Sewing your Smock/T-tunic Together

Once you have the pieces for your smock or t-tunic, using the Smock and T-tunic Pattern Generator or cutting them out on your own, you are ready to sew it together. The instructions below assume that you have:

Step 1: Sew the underarm gussets to the sleeves
Take one of the triangular gusset pieces. Match up one of the straight edges with the top of the sleeve, as shown to the left. Sew the two pieces together 1/2 an inch away from the edge. Repeat this on the other side of the wide end of the sleeve. Do this to both sleeves. Iron the seams open.

Step 2: Sew the gores onto the body

Starting at one end of the body, match up one of the long triangular gores with the edge of the body as shown to the right. Sew the two together half an inch away from the edge. Repeat the process on the opposite side. Then sew the other two gores at the opposite end of the long body piece. Iron all seams flat.

Step 3: Sew the sleeves to the body Lay the top end of the sleeve against the edge of the body piece right sides together, matching the center line of the sleeve with the shoulder line of the body. Sew the two together 1/2 an inch away from the edge of the fabric. You will find that near the bottom of your sleeve piece, the gore seam begins on the body. Continue sewing, matching the edge of the sleeve with the edge of the gore and sewing half an inch away from the edge. Iron all seams.

You will end up with a shape like so:

4. Make the square neck opening.
It is easier to finish the neck opening before the smock is sewn closed. Take a square of fabric and draw the finished neck opening that you want upon it. The square should be large enough that it is at least 1.5 inches bigger on all four sides than the drawn neck opening.

Place the square on the right side (the outer side) of the smock, locating the neckline square so that it is centered and so that the shoulder line on the body comes to around 2 inches inside one edge. Pin the square to the smock along the neckline line, making sure that the two lie flat. Sew all the way around this neckline.

Cut out the center of the neckline, 1/2 an inch away from the seamline. Snip each of the corners. Then turn the remaining fabric to the inside of the smock, iron under the raw edges, and stitch down.

5. Sew the Smock Together
Fold the smock in half lengthwise, inside out. Starting at the wrist end of one sleeve, sew the bottom edge of the sleeve together, then the triangular gussets, then the triangular gores, half an inch from the edge. Repeat on the other side. Turn it right side out, and you have a smock!

Now you need to hem the bottom and the edges of the sleeves. You can also embroider around the neckline, if you wish.

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