store. And the prices were very reasonable. A book lover could spend hours here.
I also popped into a fabric store, of course. The easiest one for us to get to was Telerie Spadari. It is a high end shop that mostly makes fine shirts, pajamas, and day dresses from the Italian cotton and linen they carry. They also make and sell sheets and towels. It was a lovely store and the customer service was very kind. My youngest son found some linen he liked. He had been asking me for the whole week in Italy if I would make him a linen shirt so he could look like the men in Italy. So, I had to buy it, even though it was nearly $50/meter! And that was the cheapest fabric they had. They had some very fine cotton shirting, which felt so luxurious and was over $100/meter! While we were there, several customers came in to pick up shirts (or pajamas) that had been made for them. It was a fun store to visit. I also bought a meter of a Liberty fabric they had because my oldest wants to make a tank top from it. Since she sewed a skirt to wear in Italy (the first garment she's ever made, plus first time using a pattern -- see last photo), I had to encourage her new sewing hobby.
Fabric at Telerie Spadari
I love how the selvage is the color of the Italian flag. These were the $100+/meter shirtings.
With my bags from Telerie Spadari.
My daughter in her first home sewn garment - Maeve Skirt by True Bias.
Milan was a gorgeous city (and has some of the best gelato around). I wish I'd had more time to explore it. Drop a comment if you have other suggestions for visiting Milan!
by Cynthia Anderson (first written in April 2019)
What is typically hidden from sight is not generally expected to have much power, especially when it comes to effecting social change or imposing shifts on the world. However unexpected, underwear has proven to be powerful in shaping attitudes, bodies, and societies in complex and unexpected ways. As it turns out, the garments featured in our 203 Folkwear Edwardian Underthings pattern were present at the start of a revolution!
Great change rarely occurs due to one individual thing, but in a series of occurrences that take on a life of their own. The period known as the Edwardian Era, between the late 1890’s and the beginning of The Great War in 1914, would prove to be such a time. The changes that occurred would forever alter the trajectory of Western culture. The reverberations cast by this game-changing era are still felt in the world today, even down to our underthings.
The catalyst for this uproar of change was the Industrial Revolution in Britain (late 1700s to mid-1800s). It transformed an economy that had been based on agriculture and handcrafts to an economy based on large scale industry and mechanization. The steam engine, science, and mass production would literally lead the way.
With great industrial fortunes being made, so came the extreme displays of wealth, resulted in the Edwardian era also being given the lavish title La Belle Epoque (The Beautiful Era) and the Gilded Age. In part, this extraordinary show of excess was ushered in by the hedonistic lifestyle of Britain’s new king, Edward VII. The royal family were seen as fashion trend setters, while British high society reigned as the cultural elite, with everyone taking their cues from Edward’s extravagances, behavior, and attitudes. The photos below are typical of Edwardian women on display.
Middle-class women were quick to emulate their societal “betters.” Societies, which were mostly poor population, became the victims of this blind excess. Unfortunately, today’s “fast fashion” continues to give life to these same disparities.
The era also brought with it upward mobility felt mostly by the expanding middle-class and the wealthy. The poor were excluded, being often left worse off than before. It would seem the rich were unwilling to acknowledge the price their privilege was forcing upon society. Disparities in clothing held up a disturbing mirror.
With the Industrial Revolution came many new advanced technologies, with textiles at the forefront. The new advancements in fabric manufacturing would transform the production of clothing in ways never seen before. The volume of production would soar, allowing for a broader range in quality and pricing for almost every pocketbook.
Societal change was uneven, enabling some to take advantage of the new wave of possibilities, while others were shut out. With new opportunities women and their fashion began to shift in tandem. Some women were benefiting from new freedoms. The socially acceptable bicycle allowed for independence and mobility all at the same time. Hence, the practical bloomer or drawers became popular (one of the pieces in our 203 Edwardian Underthings pattern).
Literacy was on the rise and knowledge more accessible. The sewing machine enabled more ready-to-wear clothing production and women could more quickly sew their own clothing. Job opportunities due to the invention of the typewriter, telephone, and telegraph created opportunities where there had been none before. Despite the fact that many women labored in factories for subsistent pay, there was a new woman beginning to emerge. One that was better educated, interested in politics and social causes - and was on the move. A changing world for women meant a change in wardrobe too.
Possibly, the greatest impact on fashion due to the Industrial Revolution was the unexpected advancements in the manufacturing of lace and hosiery. This would change women’s underwear and our attitudes towards undergarments that still persist today.
The woman in photo above maybe working on a lace making machine
The Edwardian Era is synonymous with lovely white-lacy-underthings. For the first time in history, lace was applied to underwear, and a lingerie industry was born! Lace transformed underwear from plain and practical to highly coveted items that appealed to women’s desire for delicate and feminine undergarments. Mass-produced lace would create an entirely new industry that would change the relationship with underwear and it’s place in the world forever.
Advertisements and fashion sketches in the ladies’ magazine of the day fueled the desires of the rich and poor alike. Access to mass advertising helped to transform underwear to lingerie almost overnight. There was already a plethora of popular undergarments at this time, including the corset, the chemise or camisole, drawers or bloomers, petticoats, crinolines, and all kinds of silhouette enhancing padding. However, the addition of lace would elevated the desirability of these familiar garments. Our 203 Edwardian Underthings pattern features the camisole, drawers, and petticoat and has instructions for crocheting lace for lace insertion or lace edgings to add to these underthings.
Women aspired to fine, delicate, and diaphanous lace-encrusted creations made of semi-sheer cotton batiste, voile, lawn, linen and silk, all beautifully decorated in lace and delicate touches of embroidery and ribbon. While fine cotton was the preferred fabric, taffeta and other crisp fabrics were used for petticoats and outer most layers of lingerie or underskirts.
The availability of mail order created a purchasing frenzy! Lingerie could be bought secretly, which added to its allure. Beautifully made and fine-quality lingerie was widely available during the Edwardian Era and was generally within the purchasing ability of most middle-class purses. The popularity and ease of mail order only helped to expand the joy of pretty lingerie. The fact that so many piece still exist on the market today, is a testament to the popularity of Edwardian lingerie.
The epitome of lingerie desire was in matching sets of lingerie items, with matching lace insertion detailing. Sound familiar? The relative cheapness of cotton along with more durable and affordable machine-made laces allowed undergarments to become more economical and practical, as well as pretty. Of course, it did not hurt that the range of lace designs was almost endless.
Soft pastel cotton fabrics were available for lingerie making, but white reigned supreme as the Edwardian aesthetic. White fabric also had the practical benefit of not being easily ruined when laundering. While technology in dyeing fabric was improving, one ran the risk of fabric not being colorfast and fading. Coveted lace dresses dominated fashion of the era and the impracticality of such dresses would set the wealthy apart from all other segments of society.
While the fruits of the Industrial Revolution were not enjoyed by everyone, a more democratic consumerism was born, allowing for a greater range of cheaper goods helping to lead the way. Insinuated into this newfound democracy, were the prurient desires of men. Hence, the most important items in a young woman trousseau shifted from fine table and bedding linens to lingerie.
The 203 Folkwear Edwardian Underthings Pattern is the perfect excuse to indulge yourself in the same luxuries as so many Edwardian-spirited women. This pattern consists of all the easy and versatile pieces you will need to find romantic inspiration - the camisole, petticoat, and drawers/bloomers. Watch for an up-coming blog on how to make the 203 Edwardian Underthings Pattern for everyday wearing - just in time for Spring!
We are excited to stock Folk Embroidery kits from Avlea Folk Embroidery. These kits contain all you need to add folk embroidery motifs to any project. You could add them to cuffs, collars, hems, borders, and plackets. You could add them to napkins, tablecloths, cushions, or tea cozies. These are really perfect for Folkwear patterns as well because the folk embroidery motifs complement our folk and vintage patterns.
These kits have 3 options: Garden, Geometric, and Woodland. Each kit comes with up to 7 motifs and borders to stitch, waste canvas, instructions, a needle, and a palette of thread that is complementary and beautiful. Once you have your fabric or project garment, the kit will have all you need to start stitching.
Some motifs and borders from the Floral kit
Some motifs from the Geometric kit
Some motifs and borders from the Woodland kit
I recently used the Woodland kit to add a small border to my 117 Croatian Shirt Dress. I love this dress (you can read more about me making it here) and thought it would be a great option for adding some folk embroidery to. I decided to add a short border to the cuffs of the dress. These cuffs have a neat little shaping to them and the border I picked has a similar roundedness to it. The colors in the kit were very complimentary to the dress color and I chose colors based on what I liked rather than what the instructions indicated. And of course, you can choose whatever colors you want to embroider these designs in (and not stick to what the instructions say).
I stitched the waste cloth/canvas that is included in the kit to the border with just one row of straight stitching. After I stitched the first row, I trimmed this canvas down to a narrow rectangle going across the cuff. There is plenty of waste cloth/canvas to do many embroidery projects!
After a few minutes of experimenting and counting at the beginning, I decided to use two holes in the canvas instead of one for each stitch. The canvas is 22-count which is quite small, and I wanted the stitching to go more quickly (and to have larger stitches), so I counted over 2 holes for each stitch, rather than 1. So you can experiment with what you think looks best for your project -- very fine stitches or larger ones. You could even count 3 holes for your stitches.
For this border, I just counted the repeats and started and ended where I wanted it to be after doing a little counting to basically center the design on the cuff edge. It was quite simple.
Once the embroidery is done, you easily pull out all the waste canvas threads by pulling the ends. This is particularly easy if you do a border design like this. Pull the short ends first. Trim the canvas closer to the embroidery if you need to. And if any threads get stuck, you can ease it out or trim it carefully out.
One of the things I like about embroidery is that it is up to the individual how it looks, and I like that it doesn't have to be perfect. Mistakes become charm in your designs.
I really like how this came out on my dress cuff!
These folk embroidery kits are great little projects and so much fun! I highly recommend them (they would make a fun sewing project to take on vacation too). Check them out and let us know what you think!
This blog post was written in 2020, but has been updated in 2024.
by Molly Hamilton
I am still working on my project goal of making our 227 Edwardian Gown from a gorgeous grey organic cotton voile and hand-dyed lace. (Fabric and lace naturally dyed from Botanica Tinctoria.) This is honestly the first time I have done lace insertion, and I am quite enjoying it. It is not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be, but it is a lot more time consuming than I realized. Hence, the dress is not finished. UPDATE: See the finished dress here in the photos in the pattern description (not me wearing it though) and above.
However, even though I haven't finished the dress yet, I want to show you the easy lace insertion technique that is used in this pattern so you can more easily do it on your own - for making this dress or the 205 Gibson Girl Blouse or 210 Armistice Blouse or in any project you want to do (napkins and tablecloths would be gorgeous and easy!).
See all our patterns that have lace insertion here. And our collection of lace here.
First, make sure your fabric and lace are pre-washed, or wash them before working on your project. Wash them as you plan to wash you finished garment. This is because if you wash you fabric and not your lace (or vice versa or neither), you can end up with lace that shrinks and fabric that does not and end up with a garment that is distorted or too small. You do NOT want to go through all the work of lace insertion to have this happen. My lace and fabric were pre-washed with very hot water during the dyeing process, so I don't need to worry about pre-washing/pre-shrinking either.
Another couple of tips: make sure your machine is at a tension that works well for your fabric (you don't want it eating up your lace or making it tight); and if your fabric is very fine, you can use spray starch to help sew and use the lace.
Also, make sure you have enough lace to do the project you have in mind. Honestly, I don't have enough insertion lace for this project, but I am making changes to the design to make it work. I bought out all the lace of this color that they had, so I had limits from the start. Which is fine - I am making it work.
There are two types of lace used in this project. First is insertion lace. This type of lace has two sides that are straight (or mostly straight). This lace is "inserted" in the garment and becomes part of the fabric. You need two straight edges on the lace to work.
The other type of lace is called edging lace and can be pre-gathered (or gathered) or flat edging. Lace with ruffles is gathered, or pre-gathered; lace that lays mostly flat is edging. But, both have one side that is mostly straight and one side that is scalloped or has some shaping to it.
We now carry insertion and edging lace in our shop and plan to add more. Check out all the lace and beading options we have here.
Usually, you start insertion lace on pattern pieces before they are sewn to any other pattern pieces. Sometimes you sew over seams, but we'll get to that below.
To sew insertion lace on your garment, you pin the lace down right on top of your garment piece where you want it to be - on the right side of your fabric. For corners, make a mitered corner. For curves, ease around the curve. And, don't cut your lace at the end. This allows for some extra lace that might be needed by the end of sewing the lace down.
Then sew along each edge of the lace. For curves (and corners), sew the outside edge first. I like to pin so that I sew on top of the lower end of the pins on the first edge, then pull them out as I sew long the second edge of the lace.
Welcome back to the 280 Resort Kaftan sew along! For Part 1, go here. We left off at finishing the front of the dress by joining the bodice, band, and skirt front. Today we will finish sewing the dress!
Adding Bodice Ties
Adding bodice ties to the inside of the dress allows you to be able to add some shaping to the kaftan when wearing it. You don't have to add the ties; they are optional. When the dress is finished, the ties are tied into a bow in the back when wearing it, under the dress, and pull the front tighter to the body. If you add ties, you don't have to tie them every time, of course. You can let them hang down on the inside of the dress. But, the dress that I made for the post is too short to not tie the ties each time (they hang down lower than the hem when not tied).
If you are adding ties, cut two lengths of twill tape or ribbon to be at least 25" long. You may want the ties longer, depending on the size you are making and how easy it is to tie backwards.
I used some twill tape we had on hand at the office. Place one end of one tie inside the two Center Front Bands, between the outer Band and the facing Band. Tack down the end to the facing Band (the Band on the inside of the dress). Place the end just over the seam line so that it will be sewn into the seam in the next step.
Note that you cannot finish the seams all in one go once the ties are added. I serged the seams, but skipped the area where the ties were placed. You would need to finish the short ends of the Bands before sewing them in place if you wanted them finished/serged.
The tie is pinned inside the Band facing here - you can see this is the inside of the kaftan.
I tacked the tie down to the inside of the facing with a zigzag stitch on my machine. I could have placed the tie slightly more to the inside so when I stitched the seam in the next step, the tie would be more securely sewn.
Both ties are added to the sides of the front.
Side Fronts
Now sew Sides D to each side of the dress front that we made in Part 1. With right sides together, match the notch on Sides to the seam line where the Skirt Front meets the Center Front Band. Sew from the top front to the bottom hem. Be sure to keep the ties free from the stitching, and watch that no gathers or extra fabric gets caught in the stitching. There is a lot of fabric here, so working one side a time is a good idea -- pin and sew the right side, then do the left side. Press the seams open, but if you are using the ties, you will want to press this seam toward the Side since the ties tie in the back.
Matching the notch on Side D to the seamline of the Skirt Front and Center Front Band. Right sides are together.
Right side (as worn) is sewn to the front, and the left side (as worn) is pinned together. I finished these seams separately but pressed both toward the back since the ties tie in the back.
Back
Now sew the center back seam, with right sides together and matching notches. I actually cut my back on the fold, so I skipped this step. To cut the back on the fold, be sure to take out the 1/2" (13mm) seam allowance on the center back.
Next sew the shoulder seams. With right sides together place the back to the front, pin the shoulder seams together and stitch. Finish seams and press the open.
Shoulder seams are sewn and pressed open here. The back shoulder matches the the front and side shoulders.
Side Seams and Pockets
The pockets are added to the side seams. For detailed information about adding a pocket to a side seam (and to get a free side seam pocket pattern), read our blog here. Use a measuring tape to decide how far down you want the pockets to lie - usually a bit below the waist and just above the hip. Pin one pocket piece to the front and one to the back (be sure they are at the distance you decided upon) with right sides of pocket to right sides of dress. Stitch the pockets in place with a 1/4" (6mm) seam allowance. Press the pocket open and the seam allowance toward the pocket.
Now stitch the side seam. Match squares at the underarm and notches and pockets. Pin, then stitch from the square under the arm (back stitch to secure) to the top of the pocket and around the pocket bag. I usually stop stitching after I finish the pocket bag. And then start stitching again at the side seam, a few inches above the bottom of the pocket bag on the side seam. Stitch from the bottom of the pocket to the bottom of the kaftan.
Again, you can finish these seams before you start stitching, or you can finish them together or separately. The pocket seam should be finished together. If finishing separately, you can clip back seam allowance just above and below the pocket to release it to face the front and press the seams open.
Pocket placed right sides together on front of the dress.
Pocket pressed open and seam pressed toward pocket. I marked the place where I would start stitching the side seam on the lower part of the pocket. You can see I finished my seam before adding the pocket here.
Stitch the side seam from the square under the arm, down to the top of the pocket, around the pocket, and down again to the bottom.
Side seam pinned at the top square under the arm hole.
Now you need to clip the seam allowance at the square (just where your stitching ends) to the seamline, but not past it.
Turn 1/4" (6mm) to the wrong side all around the arm hole, and turn again. Then stitch from the top of the square under the arm all around the armhole, stitching the hem in place close to the folded edge. When I did this, I actually turned under and pressed 1/2" (13mm), then pressed under 1/4" from that seam allowance. I also turned under the corners of the side seam allowance under the arms and stitched with a short set of stitches (you could whipstitch them down).
Clipping to the square on the side seam below the armhole.
Clip nearly to the side seam but not through the seam allowance.
I turned under the seam allowance by 1/2" (13mm) in the armhole.
Then turned under 1/4" (6mm) from there to the inside of the seam, and stitched close the the folded edge.
The finished armhole!
I finished the top corner of the side seam, under the square by folding the corner to the inside of the seam allowance and stitching in place. This just gave a nicer appearance to the underarm, I felt.
Facings
If you are going to use interfacing for the facings, you should apply it now. Interfacing can be helpful to give a little body and support to fine and lightweight fabrics. You can use another fabric (like a lightweight silk) or regular interfacing. If you are using interfacing, be sure to use something that is appropriate for the fabric you are using (lightweight interfacing for lightweight fabric, etc.). Also, you can trim the interfacing by 1/2" (13mm) on each side of the pattern piece to reduce bulk in the seam allowances. I did not use interfacing for this dress since the fabric had a lot of body already.
Sew the Front Facing pieces together at the center front, with right sides together, from the bottom edge to the center of the square. You don't have to finish this seam since it will not be seen, but if your fabric ravels easily, it is a good idea to finish it. Press the seam open.
The Front Facings with right sides together, stitched from bottom to square.
Center front seam of the Front Facings pressed open.
Sew the Back Facing to the Front Facing at the shoulder seams, with right sides together. Again, you do not have to finish these seams. Press the seams open.
Front and Back Facings pinned together at the shoulder seams.
To finish the outer edge of this neck facing, press under 1/2" (13mm) on the outer edge of all the way around these pieces. You will need to overlap at corners and some curves. Stitch close to the folded edge to secure. Alternatively, you could serge the outer edge of the neck facing to finish it (or zigzag, bind with bias binding, or cut with pinking shears).
The facing with 1/2" (13mm) pressed to the wrong side, along all sides.
I stitched this fold down close to the edge.
Now, with right sides together, pin and stitch the facing to the kaftan neckline, matching shoulder seams and center fronts. It is best to start and stop stitching at the center front square. If I don't line up my stitches perfectly, I will clip them a bit to get the centers to work well (or unpick and re-do it).
The facing is pinned to the neckline of the kaftan.
It is a good idea now to understitch the facing. Understitching helps keep the facing turned to the inside of the garment. Press the facing away from the dress and press the seam allowance toward the facing. Then stitch close to the seam allowance (1/16" to 1/8" away). You will not be able to get completely to the center front, but that is fine.
Trim, or grade, the seam allowance and clip the curves. Clip the curves right up to the understitching, but try to not clip the stitching. You can clip at right angles to the stitching, or clip at diagonals, and clip every few inches. You can also trim and clip the seam before you understitch, but you won't have much to go by and the clips can get bunched under the presser foot.
A close up of the understitching - the facing is to the left in the photo and the dress is to the right. The understitching is very close to the seamline.
Clipping the curves on the facing and neckline of the kaftan.
Now turn the whole facing to the wrong side of the kaftan and press well. I also recommend whipstitching the facing to the seam allowances at the center back, shoulder seams, and center front. This will help keep the facing in place.
All that is left is to hem the dress. Press up 1/2" (13mm) on the bottom raw edge and press, and then press up another 1" (2.5cm). Stitch in place near the folded edge. For my dress, I had a slightly larger hem since I made last minute adjustments to how short I wanted it. I also don't like cutting my hems too short in case I want to lower the hem line at some point. I used a blind hem stitch which worked great.
Now the kaftan is finished! And share your kaftan makes with us! Send an email or tag us on social media.
I love my new kaftan and will be wearing it often this summer.
We are so happy to offer this 280 Resort Kaftan pattern! It is an easy-to-sew pattern to make a flowing and fun 1960s/1970s kaftan. The pattern is based on a vintage kaftan that was in our Folkwear garment collection. It features a faced V-neck, gathered bodice and skirt into a small front waistband, elbow-length sleeves, and ankle-length skirt.
In this sew along, I am going to go over the basics of how to make this dress, but I am also going to show some pattern hacks that I used to make this purple Resort Kaftan -- shortening the skirt and adding pockets. But we will start with the basics. This is Part 1; Part 2 is found here.
First, gather your materials!
Fabric
This kaftan is best made with light to medium weight fabric that has a nice drape to it, such as rayon challis, silk chiffon or charmeuse, handkerchief linen, or cotton voile or lawn. However, you could also make it in a slightly heavier or stiffer fabric for a bit of a different feel or look. A medium weight linen (like this Balenciaga linen) would be great and give more body to the dress. A silk dupioni, especially in a print, would make an elegant evening-type dress. A light-weight denim would have a sturdy feel. We had a customer say they were planning to make this pattern in a cotton flannel for winter!
For the dress for this post, I decided to use a seersucker that we had in stock. It is a stiffer fabric and I would consider it on the light side of medium weight. It has a lot of body. It is also a great fabric for summer. I knew I wanted to make the dress shorter with this fabric, so that is one of the modifications I will show in this sew along. And we will be getting some really pretty floral lightweight seersucker fabric soon (deadstock designer fabric) so check back with us. These fabrics will be great for this dress!
Notions
There are very few notions needed for this pattern. Thread, of course. But if you want to interface the facings, you need about 1/2 yard of interfacing. And if you want to add the inside side ties, you will need 50"-75" of ribbon or twill tape. I did add inside ties to this dress and it does make a difference to the shape when wearing it. I like the ties.
Other Supplies
You will also need the pattern, of course, which you can find here.
I also like to use tracing fabric to trace my patterns to cut out (and to make adjustments).
Sizing and Yardage
You can find the sizing and yardage chart on the back of the pattern envelope, in the first pages of the PDF pattern, or at this link (also linked at the bottom of the pattern description).
There is, of course, a lot of ease in this pattern, which makes it fairly forgiving for sizing. Check out the finished measurements to make sure you have plenty of room, but don't be too surprised at the ease. If you want to make adjustments to length, you will likely need to adjust your yardage as well. I made the skirt much shorter (by nearly 14"). If your bust is very large, you may want to make a full bust adjustment to the bodice.
I made a size small for this kaftan.
Cutting out the pattern
Once you have decided on the size you want to cut, cut out or trace your pattern. Again, I like to trace my patterns with this tracing fabric. For large pieces, like the skirts on this pattern, you could cut out the largest size and just fold out the edges that you don't need. This would save tracing fabric and still keep your pattern in tact.
If you are making any adjustments to the pattern, you should do so now. I shortened my skirt pieces (Front, Back, and Sides) by 12" (30.5cm) from the hem line, shortening the whole dress by 13.5" (34.3cm). I wanted a knee-length dress, and I used the finished length measurements (on the yardage chart) to judge how much to shorten the skirt pieces. The skirts are shorted at the hem edge because the side seams are straight edges. You could fold out the length in the lower middle of the pattern pieces instead. If you are lengthening the dress, you can add length to the bottom hems of all skirt pieces (Front, Sides, and Back).
Measuring 12" (30.5cm) up from the hem line. I wanted by skirt about 13.5" (34.3cm) shorter than the original.
Drew in a new cut mark (purple) on the pattern piece.
My new front skirt piece.
Once the pattern is cut out, you can place the pattern on your fabric. I like to wash and dry the fabric (with the same method I would when it is a garment) before cutting any pattern pieces from the fabric. This can be very important for fabrics like rayons which tend to shrink quite a bit.
The Skirt Front (A) can be cut on the fold or cut as two pieces. And, if you don't have quite enough fabric to cut the full width, don't forget that this piece is gathered into the bodice (or waistband of the bodice). So you can save some fabric and be flexible with the width of this piece. I made several of these kaftans by cutting Skirt Front A narrower than the pattern piece and it turned out just fine. So, I wanted to give you permission to do this, especially if you can save some fabric yardage by doing so!
For this dress, I cut Skirt Front A on the fold. I cut the Back and Side Front with the fabric layered so I could cut two at the same time. This was a bit tricky with seersucker (especially striped seersucker) as the fabric does not like to stay straight. I cut it on a carpet which helped a bit I think.
The largest pattern pieces laid out on my fabric on a carpet for cutting.
I cut the Center Front Band and Facings from the same fabric. And, I switched the direction of the stripes for the Center Front Band (still kept the pattern piece on the grainline).
Center Front Bands cut from fabric, on the cross grain.
For the Bodice, I wanted the stripes to go the same way as the neckline, so I cut it on an angle (or bias). I cut each side separately.
Cutting the Front Yoke on a bias angle so that the stripes will be parallel to the neckline.
Cutting the other side of the Front Yoke (note pattern piece is facing down).
I cut the Back and Front Facings as instructed; the Back Facing on the fold and the Front Facing with the grainline parallel to the selvage.
Finally, I cut pockets!
The side seams of this pattern are perfect for adding pockets. And the sturdier fabric of the seersucker made pockets a good idea for this dress. We have a free PDF pocket pattern on our site - you can find it in this blog post. Or you can draw up your own side seam pocket. I used the pocket pattern from our site and cut 4 pocket pieces. You probably won't need any more yardage to get pockets - they can be cut from the scraps of your fabric.
I cut 4 pocket pieces from the free pocket pattern on the blog.
Seam Finishes
All Folkwear patterns include a standard 1/2" (13mm) seam allowance, unless otherwise specified. You can finish the seams in several different ways. For this garment, I serged the seams and pressed them open (sometimes to the back). But, you can also do French seams in most places (at the center front, center back, side front if not using inside ties, shoulders, and even side seams if you clip to the square first). You can also finish by overlocking or with a zigzag stitch. You could also trim very lightweight fabric with pinking shears. Another option is to turn under just under 1/4" (6mm) to the back on each seam allowance and sew down.
Sewing the Front
Since I cut the Skirt Front on the fold, I did not need to sew a center front seam. If you cut your Skirt Front as two pieces, sew them together at the center front and finish the seams. This is a good place to do a French seam, or serge/overcast/zigzag and press the seam open.
Sew the center front seam of the Front Yokes, with right sides together, to create the bodice. Stitch from the bottom of the Front Yokes to the center of the square. Finish the seams and press open.
Front Yokes sewn together at center front. Right side facing up.
Then sew a stay stitching line at 3/8" (1cm) from the outer edge of the neckline. This will stabilize the neckline while the rest of the sewing is happening. Since I cut these yoke pieces on the bias (not true bias, but an angle), the neckline is quite stable already since it ends up being on the grainline rather than on a bias.
Next, sew gathering stitches at the bottom of the front yoke, between the side seams. Sew two rows of gathering stitches (set your machine to stitch long stitches) - one at 5/8" (1.6cm) from the raw edge and one a 1/4" (6mm) away in the seam allowance. Two rows of gathering stitches at this spacing will help to create even gathers.
Draw up the bobbin thread on each end of the gathering stitches to gather the front yoke to fit the length of the longer long edge of one of the Center Front Bands. Be sure to match the center front seam of the yoke to the notch on the Center Front Band. Adjust the gathers to be evenly spaced.
Bottom of front yokes gathered to fit the longer side of the Center Front Band. Wrong sides facing up.
Pin the gathered front yoke to the Center Front Band with right side together. Then pin the other Center Front Band with the right side of the Band to the wrong side of the front yoke. This will sandwich the yoke between the Center Front Bands. Stitch this in place. Then, trim the seams. You can trim all of them down to 1/4" or grade the seam allowance (trim the outer seam allowances a bit shorter than the inner seam allowance - this reduced bulk in one place). Press the Bands away from the yoke front. The band on the inside is now the Band Facing.
Sandwiched front yoke between the Center Front Band pieces (Band Facing is on top).
Trim or grade the seam allowances.
Center Front Bands stitched to the front yoke. Seam allowance is pressed toward the band.
Remove the gathering stitches.
Now sew gathering stitches along the top of the Skirt Front just as you did with the front yoke. And then gather the Skirt Front so that it matches the shorter long edge of the Center Front Band. Adjust the gathers so they are even, and pin the Skirt Front to the Center Front Band with right sides together, matching center fronts. Be sure to just pin the Skirt Front to the Center Front Band and not to the Facing also. Keep the Facing free and away from the stitching. Sew this seam, sewing the Skirt Front to the Center Front Band.
Bottom of the Center Front Band pinned to the gathered Skirt Front. The Band Facing is not pinned or sewn to the Skirt Front at this point and is facing away.
Trim or grade the seam allowance and press it toward the Center Front Band.
Press 1/2" (13mm) to the wrong side on the free long edge of the Band Facing. Press the Band Facing over the Skirt Front/Center Front Band seam line and stitch in place. I recommend hand stitching this (with a whip stitch), but you could also topstitch this or stitch-in-the-ditch to secure the Facing over the seamline.
Skirt Front is stitched to the Band and the Band Facing is free.
I trimmed the seam allowance to reduce bulk. And folded and pressed down the free long side of the Band Facing to the wrong side of the fabric.
I folded the Band Facing over the seamline of the skirt and band. This is from the wrong side of the kaftan front.
Then I pinned the Band Facing in place and whip stitched the facing over the seamline.
In the next part of our sew along, I will show you how to add the ties to the bands on the inside, add pockets, and we will finish sewing this kaftan!
I wanted to give a little background on our newest pattern, the 280 Resort Kaftan. We are happy to have it available to you and are looking forward to sewing up a couple for ourselves in the next few weeks.
Folkwear has a small selection of original garments that have been collected over the years with the thought that they may potentially be the start of a pattern. It was about a year ago that we were looking at a kaftan that was in the collection. An employee had put it in because she loved the vintage garment. It was from the late 1960s/early 1970s and was made of a lightweight cotton in a vintage print that fell in stripes down the dress. It was easy to overlook this garment, and even to think that 1960s isn't vintage. But, I have been assured repeatedly that the 60s and 70s (and even 80s) is now vintage according to the next generation. And people are looking for iconic sewing patterns from the era. I kind of fell in love with the original kaftan. It looked so comfortable, cool, and easy to wear, and so very vintage. It also looked fairly easy to sew! So I drafted a pattern based on this kaftan. Amazingly, the original kaftan was made with one piece of fabric that wrapped from front to back (gathered in places), and had no side seams at all. The bodice was inserted. We added side seams for ease of construction (and to give a place to add pockets), as well as to make it easier to print in larger sizes.
The original kaftan on a dress form in our studio.
Our 280 Resort Kaftan pattern has a faced V-neck bodice that gathers into a high partial waistband, and has elbow-length sleeves. The flowing dress falls to ankle-length and is loose and airy. This pattern is perfect to sew as a beach or poolside cover up, but it is also stunning as dress to wear out in the evenings. Fabric choice is key - a lightweight cotton or a sheer silk or cotton to wear over a bathing suit, or a slinky silk or chiffon for evenings. Add embroidery to the waistband or neckline or armholes for a special touch.
Back and front line drawings of the 280 Resort Kaftan
We knew that the 1960s and 70s style kaftan had its roots in folk wear from North Africa, and it was interesting to research its history. The history of the kaftan (or caftan) goes back to nearly the beginning of civilization (and perhaps before). It is one of the simplest and earliest garments worn by humans – basically a loose robe, closed or open in the front, with holes for the head and arms. What we think of as a kaftan today is thought to have originated in Turkey between the 4th and 6th centuries AD. This style of kaftan spread, often at the same time as the spread of Islam, throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Regional and cultural styles developed in different areas and the garment took on different names such as thawb (Arabian Peninsula), jellabiyas or galabias (Egypt and Sudan), and thobe (Palestine).
The kaftan style that developed in North Africa was for a flowing, closed-front garment with a slit neckline, worn by men and women. This design is helpful for staying cool in hot desert temperatures as well as protecting the body from the sun.
The kaftan eventually came into popularity in European and American culture in the 20th century. At first, designers like Paul Poiret riffed on the Moroccan kaftan with his loose fitting and flowing dresses (a big change from the previous corseted fashions). Dior and Balenciaga also adapted the kaftan to evening wear in the 1950s. In the 1960s and 1970s, “hippie” culture also embraced the kaftan style, as interest grew in folk cultures, fashions, and styles from India to North Africa. And cultural icons from Cass Elliot to Diana Vreeland began to wear the style. Designers and the fashion industry used these street styles to create kaftans for evening and everyday wear.
Elizabeth Taylor in an elegant blue evening kaftan (Pinterest image).
By 1970, the kaftan was part of mainstream American fashion. Elizabeth Taylor’s signature look was based on the style of kaftan that had made it to America. She loved the comfort and inherent femininity of the dress. She even wore a kaftan as her wedding dress to Richard Burton in 1975. By the end of the 1970s, the kaftan was out of (mainstream) fashion, but was still associated with resort wear.
Today the kaftan is still associated with tropical vacations, though it is worn more and more as day wear, and still appears as formal wear at times, especially when trends are giving the style a nod. It makes a lovely and easy-to-wear dress to don poolside or out to dinner.
We love this new pattern! It is is forgiving and flattering, easy to wear, feminine, flowing, and fun. It is a classic!
I really like our 229 Sailor Pants pattern, and it is a special pattern because it was designed from an original pair of WWII sailor pants. And, there can be many riffs on these pants - from as simple as adding, or not adding, the pockets or leg godet or back gusset, to making them into a skirt (or shorts).
I got inspired to make these pair of white sailor pants with pockets in the front flap from the pair that Keeley Hawes wears as Louisa Durrell in The Durrells in Corfu (PBS Masterpiece Theater). This is such a great show, and the kids and I really enjoyed watching it. The 1930s costuming and fashion is really wonderful in the show as well. I especially loved that Louisa had pockets in the front flap of her sailor pants. So I set about to figure out how to do it. And, funnily enough, a customer wrote to me last week asking if I had an idea of how to add pockets to the front flap. So I started on this pair that I had in my mind for over a year now.
You can see the inspiration for these pants here from The Durrells in Corfu - side pockets in the front flap.
Preliminary Information
Fit: First, it will be important to get the fit how you want with this pattern before putting in the pocket. The pocket does take away a bit of the ease of getting in and out of the pants (the way I designed the pocket), but not by much. If you make the pocket larger than I did, this is less of an issue. If I do these again, I would make them another size larger for myself because I think I would prefer a looser fit. I added darts to the back of the pants at the waist and made the waistband and waistband curtain a bit smaller. This is because my waist is smaller than the hip measurement that fit me best. I also kept the back gusset for these pants because this also makes getting in and out of the pants easier, especially since you are reducing the front flap availability with the pockets.
Fabric: I chose a white denim that we have in stock at Folkwear for this sample. Using a heavier weight fabric caused me to think more about what I might use for any lining pieces. I used a scrap of lightweight blue linen for the waistband curtain and the lining of the Back Gusset. I did use the main fabric for all my pocket pieces, though you could potentially use a lighter weight fabric for the Buttonhole Facing.
Sewing: If you have questions or get stuck somewhere sewing these pants, be sure to check out our Sew Along! It is 11 days and goes into detail about this pattern and has lots of tips and tricks for sewing these pants. Start here for Day 1 of the sew along.
Designing the Pocket
I made the pocket from the Buttonhole Facing (Piece C) and the Front Dart Gusset Facing (Piece B). The Buttonhole Facing will make up the front of the pocket and the Front Dart Gusset Facing will make up the back of the pocket. These pieces will be sewn together at the inner edges of the pocket rather than just face each other.
I used our free pocket pattern (from this blog post) to design the pocket for these pants. I placed the pocket piece on top of the pattern pieces (C and B) and traced out new pieces, also aligning them as they would be when they are sewn into the pants so that the pocket front and back come out even with each other (so matching dots on the flap dart).
This shows the Buttonhole Facing on top of the Pant Leg with a pocket set in approximately where I wanted the pocket to be placed.
This shows the pocket piece placed with the Buttonhole Facing. I used these two together to trace a new Buttonhole Facing with the pocket bag as a part of it.
This shows the pocket lined up with the Front Dart Gusset Facing. The line on the pocket shows where it will line up with the stitching line on this pattern piece. I traced a new Front Dart Gusset Facing with these pieces together to make a back for the pocket bag.
These were my new Buttonhole Facing and Front Dart Gusset Facing pieces. These became the front and back of my pocket, as well as the facing pieces for the pants front flap.
You can see above my new pattern pieces with the pocket built into the facings. I made the pockets a bit on the small side because I was worried about how much extra fabric it was adding to the front and how that extra fabric would be handled. However, I think I could have made the pockets larger. I could have made them come closer to the pants center front (i.e. made them wider). They could also have been a bit deeper too. But, in any case, this is how to make the pocket pattern pieces! Feel free to make your pockets larger.
I cut the Buttonhole Facing on the fold and cut 2 of the Front Dart Gusset Facings (I did not cut a lining for it, but you could - I would recommend a lighter weight fabric).
Sewing the Pocket
I basically followed the same directions that are in the instructions for putting in these facings, but with a few modifications you will see below. I reinforced the dot at the bottom of the slash lines on the leg with fusible interfacing. And as a side note, you can move the slash line down by about a 1/2" (13mm) if you want your pocket opening to be a little longer. You will need to also adjust the lower dots that match to that point on the Buttonhole Facing and the Front Dart Gusset Facing, but that shouldn't be an issue.
First, I only folded up the center of the Buttonhole Facing by 1/2" (13mm) and sewed in place (I clipped to the seamline to release the center section, similarly to the instructions). I sewed the Buttonhole Facing in place on the front flap, clipped the corners, and turned it to the inside. I pressed it really well.
Buttonhole Facing piece with the center front marked, as well as where I made my snips to fold up the lower edge by the center front. Also dots for the markings for the front flap dart.
I clipped to the seamline at these corners so I could turn up this center section and finish it.
Front section turned up to wrong side (and then sewn down).
Here I've pinned the top of the Buttonhole Facing to the front flap (I already cut the dart slash lines on the pants). I also matched the lower dots to the pants and drew in a stitching line.
I also matched the lower dots to the pants and drew in the stitching line from top dot to bottom dot on the facing.
Now you need to sew the pocket front and back together. This is a bit intuitive, but you will sew around the pocket edge - from the bottom dot at the bottom of the dart to the top of the pocket. I used a 1/4" (6mm) seam allowance and I finished the edges with a serger. You can also choose not to sew quite to the top of the pocket, especially if you might need a little more room in the flap to get in and out of the pants. This doesn't really effect the functionality of the pocket much, and does allow a little more room for the front flap. Just figure out how you want to finish your seams. You may want to serge or overlock (or zigzag) your seams first - before doing the construction.
Here you can see the pocket pieces pinned together. I sewed from the bottom dot on the dart down to the 1/4" (6mm) seam allowance and around the pocket and up to the dot at the top of the pocket bag. I ended up taking out some of the stitching at the top of the pocket bag so that I could have more ease getting into and out of the pants. Note also that the Buttonhole Facing is folded over below the bottom dot on the dart (behind this facing piece). This helps with a cleaner finish.
This is the front flap folded down so you can see the Front Dart Gusset Facing and the top of the pocket. Again, I ended up taking out a little stitching at the top of the pocket here for ease of getting into and out of the pants.
I finished the pants as the instructions say, though I did not add the leg godet or any of the other pockets (welt and coin) since I added these flap pockets. I did lower the dot on the back gusset where it meets the center back pants because it also gave me a little more room for getting into and out of the pants.
Then I topstitched where I wanted and where it made sense. With the front pockets, you can't really topstitch around the Front Dart Gusset Facing or bottom of the Buttonhole Facing as indicated in the pattern. I topstitched along the front flap and beside the darts (pocket openings), and I added a bar tack at the bottom of each pocket. I topstitched along the waistband and on the back gusset as well.
Buttons: You could add buttons all the way across the top, or just use a couple, or just have one in the center and one at each corner of the flap, as I did. I also just put one button on the waistband. Depending on the look you want and the size of your buttons, you can change up the button number and placement as suits your project.
Trying out a button on the front to see how it looks. I ended up using different buttons, but I did like these grey ones.
That is about all there is to putting pockets in the front flap of the 229 Sailor Pants! Will you try this technique? Let us know what you do and post pictures of what you make!
By Esi Hutchinson
Ahoy! Welcome to Part 2 of making the 229 Sailor Pants into a Sailor Skirt (find the pattern here or the PDF if you want it sooner). And learn about how I started hacking this pattern into a skirt, read Making a Skirt from the 229 Sailor Pants: Part 1. Plus, if you need any other tips on adjustments or making the 229 Sailor Pants in general refer to these blog posts. Fitting Adjustments and 229 Sew Along. In this short blog post I will show you how I finished the Skirt.
This pattern suggests to use medium to heavy weight woven fabrics such as wool melton, denim, twill, cotton duck, linen, flannel, light to medium weight canvas. (Check out our fabric selection here). I used medium weight denim for this skirt.
Since there are just a few lining pieces (and they are fairly small), I would suggest using some scrap fabric if you don't mind the linings not matching your outer fabric. A lighter weight fabric can be used for the lining pieces, such as poplin, broadcloth, silk habotai, or even muslin. I used a fun poplin with an insect print for my lining pieces (pockets and waistband curtain pieces).
To make the pants into a skirt, use the instructions given for 229 Sailor Pants except for when you sew the crotch seam in the front and back of course. But, there are a few other steps mostly covered in the previous post.
I started by sewing my darts in the back.
Then with right sides together, I matched the notches at Center Front of the skirt and stitched from the top edge to the bottom edge of the skirt. I finished the seams and pressed them open.
I didn't use the back gusset, so I made the waistband and waistband curtain long enough to fit the circumference of the skirt waistline (from center front to center back, cutting 2 of each).
I continued using instructions to assemble the coin and welt pockets, waistband pieces, buttonhole facings, and front dart gusset. If you are using the back gusset with eyelets, of course, you should follow the instructions given in the pattern.
Since I added a slit in the back, I stitched the center back together (including the waistband and waistband curtain) to the dot where I wanted my slit to start. I finished the raw edges like so, and folded the waistband curtain down over the waistband.
To finish the slit, I clipped the seam to the dot on each side.
I folded under 1/4" (6mm) and then 1/2" (13mm) on either side of the slit. Note that when I modified this pattern to make the skirt, I added an extra 1/4" (6mm) to the skirt for this vent slit.
I then topstitched close to the folded edge up from one side, across where the slit starts and backdown to the other side. I also added topstitching where I wanted it to be on my skirt (mostly everywhere the pattern suggests having topstitching).
I then hemmed the skirt folding under 1/2" (13mm) then 1" (2.5cm), and topstitched close to the folded edge. I sewed the buttonholes, added the buttons and I was finished!
Voila! Here is the Sailor Skirt!
I love this idea, and the fact you basically get to use the same instructions is great. You can make the skirt any length with any of the suggested fabric options. It's a versatile skirt in my opinion -- dress it up or dress it casually, this pattern is awesome! Please show us what you make from this pattern whether it's the skirt or the pants, we would love to see it!
Showing off here with the 203 Edwardian Underthings camisole pattern!
By Esi Hutchinson
A couple years ago, Cynthia, a former Folkwear employee, had the idea to make Folkwear's 229 Sailor Pants into a skirt, but we never had the time to make it happen then. But what a terrific idea! Since Folkwear is featuring the pattern this month, I decided to finally do it. This blog post will show you how I made the pants into a long skirt with waist darts and a bottom back slit for walking.
To make these adjustments, you will need tracing fabric or paper (you can purchase here). I've also found medical table paper to be great for this. You will also need a pencil, different color fine markers or pens, sewing measuring tape, ruler, and a French curve (optional).
First, refer to the sizing chart on the pattern to trace the Front/Back Pant A piece in your size. I traced a Size 30 using a brown marker to indicated that this is the original pattern piece (see photo below). I choose Size 30 because the hip measurement for size 30 fit my hips. My waist measurement would have been a Size 28. This pattern is drafted from a men's pant, so some women may need to make waist/hip adjustments (you can read about this here). For this tutorial, I think it is best to pick the size that fits your hips the best.
To lengthen: Slash between adjustment lines. Place paper underneath and spread pattern apart as necessary. Pin or tape added paper to pattern. To shorten: Make a pleat on adjustment line equal to one-half the amount you want to shorten.
Since I knew I wanted the width of my skirt to be 60" (152.4cm) at the bottom, I knew for this pattern piece, the hemline width needed to be 31" (78.7cm) (30 inches for 1/2 the width of the skirt at the bottom and 1/2" seam allowance on each side).
From the point where my left side cutting line and hemline meet, I can measure out 31" (78.7cm) to the right to get where my back seam line at the bottom will be.
My hip measurement is 40" (101.6cm) and I wanted to add 4" of ease there, so I added 2" to this pattern piece at my hips. I went to where I marked my hips would be on my pattern piece A (just above the bottom of the crotch and draw a horizontal-ish line 22" (56cm) out to the right side of my pattern piece. Note that this pattern piece curves a bit as it wraps around the hip. You'll just make your lines parallel (-ish) to the waist of the pattern piece.
Then, I drew a diagonal line connecting my new hip line to the hemline on the right side. I extended this line toward the waist. I know that my waist is 28" (71.1cm) and I want the final width of my skirt at the waist to be 29" (73.7cm) (28" plus 1" of ease). However, this new side seam had now widened my waist line by 3" (7.6cm). To take out the extra width at the waist, I added darts to the pattern piece. I also added notches to both cutting lines on the right and left side seams and squared off the bottom cutting line to line up with the hem.
I decided to make two darts on that will end by my hipline which is now 7" (17.8cm) below the top of the pattern piece because I shortened my by pattern piece by 2" (5cm).
Starting with the dart closest to the center back, I drew the center fold line 7" (17.8cm) long and 2-3/4" (7cm) in from my center back cutting line. I also made this line parallel to the right side of the pattern piece (or cutting line). I then measured 3/4" (1.9cm) on either side of the center line of the dart and connected these dart legs to the bottom point of my dart. I made the second dart 3/4" (1.9cm) away from the first one in the same way.
I also wanted to add a slit at the back of the skirt for ease of walking. I decided my slit would be 19-1/2" (49.5cm) long. I measured up from the bottom and marked where the slit would end. Then I added 1/2" (13mm) seam allowance from the hem up to the slit mark. I planned to fold out 1/4" (6mm) and another 1/4" (6mm) in the seam allowance and topstitch on both folded edges of the slit.
The finished pattern piece A is above! I only wanted to change this piece and keep all the other pieces of the pattern the same. This makes the skirt so much easier to make! I made a muslin to see if it worked for me. I highly suggest making a muslin to troubleshoot this project before making it out of your final fabric. Better to be safe than sorry. There have been too many times I've skipped making the garment out of muslin, so I have definitely learned my lesson.
Darts on the backside (normally there would be a center back gusset where my hand is, but I will be using a full back seam).
The muslin worked out great! If you need to make more adjustments to the waist or hips, do so with what I have taught you above (or what you may already know) and make another muslin just in case. I was ready to sew the skirt with my garment fabric.
In Part 2 of this post series, I will show you my finished skirt!
