Kimono Style Tunic Dress

I finished up a new dress for myself a few days ago.  I had some doubts about how it was going to turn out as I neared completion, but I made a few adjustments, and I do like the final result.

Here it is:

This is the pattern I used.  It was a pdf pattern I found on Etsy.  I noticed that the seller does not currently have this pattern listed, but I am sure she could make it available if you are interested.

As you can see, the original dress is very “drapey”.  Turns out, “drapey,” is not the best look on me.  I think you have to be super skinny to pull this look off well.

For this Kimono Style Tunic dress, I cut the smallest top on the pattern, but after putting it together, I still needed to cut off around 4 inches from each sleeve and took out a lot of fabric from under the arms.  I also went back around the waistline and eliminated some of the blousy-ness of the top.

After I was done, I decided it still looked a little nightgown-ish, so I added a little belt.  To make the belt, I just cut two lengths of fabric 3.25 inches wide, added some iron-on interfacing to help keep the belt stiff, and sewed the fabric strips together, top stitching all the way around.

I found this fabric on sale at Joann’s.  They had had their Silky prints on sale 50% off.  This is a stretch Charmeuse Satin that is very wrinkle resistant.  By the time I took this picture, I had been wearing the dress around the house all day, including lots of time sitting and even a little nap w/ the kids…