Categories: Shopping & Fashion

Beginner Sewing Project: Easy Caftan

There are so many great things you can say about a caftan. It’s flowing and comfortable, can be used as a cover-up, or can be worn as a nightgown – even a robe. But one of the greatest things you can say about a caftan is that it’s so easy to make. Even if you’re just now learning to sew you can create a knee-length, floor-length, or other caftan. Decide on the design you want and it will be finished in little time.

In case you’re not sure what a caftan is, it’s generally floor-length, somewhat baggy, and has a hemline that separates on the sides. In fact, many a caftan is split all the way down both sides, and then tied shut. Good choices for fabric to make a caftan include silk, satin, cotton/polyester, or tricot. Fold the fabric in half, width-ways, with the right sides facing each other.

If you want a floor-length caftan, measure from your shoulder, to the floor. For a knee-length, measure from shoulder to knee. That will take care of the length. For the width, measure around the largest part of your body – usually, the hips – and divide that measurement by “2”. Add a couple of extra inches for comfort.

Draw the rectangle on the fabric. Fold the fabric in half to cut the neckline. You can make a scoop neck – it’s usually deeper in the front than in the back – or a V-neck, which has a scoop neck back and the “V” in front. Mark the center by folding the fabric in half, lengthways, then open it back up, and cut the front and back neck lines.

Hem around the neck, then hem the entire caftan. To do that, start at one bottom corner, hem down one side, across the bottom, up the other side, and across the other bottom piece. That’s it! Just tack on some small-diameter ribbons, down each side, to tie the caftan shut. Sew ribbons on right below the underarm, at the side, and at the thigh area – more if you want.

Instead of stopping at hemming the caftan you can also add lace. If you have an over-lock machine, over-lock the neck line as well as the entire perimeter of the caftan. Then, sew the lace on. If you have no over-lock, fold the fabric under before sewing on the lace. If you’ll be sewing lace onto the caftan, adjust the width measurement of the caftan to accommodate it. For instance, if the lace is 3 inches wide, take 3 inches off of the width measurement, for each side, as well as for the length.

A caftan is a good project for a beginner because it’s so easy to make. You don’t need a pattern to make just the caftan you want. You’ll love how flowing and comfortable it is, whether you wear it as a robe, a nightgown, or a bathing suit cover-up.