Making the 131 Tibetan Chupa Skirt

October 30, 2026 1 Comment

By Esi Hutchinson

Each month, when we feature a pattern, I like to think about how I would interpret that particular garment to my life and style, especially when I can connect to the history or style of the garment. Wrapped garments, which have been worn across Asia for centuries, are a perfect example: simple, clever, and designed to work with the cloth rather than against it. That’s what drew me to Folkwear’s 131 Tibetan Chupa pattern, and specifically to the wrap skirt that comes with it. It’s a modern, wearable take on a historic style, and I couldn’t wait to make one for fall.

Historically, many Asian garments featured wrapped construction, which predates the widespread use of buttons, zippers, and structured tailoring (which mostly came from European colonization).  Also, traditional folk clothing construction aimed to minimize waste of woven textiles, which is one reason many Asian tops, dresses, and blouses were designed without shoulder seams. The front and back were cut as a single piece of fabric and joined at a center back seam rather than at the shoulders. Depending on the culture and time period, wrapped garments could also signal cultural status, gender, temperature, and age.

Folkwear’s 131 Tibetan Chupa is a sewing pattern for a traditional Tibetan wrapped dress that can be made with or without darts.  Without darts allows a less tailored fit and more authentic construction. The pattern includes information on how the dress is traditionally worn by women and men. When the pattern was created, Folkwear also decided to include a skirt that, while not traditional, is inspired by the same style.

I decided to make the Chupa Wrap Skirt and adjusted it to ankle length. It’s perfect for fall: I can loosen the ties to tuck extra layers under the waist, and I can even wear leggings underneath for more warmth.

If you are making the Chupa Dress I highly recommend our set of blog posts for the 131 Tibetan Chupa Sew-Along. This three-day sew-along provides step-by-step instructions for constructing the dress, along with helpful tips for laying out your pattern pieces on your fabric.

Choosing Fabric for the Skirt

I’d recommend medium-weight cottons and cotton blends, such as denim, corduroy, velveteen, and poplin. Medium-weight linen, wool (such as flannel, gabardine, and tweed), and silk (such as silk noil or raw silk) would also work well.  At Folkwear, we have this skirt made in lightweight cotton and in medium-weight denim.  We also have it in medium-weight African Wax Prints, and Molly made one in a fine-whale corduroy once.  There are lots of options for fabric.  Mainly avoid anything very heavy or stiff.

For my skirt, I used a Tencel twill in an auburn color. I love how beautifully it drapes (the weight is perfect) and how soft it feels.  The rich color felt like a natural choice for fall. I made my skirt ankle length for extra warmth, since it’s starting to get cold here! Traditional Chupas were lined or padded for warmth during the winter months, so I’ll be pairing my skirt with leggings when needing to stay cozy.

How My Skirt Came Together

Interfacing. The pattern suggests interfacing the facing pieces. I don’t usually like interfacing, so I skipped it, but I wish I hadn’t. Next time, I’ll definitely add it!

Darts. I like to draw a center line on my darts to help me stitch them accurately. My favorite tool for marking fabric is a fine-tipped ultra washable Crayola marker, since the ink is washable and the point is fine and it doesn't dry out too easily.  Darts should be pressed toward the center.

Darts drawn and sewn.

Ties. After stitching the ties, I trimmed the seams and I used a bodkin to turn them right side out, and they made the job so much easier! A bodkin works a lot like tweezers, but the metal slider slides down to clamp the ends in place over fabric and you can use it to turn things right side our (or to put elastic or drawstrings through fabric tunnels). I attached the ties to the back skirt just below the waist seamline so they wouldn't get caught in the waist seam later, and I made sure both ties pointed in the same direction (an easy detail to miss).

Bodkin

Belt loops. I made two belt loops from a single strip, then basted one end of each to the waistline where marked on the pattern and topstitched the other end at the lower dot from the pattern.

The wrap flaps. This part was my favorite! Sewing the front and back skirt together at the sides and along the top (to the box on the left side only, and to the side dart on the right side only) creates the flaps that wrap behind me when I wear the skirt.

Facing and waistband. This is maybe the trickiest part of the pattern.  It can be helpful to label the Front and Back Facings (and the right and wrong sides) because the pieces are very similar.  And you need to be sure to attach the Front Facing L to Back Facing M at the right side as you would wear it.  This can be confusing if your pieces are not labeled.  I attached the facing to the skirt waist, starting and stopping at the side dart on left side, and matched the center front and center back notches.  Note that the Facing will extend a little beyond side the dart on the left side. I trimmed the seam allowance and pressed it up towards the facings.  I also understitched the seam allowance to the facing, which helps it lie flat. Then I turned the facing to the inside, pressed the seam well, and slipstitched the pressed ends to the side darts. A little tacking along the facing hem to the darts helped everything stay in place.

Sew the Front to the Back Facing at the right side (as you would wear it).

Facing hem turned under by 1/4" and stitched.

The side seam of the Facing should align with the meeting of the darts on the right side of the skirt.

On the left side opening, clip the seam allowance to the box. Then turn under the raw edge of the unstitched seam allowance on the waist of the skirt ¼" (6mm), and again ¼" (6mm), and press. Topstitch close to the pressed edge.

Finishing. Lastly, I sewed a hook and eye to the ends of the facing at the left skirt opening. I tried on the skirt to check the fit.  You can adjust the hook and eye as needed to best fit you.  To wear this skirt, you step into the middle, latch the hook and eye and wrap the sides and ties to the back (and tie in the front).  A wrap skirt that does not blow open!

1 Response

Leave a comment

Also in News