Sunday, April 15, 2018

UPDATED: The classic tunic dress pattern

August 24, 2019

I HAVE UPDATED THE PATTERN WITH LAYERED PDF FILE FORMAT! NOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD ONCE AND GET ALL THE SIZES IN THE SAME FILE WHILE STILL BE ABLE TO PRINT ONLY ONE SIZE OF YOUR CHOICE.

ENJOY!


A really easy dress to sew to keep you cool during hot summer days!


What time is it? Summer time! And what comes with it? Heat waves.

I live in the tropical monsoon climate and in my hometown, it is both hot and humid during summer. The temperature often stays at above 30 degrees Celsius, some days up to 45 degrees, combining with humidity of above 80%, which prevents your sweat from evaporating, all make the air almost unbreathable. Your skin will be sticky and irritated with sweat and you can’t feel better even if there is wind. The wind will just make things worse because it just brings you hot air.

You will have a temptation to stay in the air-conditioned room forever. But that is impossible, you know, we must go out anyway. I think you all understand the feeling of going out in the scorching sun of the tropical region – your skin will begin to be burnt in no time. You can see how women in my country protect themselves from ruining their skin – by wearing sun-proof dresses when heading out (of course they will take them off after getting inside). I often joke that in Vietnam, we can never see a beauty on the street at daylight, we only see ninjas who are covered from head to toe in unattractive and ridiculous outfits.

Image: Woman in the sun-proof dress, really funny huh? Source: afamily.vn

During the hottest days, what I really need is something that does not make me hotter – I don’t even need something to keep me cool, because almost everything I put on will be soaked in sweat after I go out for a few minutes. And I also need something that look decent, something I can go out in. And that’s why I choose the tunic dress. Although it does not look very attractive, it is modest enough for a casual work day. The loose fitting of the tunic dress and the light and sweat-absorbing fabric I choose help me feel comfortable, like I am wearing nothing on (ha ha).

The pattern I share today is a classic tunic dress pattern with slit neckline, half sleeves and knee length. The pattern has zipper at the back, but to those who are a newbie at sewing, you can skip the zipper and just sew the pieces together because of the loose fitting and the removal of the darts of the dress. You can just save yourself some time sewing and pulling the zipper up. This tunic dress is so easy and so comfortable that I’ve made a few of them to wear during hot days. I think you would love to have it in your closet.

This pattern is also versatile. If you want to wear it to work, keep the sleeves on. If you plan to just wear the tunic at home, you can skip the sleeves, and you will have a sleeveless tunic which is even more comfortable during hot summer. I have both in my closet and love them all.

The pattern is created in pdf format. You download the pattern of your size (check in the Size Chart) and print it on A4 paper at actual size/no scaling/100%. There is a test square where you can check if the pattern is printed true to size. If your size is different from the one shown in my blog, please comment your measurements below, and I will make a pattern closest to your measurements.

Again, happy sewing! I hope to see your masterpiece!
XOXO
Tiana the Little Sewist


22 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. where does it say how many yards of fabric to order?

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    1. I'm sorry, I do not have this in the pdf file, you can calculate how much fabric you need using this link:
      https://sewguide.com/how-much-fabric-do-you-need/

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  3. Could you make this available to print on Letter sized paper please?

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    1. Hi, I am re-making this dress and will update it in a few days, please wait for me, thanks :)

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    2. Hi, the pattern is updated. I made a 3D simulation on a model with hip measurement of 122 centimeters and it fitted well, so I guess you will be fine with this pattern. Regards,
      Tiana

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  4. This tunic is lovely! I have featured it in our article, 6 Free Easy Sew Tunics. I am sure our readers will be inspired to make your tunic. You can check it out here if you wish, https://www.diythought.com/6-free-easy-sew-tunic-patterns/
    Thanks!

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  5. Hi! Thank you for sharing this patter. But why does it seem like there are 14 sizes for this dress? Each piece has 14 outlines - why? Or maybe I don't get it... I'd like to sew size L but I have no clue which lines I should follow :(

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    1. There are seven sizes. 7 cutting lines and 7 sewing lines, hence 14 lines. The smallest size is xxs so I find that line (the innermost line) and work out from there.

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  6. Hello! Do you have written instructions for the Classic Tunic Dress? Also, there are no sizes listed on the pattern in correlation to the lines...could you please let me know what the sizes are? TIA!

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    1. There are seven sizes on the pattern xxs,xs,s,m,l,xl and xxl. The innermost line will be xxs and I work out from there. There are 7 cutting lines and 7 sewing lines. It can take some following but I hope this helps

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    2. Look about before you get to the download link. There is a SIZE CHART link. Also, print from the new layered pattern so you print only the size you want. https://thelittlesewist.blogspot.com/p/how-to-print-layered-pdf-files.html

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  7. Hi, Is it possible to make this pattern in an a 3-4xl male size?

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  8. I would also appreciate some instructions on how to sew the dress.

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  9. There is a download link just above the comments

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  10. How do I know what pieces fit where when I tape the pages together to make the pattern? and where are the sewing instructions for this pattern?

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  11. Do you have written instructions for sewing this tunic?

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  12. Can someone share instructions please

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  13. Where do I find instructions for this pattern?

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  14. It seems there aren't instructions. Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOQEcPMwJ9g for a general video on order of construction. If you need other info, ask the question and you will find a video on it. Evelyn Wood has a lot of basic sewing videos. This video only covers one aspect. If you have any commercial sewing patterns check them for help, or get a book out of the library.

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  15. would love to see a pattern for pleated culottes/palazzo pants that looks like a skirt with elastic in the back waistband only. Like at https://www.eshakti.com/Product/CL0058218/Pleat%20cotton%20chambray%20palazzo%20pants

    Thanks

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