Easy chiton
Yet another quick, hopefully-easy pattern. I used this for my Homecoming parade costume this year, when I walked with Latin Club (and sang Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star!). This is a garment from ancient Greece; it was far more elegant than the toga (though, perhaps, not as stately), and required about the same amount of sewing (unless you're following my pattern, of course!). I'll provide three different "types", if you're going for style and/or accuracy.
Warning: It does use machine-sewing and is not completely historically accurate, but if you're in a rush and nobody will really notice, go ahead and use this.
Stuff Needed:
A basic t-shirt pattern, preferrably one with a wide-curved neckline
Decorative flat silver or gold buttons, hopefully with some kind of design on them
Cotton, linen, or lightweight wool (yet another measurement pattern, so read through pattern first)
Depending on your fabric width and how many rows you'd like, some kind of brocade-but-not-shiny-or-flashy trim for the hem
2 yards of rope, heavy-duty brocade ribbon, or something that matches your hem trim
The Pattern:
1. There were three basic styles of chitons, from my research -- long-sleeve full-body, short-sleeve full-body, and long-sleeve short-body. The latter could be more popular with men, but could be worn by younger people, I think. Measure from your shoulder to your ankle or your knee (mine was 54" shoulder to ankle, so I'll use it as an example). Also, measure from your shoulder to however long you want the sleeves to be. This kind of depends on your fabric; 45" is a good elbow-to-elbow fabric. In any case, add about 5" to that for hems and sleeve-tops, plus another 10 inches for general body above the belt. The example I'll be creating is full-body short-sleeve, but can be changed to either of the other styles.
2. Once you've acquired your fabric, fold it in half widthwise while it's still folded lengthwise. Cut the widthwise fold.
3. Cut out the Front and Back pieces of your t-shirt pattern. Pin one to one-half of the cut fabric and cut out the neckline. Do the same for the other section.
4. Fold the edges next to the neckline over twice and sew them. You can use machine or hand-sewing for this; the latter might look more accurate.
4. Hem down the side edges of your fabric.
Optional: If you're worried about modesty, go ahead and sew the sides down about 10" below the hemmed section to the bottom. Hem this as well, square-stitching around where it meets the side seam.
5. Pin the hemmed sections next to the neckline together, spacing the pins about 7 or 8" apart. Sew a button at each of these spots. (If your pins comes out uneven, just guess on it and space them as evenly as possible).
6. Hem the neckline; roll the edge in twice and slip-stitch it in place.
7. Sew a 1 1/2" hem around the bottom.
8. If you purchased trim, sew it around the bottom about 4 or so inches from the very bottom.
9. You may need someone else's help for this -- spread your arms out so they're perpendicular to your body. Tie the rope (or whatever you're using) around your waist; make sure the hem is around your ankles/knees and not dragging.
And, you are done! Let me know if you found this pattern helpful at all. :)
Warning: It does use machine-sewing and is not completely historically accurate, but if you're in a rush and nobody will really notice, go ahead and use this.
Stuff Needed:
A basic t-shirt pattern, preferrably one with a wide-curved neckline
Decorative flat silver or gold buttons, hopefully with some kind of design on them
Cotton, linen, or lightweight wool (yet another measurement pattern, so read through pattern first)
Depending on your fabric width and how many rows you'd like, some kind of brocade-but-not-shiny-or-flashy trim for the hem
2 yards of rope, heavy-duty brocade ribbon, or something that matches your hem trim
The Pattern:
1. There were three basic styles of chitons, from my research -- long-sleeve full-body, short-sleeve full-body, and long-sleeve short-body. The latter could be more popular with men, but could be worn by younger people, I think. Measure from your shoulder to your ankle or your knee (mine was 54" shoulder to ankle, so I'll use it as an example). Also, measure from your shoulder to however long you want the sleeves to be. This kind of depends on your fabric; 45" is a good elbow-to-elbow fabric. In any case, add about 5" to that for hems and sleeve-tops, plus another 10 inches for general body above the belt. The example I'll be creating is full-body short-sleeve, but can be changed to either of the other styles.
2. Once you've acquired your fabric, fold it in half widthwise while it's still folded lengthwise. Cut the widthwise fold.
3. Cut out the Front and Back pieces of your t-shirt pattern. Pin one to one-half of the cut fabric and cut out the neckline. Do the same for the other section.
4. Fold the edges next to the neckline over twice and sew them. You can use machine or hand-sewing for this; the latter might look more accurate.
4. Hem down the side edges of your fabric.
Optional: If you're worried about modesty, go ahead and sew the sides down about 10" below the hemmed section to the bottom. Hem this as well, square-stitching around where it meets the side seam.
5. Pin the hemmed sections next to the neckline together, spacing the pins about 7 or 8" apart. Sew a button at each of these spots. (If your pins comes out uneven, just guess on it and space them as evenly as possible).
6. Hem the neckline; roll the edge in twice and slip-stitch it in place.
7. Sew a 1 1/2" hem around the bottom.
8. If you purchased trim, sew it around the bottom about 4 or so inches from the very bottom.
9. You may need someone else's help for this -- spread your arms out so they're perpendicular to your body. Tie the rope (or whatever you're using) around your waist; make sure the hem is around your ankles/knees and not dragging.
And, you are done! Let me know if you found this pattern helpful at all. :)