Structured Placket Tunic
This women's sewing pattern presents a stylish tunic defined by its elegant rounded neckline, a distinctive trapezoid front insert with two decorative buttoned plackets, short cuffed sleeves and a hem band.
When To Wear
This tunic offers a versatile blend of comfort and elegance, making it perfect for:
- Office & Professional Settings: Achieve a polished yet comfortable look for your workday.
- Casual Chic Outings: Effortlessly stylish for daytime activities, brunches, or relaxed gatherings.
- Semi-Formal Gatherings: Dress it up with accessories for more elevated casual occasions.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: a relaxed fit that gently skims the body, featuring a slight a-line shape and finishing at a flattering tunic length.
Neckline: a rounded neckline with a small centre-front split, finished with a double facing whose outer layer shows on the right side as a neat neckline band.
Front Detail: a trapezoid insert (two halves) on the front, with two narrow folded upper plackets whose folds meet edge to edge at centre front.
Closure: An invisible zipper in the upper centre back seam. The front plackets are decorative: 9 small buttons are sewn through both plackets, holding them together.
Sleeves: Set-in short sleeves finished with folded cuffs.
Back: a centre back seam with the zipper, shaped with waist and shoulder darts.
Hem: a wide hem band (Front Placket and Back Placket) provides a structured finish to the lower edge.
Length: Designed as a tunic, it falls to the upper thigh, ideal for pairing with trousers or leggings.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. This pattern requires skills in dart construction, invisible zipper insertion, placket assembly, setting sleeves, attaching cuffs and applying facings.
Fabric Recommendations
Choose light to medium-weight fabrics with good drape and body:
- Blouse fabrics made from natural or blended fibers
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing
- Invisible zipper
- 9 small buttons
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, they include seam allowances. If the contour is single, the patterns do not include seam allowances. Seam allowances: Hem allowance – 1.5 cm, other seams – 1 cm. Attention! First, print out the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (fabric width can be from 90 cm to 150 cm) to determine how much material you will need (do not forget to account for paired and symmetrical pieces).
- From main fabric:
- Back – 2 pieces
- Front – 1 piece on fold
- Insert – 2 pieces
- Upper Placket – 2 pieces
- Back Neckline Facing – 4 pieces
- Front Neckline Facing – 4 pieces
- Back Placket – 1 piece
- Front Placket – 1 piece
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Back Neckline Facing – 2 pieces
- Front Neckline Facing – 2 pieces
- Upper Placket – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- Fuse interfacing to the designated pieces.
- Stitch waist and shoulder darts on the back, press dart depths towards the center. Stitch the outer Back Neckline Facing to the back, press the allowances onto the facing.
- Finish the raw edges of the back center seams separately. Stitch the back center seam from the zipper mark downwards, press allowances open. Insert the invisible zipper. Stitch the Back Placket (hem band) to the back, press allowances upwards and finish the raw edge.
- Press the Upper Plackets lengthwise in half, right side out. Stitch them to the Inserts, press the allowances onto the Insert and finish the raw edge. Stitch the outer Front Neckline Facing to the Insert, press allowances onto the facing.
- Stitch the Inserts to the Front, clipping the Front into the corners. Press allowances onto the front and finish the raw edge. The folds of the upper plackets should butt against each other. Stitch the Front Placket (hem band) to the front, press allowances upwards and finish the raw edge.
- Stitch side and shoulder seams, press allowances towards the back and finish the raw edge.
- Stitch the shoulder seams of the inner Back and Front Neckline Facings, press allowances open. Finish the lower edge. Place outer and inner facings right sides together and stitch along the neckline edge and front edge. Clip allowances at curves. Turn the finished facing right side out and press, topstitch into the attachment seam.
- Stitch the sleeve seam, press allowances and finish the raw edge. Set sleeves into armholes, press allowances and finish the raw edge.
- Stitch the cuff into a loop, press allowances open. Fold the cuff lengthwise in half, right side out, and press. Attach the outer side of the cuff to the lower edge of the sleeve, press allowances upwards. Press the allowance of the inner cuff edge to the wrong side and topstitch into the attachment seam.
- Finish the raw edge of the garment hem, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Sew the 9 buttons onto the Upper Plackets, stitching through both plackets to join them.
