Amy Butler's In Stitches: More Than 25 Simple and Stylish Sewing Projects (22 page)

KIMONO-STYLE BATHROBE

FINISHED SIZES:
SMALL
: BUST: 32 ″ – 33
¹
/
₂
″, WAIST: 24″ –25″, SLEEVE LENGTH: 22 ″ (WITH CUFF UNFOLDED), ROBE LENGTH: 33
¹
/
₂
″
MEDIUM
: BUST: 34″ – 36″, WAIST: 26″ –28 ″, SLEEVE LENGTH: 22 ″ (WITH CUFF UNFOLDED), ROBE LENGTH: 35
¹
/
₂
″
LARGE
: BUST: 38 ″ – 40 ″, WAIST: 30 ″ – 32 ″, SLEEVE LENGTH: 22 ″ (WITH CUFF UNFOLDED), ROBE LENGTH: 37″

The sleek, sophisticated look of this luxurious bathrobe means it works as well at the pool as it does in your home bathroom. A bit saucier than the standard bathrobe, it’s wonderful to wear just out of the shower, while lounging in bed on weekend mornings, and relaxing at the spa! Instructions for three sizes are included.

FABRIC (FOR ALL SIZES)

• 3
³
/
₄
yards 44″-wide light- to mid-weight cotton

OTHER SUPPLIES

• Coordinating thread

• Scissors

• Yardstick

• Chalk pencil or fabric marker

• Straight pins

• Masking tape

NOTES

• All seams are
¹
/
₂
″ unless otherwise stated. (The
¹
/
₂
″ seam allowance is included in all cutting measurements and the pattern pieces.)

• Preshrink your fabric by washing, drying, and pressing it before starting your project.

• If your fabric is printed, purchase extra yardage (the length of the repeat in the fabric’s design) so you can match up the print at seams.

Step 1. Cut out all pieces from the fabric.

a.
First, cut out the Kimono-Style Bathrobe pattern pieces provided in the pocket at the front of this book:

•
Front trim

•
Neck trim

b.
Referring to
FIGURE 1B
, first measure and mark the belt along (but not including) one of the selvage edges
*
, working directly on the
Wrong
side of the fabric and using a yardstick and a chalk pencil. Then, fold the remaining section of fabric in half lengthwise, lining up the other selvage edge with the outside of the belt measurement. Simply measure and mark the dimensions for the front panels, sleeves, and belt loops directly onto the
Wrong
side of your folded fabric. Place and pin the neck trim pattern piece on the fold of the fabric and then, using your scissors, cut out each panel following the marked lines. Open the remaining piece of fabric and measure and mark the back panel. To make the front trim, place the pattern piece onto the
Wrong
side of the fabric, lining up the lengthwise grain on the pattern piece with the lengthwise grain on the fabric, leaving enough fabric below the bottom of the pattern piece to measure and mark the added length for the particular size that you are making. Using your yardstick and chalk pencil, measure and mark the added length. Then, cut out around the pattern piece following the solid line and down the added length to make the front trim. Using the front trim you just made, flip the piece over, matching up the
Wrong
sides of the fabric, and cut out around the front trim. This will give you 2 front trim pieces. Cut out these pieces.
(
FIGURE 1B
)

*
See page 171
for an explanation of a selvage edge.

FOR SIZE SMALL

• Cut 1 belt: 8″ wide × 81″ long (Measure and mark this piece first.)

• Cut 2 front panels: 12
¹
/
₂
″ wide × 36″ long

• Cut 1 back panel: 27″ wide × 36″ long

• Cut 2 sleeves: 16″ wide × 26″ long

• Cut 2 belt loops: 4″ wide × 4″ long

• Cut 2 front trims: Use front trim pattern piece provided in the pocket at the front of this book; add 20″ to the bottom of the pattern piece.

• Cut 1 neck trim on the fold:
*
Use neck trim pattern piece provided in the pocket at the front of this book.

FOR SIZE MEDIUM

• Cut 1 belt: 8″ wide × 81″ long (Measure and mark this piece first.)

• Cut 2 front panels: 13″ wide × 38″ long

• Cut 1 back panel: 28″ wide × 38″ long

• Cut 2 sleeves: 17″ wide × 26″ long

• Cut 2 belt loops: 4″ wide × 4″ long

• Cut 2 front trims: Use front trim pattern piece provided in the pocket at the front of this book; add 22″ to the bottom of the pattern piece.

• Cut 1 neck trim on the fold:
*
Use neck trim pattern piece provided in the pocket at the front of this book.

FIGURE 1B

LAYOUT FOR THE KIMONO-STYLE BATHROBE

FOR SIZE LARGE

• Cut 1 belt: 8″ wide × 85″ long (Measure and mark this piece first.)

• Cut 2 front panels: 14″ wide × 40″ long

• Cut 1 back panel: 30″ wide × 40″ long

• Cut 2 sleeves: 22″ wide × 26″ long

• Cut 2 belt loops: 4″ wide × 4″ long

• Cut 2 front trims: Use front trim pattern piece provided in the pocket at the front of this book; add 24″ to the bottom of the pattern piece.

• Cut 1 neck trim on the fold:
*
Use neck trim pattern piece provided in the pocket at the front of this book.

*
To cut the pattern piece on the fold of your fabric, lay your pattern piece so that the edge to be placed on the fold is even with the folded edge of your fabric. Once this pattern piece is cut out of your fabric, open it up to make one full panel.

c.
In order to keep your pieces organized, mark each piece by writing the name on a piece of masking tape and attaching to the
Wrong
side of each panel as it is cut.

d.
Using your chalk pencil, transfer the dot
*
on the neck trim pattern piece onto the
Wrong
side of your fabric piece on each side of the neck trim. The dots will be used as a stopping point for your stitching when attaching the front trim and the point to clip into the seam allowance.

*
See page 170
for an explanation of the dot.

Step 2. Make the neck opening on the front panels.

a.
With the
Right
sides of the front panels together, place the front trim pattern piece onto the
Wrong
side of the front panels, lining up the top of the front trim pattern piece with the top raw edge on the front panels. Place the pattern piece so it curves (at the bust line) to the right side raw edge. The lower part of the front trim pattern piece will line up with the raw edges on the right side. Pin the pattern piece in place through both layers of your fabric.

b.
Using your scissors, cut the top right corner area of the front panels along the edge of the pattern piece.
(
FIGURE 2B
)

Step 3. Attach the front panels to the back panel.

a.
Place the
Right
sides of the 2 front panels onto the
Right
side of the back panel, laying the neck opening on each front panel toward the center, lining up the outside edge on both sides. Match up the top raw edges and pin the panels in place. Attach the panels together by stitching a
¹
/
₂
″ seam across the top raw edges, backstitching at each end.
(
FIGURE 3A
)

b.
Turn the joined pieces over so the
Wrong
side of the back panel is facing up. Clip into the seam allowance
*
on the back panel at the end of the stitching toward the middle that attached the front panels. Make sure not to clip the stitching. Then, serge or zigzag across the raw edges of the 2 seam allowances, held together, and press the seam allowances toward the back panel.
(
FIGURE 3B
)

*
See page 170
for an explanation of clipping into the seam allowance.

Step 4. Attach the front trim and neck trim pieces together.

a.
Place the front trim pieces with the
Right
sides facing up, laying them so that the curves point inward toward the center. Then, place the
Right
side of the neck trim onto the
Right
sides of the front trim, matching up the raw edges for the shoulder, and pin them in place.

b.
Starting on the top left outside raw edge, stitch a
¹
/
₂
″ seam across the matched raw edges, stopping at the dot (which you transferred from the pattern piece in step 1d) at the neck opening, backstitching at each end. Repeat this step to stitch the top right matched raw edges.
(
FIGURE 4B, C
)

c.
Clip the neck trim in the seam allowance to the dots on each side of the neck trim. Then, press the shoulder seam allowances open.
(
FIGURE 4B, C
)

Step 5. Finish the outside raw edge of the trim.

First, stitch a
¹
/
₂
″ seam around the outside raw edge of the attached front and neck trim pieces. Then, with the
Wrong
side of the trim pieces facing up, using the seam as a guideline, fold the outside raw edges
¹
/
₂
″ in toward the
Wrong
side of the trim pieces at the seam and press them in place.
(
FIGURE 5
)

Step 6. Attach the trim to the front and back panels.

Place the
Right
side of the trim onto the
Wrong
side of the attached front and back panels, matching up the shoulder seams, and pin in place. Stitch a
¹
/
₂
″ seam around the inside raw edge of the front and neck trim, backstitching at each end.
(
FIGURE 6
,
7
)

Step 7. Trim and clip the seam allowance.

a.
Using your scissors, clip into the seam allowance at the corners of the neck opening to the dot (marked on the
Wrong
side of the piece), where the shoulder seams meet. Be careful not to clip your stitching.

b.
Then, trim the seam allowance
*
to
¹
/
₄
″ at the curve at the bust line.
(
FIGURE 6
,
7
)

*
See page 172
for an explanation of trimming the seam allowance.

Step 8. Finish attaching the trim to the front and back panels.

a.
Fold the trim over onto the
Right
side of the front and back panels and press it flat. Pin the outside folded edge of the trim onto the
Right
side of the front and back panels.

b.
Then, with a
¹
/
₈
″ seam, topstitch
*
around the outside folded edge of the trim to attach it to the panels, and then topstitch another
¹
/
₈
″ seam in from the inside finished edge.
(
FIGURE 8B
)