How to Make a Tunic
The tunic is an incredibly simple piece of clothing, similar to items that have been worn throughout history in a variety of different cultures. The basic method can be easily adapted to make a tunic that is short like a modern shirt, one that falls almost to the ground, or anything in between. This could be a useful costume element but it is also a comfortable, casual type of clothing that can be worn for a variety of occasions, depending on the fabric choice and whether any decoration is included.
Instructions
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Making a Tunic
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1
Extend your arm to the side and measure from the center of your chest to wherever you would like your sleeve to end when you make your tunic. Add a few extra inches for seams because the sleeve will appear shorter when your arm is down. This is your sleeve length.
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2
Cut a piece of fabric twice as long as your sleeve length. Fold it in half lengthwise.
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3
Position your fabric with the fold on top. Using a shirt that fits over your head easily without stretching as a guide, cut a neck hole in the middle of the fold.
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4
Try on the pair of sleeves with your head through the neck hole, and measure from the bottom of the fabric to the place where you would like the hem of your tunic to fall.
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5
Cut two pieces of fabric to this length. You may not have to use the entire width of the fabric for this, but the two pieces should be the same size, and each should be a generous amount wider than your body.
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6
Lay the sleeve piece out open on the ground. Pin one of your new pieces to each long edge, with the width of each new piece centered on one long edge of the sleeve piece. Sew these seams.
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7
Fold your project in half, inside out, so that it makes a basic tunic shape. Pin the edges, from the bottom of the tunic to the end of the sleeves, and sew these seams.
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8
Make a small roll (or a couple of larger folds, if you need to shorten anything) in any raw edges you want, for example, the bottom of the tunic, the cuffs of the sleeves, and the neck hole. Stitch these rolls down by hand or machine.
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9
Turn your tunic right side out and iron, if you like.
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1
Tips & Warnings
You can make a smaller neck hole using this method: cut two single length arm pieces instead of one double length. Sew them together first, but only sew the half of the seam that will end up on the back of the tunic. This will leave you with a slit in the upper front of your tunic, which you can leave open or close with buttons or other fasteners. This will allow you to cut a smaller neck hole, the size of the neck on a button-up shirt that fits you.
Making a hem on a small curved seam like a neck hole can be quite challenging. One alternative is to use bias tape or cut another pieces to the shape of the neck hole to use as a lining. The simplest thing, though, is to just make a very small, tight, hem, which should work if you are careful.
