Clothing

How To Make a Tunic

If you have several students interested in making a tunic, it would be most helpful as well as cheaper to have one person purchase the total yardage needed to make each student's tunic in bulk form. Buy approximately 2 1/2 yards per person of muslin, broadcloth or similar material, needles, pins, pin cushion, thread, tape measure and scissors.

• The color of the material should be beige, tan, or a similar color.
• Roll out the material on a table. To determine the total yardage needed, have each student measure from shoulder to mid-calf. Double that measurement and add three inches because you will need to calculate for the front and back of the costume.
• Cut the length of material needed for each student.
• Take that lengthwise piece and cut it in half from selvage to selvage. The selvage is the finished edge of the fabric.
• Place the two pieces of cloth for each tunic with wrong sides together. Calculate the amount of the arm hole opening by measuring from shoulder to mid-calf.
• Pin the two pieces of cloth together from the bottom up leaving the shoulder to rib measurement unpinned towards the top. This will create the arm hole opening. Do both sides of the tunic the same way. Measure the circumference of the student's head. Add three inches to the measurement. Then pin the shoulders of the tunic, leaving an opening in the middle the same circumference as this measurement. This will be the tunic's neck opening.
• Using a back stitch, begin from the bottom and sew to the arm hole on each side.
• Do the same at the shoulders.
• At the bottom, do a hem of approximately three inches using a simple whip stitch or slip stitch.
• At the neck, turn the edge under 1/4" twice and use a whip stitch or slip stitch to finish.
• Use any type of rope for a belt.