I feel like I do a little less sewing in summer - days are long and I tend to spend the extra hours after work outside in my garden, taking kids to swim in the pond, or just drinking tea on the patio and watching the sun set. That said, I love a great summer outfit, a quick top or shorts and summer sundresses to sew up They are all great summer sewing projects that I can get behind because they are not too involved and they make a great part of a summer wardrobe.
So, I thought I would do a round up of great summer Folkwear patterns. These are easy and/or quick to sew and even easier to wear in the summer!
122 Hong Kong Cheongsam. This pattern makes a surprisingly quick-to-sew dress. Make it short for summer and you can have a very elegant dress to wear out in the evening or to enjoy a cocktail on your porch.
128 Russian Settler's Dress. The jumper (or dress, also called a sarafan) in this pattern makes a perfect sundress - cool and very easy to wear. You can make the dress super simple, as this version is. Or, add ribbons, shirring, and embroidery to the dress to make something a little more complicated and beautiful (instructions in the pattern for all of that). And, it is a very easy pattern to size up - we have instructions to make it larger here.
134 South Asian Tops & Wraps. I love this pattern. The Indian Choli makes a fun and fitted crop top. Wear it under overalls or jumpers, with shorts, or (as it traditional) under a sari. The Thai Blouse can easily be made short sleeved (just leave off the sleeves and hem the armscye). In a silk or rayon challis it is cool and comfortable and very stylish. The Burmese Jacket made in linen is a perfect extra layer for cooler summer nights.
142 Old Mexico Dress. This best-selling pattern is the quintessential summer outfit. Make a dress or shirt - both sew up quickly and easily. To make sure you get the yoke put on correctly, you can view our quick YouTube video about it. Add embroidery while sitting on your porch and enjoying the summer breeze - this will take much longer than sewing the dress, but can be so beautiful! We have a pattern here.
157 Moroccan Djellaba. A perfect beach cover-up. This is fairly easy to sew, and can also make a fun and simple dress.
158 Ghanaian Smock. A shirt or dress - this is meant to be worn in warm weather!
203 Edwardian Underthings. Most people use this pattern to create lovely and fun underclothes for period costume, but some people use this pattern to sew up the camisole to wear as a romantic-looking top to wear with jeans, shorts, or skirts. It is very pretty and perfect for summer. Also, the whole outfit makes a fun summer lounge look!
211 Two Middies. Two fun and easy to sew summer tops (for men and women) with vintage nautical flair. I love this blouse (you can see one of my versions with pattern 250 below). They are perfect for summer. And we have sew alongs with tips for making both versions.
219 Intimacies. The slip/dress in this pattern is often made from cotton or linen to create beautiful and simple sundresses. The camisole can also be made into a pretty (and cool) top to wear out and about. But, anything in this pattern is perfect to make nightclothes to wear to bed on summer nights. Or, to wear around the house on these summer days where we are not going anywhere!
223 A Lady's Chemise. Again, another great pattern to make a summer nightgown. But, this pattern can also make a beautiful dress, depending on the fabric and finishing.
226 Princess Slip (PDF only). Another pattern to make a summer nightgown or day dress! Easily shorten it to keep things cool.
237 Tango Dress. Make this sleeveless dress for summer in a lightweight linen or challis.
240 Rosie the Riveter. I love this shirt in this pattern! Short-sleeved and roomy, it is actually quite a quick sewing project for a button-down shirt. I recommend sizing it down at least one size (unless you like/want a really roomy shirt). Also, we have a blog post on how to make the overalls into a summer dress or jumper!
249 1930s Day Dress. I think View B is a perfect summer dress - flowing, cute, nice details. This dress (and View A) make a vintage look that is fun and easy.
250 Hollywood Pants. This shorts in this pattern are so fun! They sew up quickly, and have box pleats on the front and back to make a very roomy pair of shorts that almost look like they are a short skirt. Note the pattern mistake though - for the shorts, cut the waistband about an inch longer than the pattern in order to be able to button it.
252 Beach Pyjamas. Casual and flowing, this vintage style is perfect to make a beautiful outfit to wear around the house or out and about. Wide palazzo pants, a full shawl collar - a wonderful summer pattern.
253 Vintage Bathing Costume. Just for fun, you should show up to the next pool party in this! But really, this suit gives great coverage! And is quite fun.
256 At the Hop. Again, love the simple button-down shirt in this pattern for summer.
261 Paris Promenade Dress. This is an easy-to-sew (but a little unusual), very easy-to-wear pullover dress from the 1920s. Short-sleeved (to just above elbows), roomy, and flowing - this is a great summer dress that can take you into fall.
271 Sunset Wrap. Made with a lightweight fabric, this make a perfect evening wrap to keep off the cool of summer nights.
266 Greek Island Dress. The main part of this dress is an easy-sew sheath dress. Add the jacket or tunic to make a truly unique and beautiful summer dress.
269 Metropolitan Hat. Make it in linen for a summer hat to keep off the sun!
1920s Flapper Dress (PDF only). This is a super simple, very easy-to-sew dress. Make it fancy or very simple - in cotton, linen, or silk. Perfect for summer. And, if you want to add sleeves, we have a tutorial on how to do it!
And, a couple of patterns for the kids:
109 Little Folks (PDF only). This pattern is full of things that are super quick to sew up! You can also take your time with them by hand sewing or adding embroidery (instructions all included in the pattern). These are perfect little outfits for summer!
213 Child's Prairie Dress. This pattern has a wonderful sunbonnet to make for children or adults!
From all of us at Folkwear, we hope you enjoy your summer!
My daughter recently found your website and we were both very glad to see Folkwear patterns again. I was using them 35 yrs ago, and made jackets and tops and children’s clothes. There was an obi sashed Asian jacket pattern in two lengths that I made several times and loved. And Asian or Chinese field clothes.
Thank you for keeping Folkwear going.