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I have been making cotton tunics for a while now and while I love this very easy to make garment I fancied a change. I OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAwanted something with rather more space to move. The tunic pattern has fitted sleeves which can be a bit grabby under the arms if I wear them with a T shirt. Plus the body while not fitted has no extra space. I have to be careful when removing my tunics. I am not always careful tending to yank them off to the cracking sound of splitting stitches.

So I thought I would try me a gathered shirt with some raglan sleeves. A raglan sleeve is a single piece of fabric that extends from the collar of the garment over the shoulder and down to the underarm.

There is no seam around the shoulder rather that the seams attaching the sleeve to body run diagonally across the front and back of the shoulder. This results is more room in the underarm area allowing a greater ease of movement. Which is why it is often used in sports wear. And considered less formal than a fitted sleeve.

Fabric & Purchase Details

I bought some grey lawn from the Button Box in Huddersfield Market. This is more like a muslin it is softer more crumply and looks like a looser weave. I don’t know where it was originally made and it boasts no organic or fair trade credentials but it was bought locally and buying locally and keeping fabric shops open are both very important to me.

It is 100% cotton. I prefer to use natural fibres because on consideration they are the greenest, biodegradable option and, even better, they don’t shed plastic microfibres when washed. Just in case you need it, here is a quick  intro to synthetic, regenerated, combination and natural fibres here. And more reasons why I prefer natural fabrics over the others can be found here.

Design & Pattern

I found this pattern in a charity shop. New Look 6133.  It seemed to fit the bill give or take a frilled collar. I made it longer so it was more smock like. I cut the neck lower  and rather than a draw string, I  gathered the fabric and sewed it into place and attached a thin collar.

I tried it on. I looked like a choir boy!

I had to add pin tucks underneath the bust to give it some shape. Then rather than gather into cuffs I added pin tucks to the billowing sleeves to give them some shape too.

Fixtures & Fittings
Needs none

Made With
Cut out with all metal scissors from the C. Booths Hardware Shop in Huddersfield, sewn together using organic cotton on a wooden reel and made using plastic free sewing supplies (you can find them here).

Sustainable Rating
Natural fibres
Fabric was bought plastic free – no packaging
Supporting a local fabric shop
Homemade by me
Made with plastic free sewing supplies

Weighs In At 132g.

Why the weighing? Well this item of clothing is counted as part of my fair share fabrics project. This is a self imposed rationing system. I use no more than my global share of fibres and they have to be sustainably sourced. Whats a global share? 11.74 kg per person of which 3.8 kg is natural fibres. As I don’t like synthetics I try to stick to 3.8 kg of natural fibres.

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