Kaftan? Beginner Here!

[JayRo]

Hi all,

I'm sure you're all absolute sewing goddesses (at least that's the impression I get from reading your posts) but I wondered if you could help with a basic problem?

I want to make a bunch of floor length kaftans for the summer and most youtube/online tutorials simple say to fold the fabric in half, cut out the neck and sew up the sides.

Surely the hem wouldn't be straight at the bottom because it would slope off the shoulders, or am I totally getting this wrong?

Thanks!

J

[LeilaMay]

I have an 80's pattern somewhere, which of course I can't put my hand on right now, but if I remember you rounded the bottom corners of the fabric, thereby removing the bits that would otherwise trial on the ground.

[LeilaMay]

Some of the ones I see online are not floor length in centre - that makes the trailing edges still just above the ground.

[lakaribane]

Wow, this reminded me of the one my grandmother made for me in red fabric! So thank you for that!

It's been a while and I have no memory of hem issues but it was made exactly as you said: twice the desired length + hem allowance, wide neckline cut out and finished, seams up each side of the body. Tada!

I wore it to death.

[HenriettaMaria]

Butterick 5725 fits the bill if you want to follow a proper pattern.

[JayRo]

Fab, thanks for your replies!

I'll definitely try some that are shorted in the centre, but if I wanted to round off the edges what would be the correct maths to calculate it?

I love kaftans, they're just so easy to throw on aren't they?

[DementedFairy]

Practical maths- try it on, get an assistant to mark the 'levelled' edges, take it off, tidy it up, and chop.  The maths would very anyway depending on where you carry you flesh- bum boobs and belly pull the fabric up in unpredictable ways!

[Iminei]

The first time I ever posted in the old place was for help making a djellaba for Imself ...
the two I made are still going strong!

Find an old pattern, they are out there and you'll find it quite easy .. I did, so you will!

[sewmuchmore]

Have a look at this, it may help.

[Iminei]

@sewmuchmore

your linky's broken

[sewmuchmore]

@sewmuchmore

your linky's broken

works for me

[JayRo]

So I made two cotton kaftans which came out beautifully.... and then I tried using silk chiffon!!!

The whole seam just came completely away! What a n00b mistake. What's the correct way to sew this together?

[BrendaP]

French seams are not hard but they seem hard. In essence you sew the items WRONG sides together (so very different from usual) then flip the seam so it's RIGHT sides together like normal and sew again. The result is all raw edges fully contained.

Just make sure that the raw edges are trimmed closely after the first row of stitching and make the second row far enough away from the first row to be sure you have fully contained those raw edges.  Ask me how I know!

[wrenkins]

@BrendaP I don't have to ask how you know. Ask me how I know you know.   
Weeelllll it was my first attempt.... 

[JayRo]

ha! I want to know how you know   

But won't the first seam still just come away like it did first time round? And then the second..?