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    Home » Sewing » Apparel

    How to Sew a Lightweight Summer Jacket

    Updated: May 25, 2021 by Melissa Mortenson · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 32 Comments

    If you’re in need of a stylish yet cool top to wear this summer, then you may like this free Jacket Pattern.  I stitched this one up last summer and already have plans to make a few more.  If you like this project then you may also like this Summer T-Shirt Sewing Pattern. 

    How to sew a Kimono Top or Jacket for Summer, a DIY fashion sewing tutorial - by Melissa Mortenson of polkadotchair.com

    This top is easy to make, the hardest part will be hemming the lightweight fabric but I’ll give you a few tips for doing that. I wore the top last summer on our trip to Charleston. It was a million degrees outside and I wanted to look stylish (because, Charleston is one of the most stylsih cities I’ve ever been to) but wanted to stay cool at the same time.

    Since it’s such a large project I really couldn’t get great photos of the process so I’ve illustrated over my photos to give you a good idea of how the top is constructed.

    Jacket Style Top Pattern:

    To make one you’re going to need:

    • 2 yards of 45″ wide lightweight fabric like a voile or light rayon. If you buy 60″ wide fabric you’re going to just need to cut it down.
    • An old t-shirt that fits you well (not a fitted tee, a boxy one)
    • Chalk and a Ruler
    • Rolled Hem foot for your machine if you have one.

    Step One: Create your Custom Pattern Piece

    Don’t let this step scare you. Really all you are doing is making a giant rectangle with some cut out’s. It’s not a complicated step!

    Measure from your neckline to the point on your body that you’d like the jacket to hit. For me, it was 30″ (I’m 5’9″ for reference). Cut your fabric to DOUBLE that length – so my fabric was 60″ by 45″ (the fabric comes 45″ wide)

    Fold the fabric in half lengthwise. It will be 45″ long by 30″ tall (cause it’s folded) with a fold at the top, and the selvage edges on each end.

    How to sew a cute Kimono Jacket - by Melissa Mortenson of polkadotchair.com

    Find the center of the fabric and mark it with a piece of chalk. Fold your t-shirt in half and place the fold on the center mark of the fabric, the neckline of the t-shirt even with the fold on the top of the fabric.

    How to sew a cute Kimono Jacket - by Melissa Mortenson of polkadotchair.com

    Using a ruler and chalk, measure in 5″ from the edge of your folded t-shirt. Draw a line. Then measure down 3″ from the bottom of the sleeve of the t-shirt. Draw another line.

    Step Two: Cut your Fabric

    How to sew a cute Kimono Jacket - by Melissa Mortenson of polkadotchair.com

    Cut the fabric away.  Take the cut away piece and use it to cut a piece  EXACTLY the same size on the other side of the fabric.

    How to sew a cute Kimono Jacket - by Melissa Mortenson of polkadotchair.com

    Your piece will roughly look like this (note the illustration is not to scale).  

    Next, with a sharp pair of scissors, cut ONE layer of the fabric along the center line up to the fold. DO NOT cut both layers of fabric. Just the top.

    Step 3: Sew the Top

    With the right sides of the fabric facing stitch the underarm seams. Press seams open.

    How to sew a cute Kimono Jacket - by Melissa Mortenson of polkadotchair.com

    Step Four: Hem your Fabric

    Now all you need to do is to hem all of the raw edges of the fabric. I like to use a rolled hem foot for this step. If you don’t have one, then fold the fabric over ⅛″ and fold it again ⅛″ and stitch along the folded edge.

    Tip:

    If you are having a hard time hemming the lightweight fabric, try using a Microtex needle. It’s super sharp and will help the machine “punch” through the lightweight fabric more easily.

    You may also need to hold your strings from your machine when you start your stitches to help keep the fabric from bunching up under the presser foot when you start sewing.

    How to sew a Kimono Top or Jacket for Summer, a DIY fashion sewing tutorial - by Melissa Mortenson of polkadotchair.com

    This post was originally published in 2015. It has recently been updated and renamed. While I realize that the style of jacket is commonly called by another name, I felt it was not an appropriate name to describe the tutorial.

    More things to Sew that you can Wear:

    How to Sew a Circle Skirt

    How to make a Dress from Two T-Shirts

    Girls Maxi Dress Sewing Pattern (easy! Uses a t-shirts for the top).

    This post first appeared on Tatertots and Jello

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    About Author

    Melissa Mortenson

    Melissa Mortenson is a blogger, designer, and content creator. She is the Polka Dot Chair blog founder and has been sharing fresh and creative ideas with readers since 2008. She is the author of “Project Teen, Handmade Gifts your Teen will Actually Love.” Her work and designs have been featured on HuffPost, TODAY, Pioneer Woman, HGTV, BuzzFeed, Better Homes & Gardens, and many other established publications. Her first fabric line, “Derby Style,” debuted in January 2015 through Riley Blake Designs.  Additional fabric collections have followed it in subsequent years. A mom of 3, she considers herself lucky to be living in Kentucky.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lora says

      June 25, 2016 at 1:59 pm

      This would be a good jacket for a beginning sewer. I like the fabric colors and pattern.
      How did you finish the back neckline? It looks like it might be a bit tricky at the back center neck.
      Thanks for your help.

      Reply
      • Melissa Mortenson says

        July 05, 2016 at 1:52 pm

        I just folded the back neckline under the same 1/8″ as the hem. It took a bit of pressing to get it to lay just right but I was able to work it out.

        Reply
    2. Ryan says

      August 31, 2016 at 12:39 pm

      I don’t understand isn’t “long” and “tall” the same measurement…both vertical measures? Plz state which is length and which is width, I might be able to understand then.

      Reply
      • Laurie says

        January 26, 2019 at 7:15 am

        The back isn’t cut at all. No seam you’re just using the T-shirt to guide cutting the sleeves correctly. And next the discard piece is used on the opposite side for the same purpose.
        Then when you have a shirt shape with the fold at the shoulders, you cut ONE layer on the straight line down the fabric from bottom edge center to the center of the fold so that it’s open on front and not on the back after the sides and sleeves are sewn.

        Reply
    3. Millie says

      December 30, 2016 at 10:20 am

      Is the only fold at the top of the fabric so the back has a center seam?? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Cherry Williams says

        April 15, 2018 at 8:51 pm

        i was wondering the same thing!

        Reply
      • Nancy says

        August 14, 2018 at 3:56 pm

        I too am confused. It seems as though “Take the cut away piece and use it to cut a iece EXACTLY the same size on the other side of the fabric” means no fold at the top. Maybe it works out when one is doing it. Uncertain.

        Reply
      • Melissa Mortenson says

        June 10, 2019 at 10:56 am

        No there is no back seam. The back of the jacket is one piece of fabric. The only seams you sew are the underarm seams

        Reply
    4. jkweigle says

      January 12, 2017 at 6:00 pm

      I have been looking for a kimono pattern so was delighted to find this I don’t wear t-shits, so how would I fit this? M machine doesn’t have such a foot. How do I finish the edges?

      Reply
    5. Teres says

      June 25, 2017 at 6:20 pm

      Love this. I don’t like my arms uncovered and finding something light to wear over short or sleeve less tops for a woman my age is nearly impossible. Thanks for posting it.

      Reply
    6. Row says

      August 16, 2017 at 10:06 pm

      If I wanted to make this kimono top long sleeved would that work? How would you do it? Thank you, love the top!
      And also, I’ve got a solid blue coloured cotton viole, would that work for this top?

      Reply
      • Melissa Mortenson says

        June 10, 2019 at 10:57 am

        Yes, you could do that, you’ll just need to buy more fabric.

        Reply
    7. Melissa Mortenson says

      November 05, 2017 at 10:09 am

      Hi! I’m sorry but it’s not printable by design. I’ve had many, many problems in the past with people printing the pages and projects from my blog and selling them in shops and on etsy.

      Reply
    8. Carlee says

      March 22, 2018 at 4:53 pm

      I really like this pattern. I was wondering if I can use a slightly heavier fabric like brocade for this project?

      Reply
      • Melissa Mortenson says

        March 24, 2018 at 4:07 pm

        I don’t think that would work. A brocade would have a heavy drape and part of why this pattern works is that the fabric is very lightweight and breezy..

        Reply
      • Brendi says

        April 14, 2018 at 1:09 pm

        If you allow for the differences in drape and weight almost any fabric can be used for this jacket. I have made a similar jacket, using a very heavy wool remnant: 60″ wide by 3 yards long. It was a dark grey and I had a piece of dark green crushed velvet, upholstery weight, that I lined it with. Just cut it double, sew it right sides together, except for enough to turn it, then handstitch the opening. The extra width and length made it wrist and knee length, so it was warm enough for winter. When I wanted elegant I flipped it inside out so that the wool became the lining.

        Reply
        • Karen says

          October 18, 2020 at 3:53 pm

          Can you post a picture of your grey wool Kimono?

          Reply
    9. Laura says

      April 30, 2018 at 8:24 pm

      Would it be easier, for a beginner, to hem the edges BEFORE sewing the underarm seams?

      Reply
      • Melissa Mortenson says

        May 02, 2018 at 12:06 pm

        No, I don’t think so. I think that would be harder.

        Reply
    10. Patricia Gooch says

      December 05, 2018 at 4:28 pm

      Thanks for this tutorial – I made a kimono, I’m basically a beginner, but managed – I used an overlocker on the underarm and side seams, and a narrow hemming foot for the rest. I also added belt loops and a belt, although I think they might not be successful, we’ll see. It’s a dressing gown for my sister for Christmas.

      Reply
    11. Yamiria Pacheco says

      March 20, 2019 at 1:27 pm

      Can you please explain to me how did you make the neck.
      Thank you

      Reply
      • Melissa Mortenson says

        March 20, 2019 at 1:29 pm

        You just fold the two edges under a tiny bit until they come to the center point.

        Reply
    12. Kim says

      April 21, 2019 at 12:01 pm

      Just to let you know it’s SELVEDGE not selvage ( the self edge of the fabric) 😊

      Reply
      • Melissa Mortenson says

        April 21, 2019 at 11:04 pm

        In the US it’s spelled without the D

        http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/how-to-quilt/quilting-basics/what-selvage

        Reply
    13. Laurie Gillihan says

      August 25, 2019 at 4:20 pm

      Love this! One of the photos looks like it’s longer than the photo of you modeling it. How much fabric to purchase if I wanted to make it say thigh or knee length?

      Reply
      • Melissa Mortenson says

        August 26, 2019 at 10:34 am

        The length is the same. I only made one!

        Reply
    14. Jodi Zuk says

      December 15, 2019 at 1:14 am

      Love this kimono jacket. Would be very helpful if you could post a video tutorial,
      I’m looking for a longer version.
      Thank you

      Reply
    15. Kascia says

      April 22, 2020 at 8:28 pm

      Thanks for the tutorial. If I read the instructions correctly, the inside seams on the side for the underarms are left with raw edges. How do you finish them? Or we were supposed to finish them and only leave the bottom of the kimono unfinished to do the rolled hem?

      Reply
      • Melissa Mortenson says

        April 23, 2020 at 2:41 pm

        You can finish them any way that you would like. Some like to use a serger, others a zig zag stitch. Also not all fabrics need to have finished seams, as not all fray.

        Reply
    16. Nancy Lynn Rachar says

      January 25, 2023 at 5:14 pm

      Hi Melissa,
      I have watched your creating for some years now and want to tell you that I have made several of these sweet little jackets, even a silk one. I get so many compliments. What I wanted to say most clearly is that your directions are perfectly straightforward, easy to follow and I find it hard to understand why you get so many questions. Your illustrations are perfect. Keep up the good work.

      Reply

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    I’m also a Mom and a Maker. I am like most of you, just trying to do my best every day. Some days I succeed, many days I fail.  I find joy in creating, if you do too, then I hope that you find something here bring a little “happy” to your life.  Find out more about me here.

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