Do you have anything in your wardrobe made from Kente cloth? Learn how to make an wonderful sheath dress with this African fabric.
Materials:
one Kente cloth piece - at least 48 inches long
1-1/2 yard of raw silk or silk noil - 45 inches wide
1-1/2 yard of lining - 45 inches wide
one 20-inch zipper
thread
1-1/2 yard of 1/2-inch contrasting bias tape - extra wide, double fold
2-1/2 yard of 1/4-inch contrasting bias tape - double fold
1-1/2 yard interfacing - optional
Sleek Sheath pattern - Hibiscus 1000
Steps:
1. Cut pattern pieces according to the pattern instructions (replace the mud cloth indicated in the pattern with Kente cloth). Transfer the markings and darts to the fabric.
2. Stitch darts in the dress front piecesn (figure A). Press the bust dart downward and the waist darts to the center.
3. With right sides together, stitch the center vertical Kente cloth panel to panel to each side front (figure B). Trim the seam and finish the raw edges. Press the seams open.
4. With the right sides together and matching notches, stitch the front horizontal Kente cloth panel to the lower front section. Trim the seam and finish the raw edges. Press the seam open.
5. With right sides together, stitch the two dress front pieces together at the lower horizontal panel (figure C). Trim the seam and finish the raw edges. Press the seam open.
6. Slipstitch the slit facing flat.
7. On the left back opening, press under a 5/8-inch seam allowance. On the right edge, press under 1/2 inch. Pin the folded right back edge to the zipper tape. Baste and stitch in place. Pin the left folded edge to the zipper tape, lapping the left back 1/8 inch over the right back. Baste the zipper in place and stitch.
8. With right sides together, stitch the front and back at the side seams.
9. Stitch at the shoulder seams. Trim and finish the seams and press open, clipping as necessary.
10. Press the seams.
11. Turn up a one-inch hem on the lining.
12. With wrong sides together, pin the lining to the outer dress around the neckline and armholes, matching the side seams, shoulder seams and notches. At the zipper opening, tuck under the lining so that the edges are about 1/8 inch from the edge, free of the zipper teeth (figure D). Baste the outer and the lining together 5/8 inch from the edge along the seam allowance.
13. Stitch the lining and the outer together around the necklines and the armholes.
14. Measure the length of the armholes, and measure a piece of bias piping to this length. Add one inch for seam allowance. Open out the bias. Turn under 1/2 inch at the end of 1/4-inch bias. With right sides together, starting at the underarm, pin the bias along the fold to the armhole along the seam allowance basted in the last step (figure E). A half inch of bias tape will overlap at the underarm. Baste and stitch the bias in place. Trim the excess seam around the armhole so that it is at least level with the bias tape. Fold the bias over the armhole to encase the raw edge.
15. Topstitch the bias in place.
16. At the neckline, turn under 1/2 inch at each end. For the hem, using the wide bias tape, turn under 1/2 inch at each end. Pin the bias to the hem with the raw edges even. Topstitch the hem to finish the piece.
Resources Kente cloth
African Crafts Online
URL:
www.africancrafts.com
Sleek Sheath Dress pattern - Hibiscus 1000
RLBoone
Falls Church, VA
US
Phone: 703-448-3884
Email:
RLBoone@RLBoone.com
URL:
www.rlboone.com
African Fabrics: Sewing Contemporary Fashion With Ethnic Flair
by Ronke Luke-Boone (ISBN: 0873419146 )
Book includes 14 projects.
Order this title.
Krause Publications
Website:
www.krause.com
Guests Ronke Luke Boone
Author
Falls Church, VA
Phone: 703-448-3884
URL:
www.rlboone.com
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