Yoked Pleated Tunic with Asymmetric Button Placket
A women's loose tunic dress, above the knee, with square yokes at the front and back, pleats below the front yoke, an off-centre buttoned placket, single-welt pockets and gathered sleeves on buttoned cuffs with placket openings.
When To Wear
- In autumn and spring, on its own with tights and boots, or as a tunic over slim trousers.
- For office days and everyday wear in fine wool.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Loose, widening from the yoke to the hem.
Length: Above the knee.
Neckline: Round, finished with the inner yokes, which also face the placket.
Front: Square front yoke in left and right parts, with pleats and darts in the front below it. The placket runs off-centre through the yoke and into the front, set into a cut with diagonal clips at the base.
Closure: Upper and lower placket pieces, buttonholes on the upper placket; five buttons on the placket.
Pockets: Single-welt pockets on the front, with pocket bags of main fabric and lining.
Sleeves: Set-in sleeves, eased at the cap, gathered at the lower edge into buttoned cuffs, with a placket opening at each wrist.
Back: Square back yoke, doubled; back in one piece.
Finishing: Seams overlocked; inner yoke topstitched into the yoke seam; hem turned twice and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A placket set into a slashed front, single-welt pockets, sleeve plackets and cuffs.
Fabric Recommendations
Fine wool fabrics from natural and blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (plackets, cuffs, welts, pocket area)
- 7 buttons
- Lining fabric for the pocket bags
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- 1. Front - 1 piece
- 2. Back - 1 piece
- 3. Sleeve – 2 pieces
- 4. Left front yoke – 2 pieces
- 5. Right front yoke – 2 pieces
- 6. Upper placket – 1 piece
- 7. Lower placket – 1 piece
- 8. Cuff – 2 pieces
- 9. Back yoke - 2 pieces
- 10. Sleeve placket – 2 pieces
- 11. Welt pocket facing – 2 pieces
- 12. Large pocket bag – 2 pieces
- From lining fabric:
- 1. Small pocket bag – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- 1. Upper placket – 1 piece
- 2. Lower placket – 1 piece
- 4. Cuff – 2 pieces
- 5. Welt pocket facing – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse fusible interfacing to plackets, cuffs, and welt pocket facings.
- Stitch darts on the front. Press dart depths downwards. Mark and create pleats. Secure them at the upper edge.
- Attach front yokes to the front. Overlock seam allowances and press towards the yoke.
- Fold the welt pocket facing in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Fuse fusible interfacing to the pocket placement area. On the welt pocket facing, mark the line defining the finished width of the welt pocket facing. Stitch the small pocket bag to the inner side of the welt pocket facing. On the right side of the front, place the welt pocket facing face down onto the lower marking line, aligning the pocket marking line with the line on the welt pocket facing. Stitch the welt pocket facing. Attach the large pocket bag to the upper pocket marking line. Cut the pocket opening in the middle between the marking lines, making diagonal cuts towards the corners of the pocket marking. Turn the pocket pieces to the wrong side. Straighten and press the seam allowances. Stitch the pocket bag edges, securing the pocket corners.
- Attach the yoke to the back. Overlock the seam allowance and press towards the yoke.
- Stitch shoulder and side seam allowances. Overlock seam allowances and press towards the back.
- Finish the upper corners of the plackets. Turn the pieces right side out and press. Cut the front in the middle between the placket marking lines, making diagonal cuts towards the corners of the fastener marking. Fold the placket with the outer side to the right side of the front, evening the edges. Attach the placket to the front. Turn the plackets to the right side. Tuck the lower edges of the plackets inwards. Stitch across the plackets at the base of the corner. Stitch the shoulder seam allowances of the inner yokes. Press seam allowances open. Overlock the outer edges of the yoke. Fold the inner yokes with the main garment, right side in, and finish the placket edges and neckline, folding back the upper corners of the plackets so they do not get caught in the finishing stitch. Clip and trim seam allowances at curves. Turn the garment to the right side and topstitch the inner yoke into the attachment seam of the outer yoke.
- Sleeve vent treatment: Cut the sleeve along the marked line, clipping the corner at the upper of the cut. Fold the section from the cut to the marked line, equal to 1.7 cm, inwards twice by 0.5 cm and topstitch. Fold the placket in half lengthwise, right side in, and finish the corner up to the transverse mark. Trim seam allowances close to the stitching, clip the seam allowance at the end of the stitching. Turn the placket right side out, press, and topstitch along the fold line from the bottom to the transverse mark at 0.1 cm. Fold the placket with the sleeve, right side in, and attach the inner side along the marked line. Clip the sleeve at the end of the stitching transversely from the cut to the attachment line. Fold the placket to the right side, tuck the open edge, and attach. Align the placket with the marked line on the sleeve and topstitch the upper corner along the contour and along the transverse mark.
- Stitch and overlock sleeve seam allowances. At the bottom of the sleeve, stitch with loosely tensioned stitches and gather. Fold cuffs right side in and finish the short sides. Turn cuffs right side out and press. Attach the outer side of the cuff to the sleeve. Tuck the inner side of the cuff and topstitch into the attachment seam.
- Set in sleeves, easing the cap.
- Turn the bottom of the garment twice to the wrong side and topstitch.
- On the cuffs, make buttonholes and sew on buttons. On the upper placket, make buttonholes, on the lower placket, sew on buttons.
