Kurtis are a type of tunic usually worn in the Indian subcontinent. A kurti is shorter than a kurta and its length is usually up to or above the knee: it is typically worn by women. Kurtis are very comfortable to wear and can be worn in any season - in the summer you can try a sleeveless kurti,while in the winter you can wear kurtis with full sleeves. Besides, you can wear a kurti for any occasion in which you need to be comfortable, including Sangeet nights.
There are many different varieties of kurtis, depending on the fabric, the design of neck, the length of sleeves, the design at back, or the embroidery. You can buy fabric and have a kurti custom-made for you, but you may sometimes find that the tailor has not made it exactly the way you have imagined your kurti would be. To avoid such cases, it is best to know how to stitch your own kurtis.
In this oneHOWTO article you will learn how to stitch kurtis in a simple, easy way. Let's get to work!
In order to stitch your own kurti, first of all you need to select the fabric. Choose a simple printed fabric for casual and office wear, or choose a bright colored embroidered fabric for party wear. The best thing about kurtis is that they're adaptable to any sort of situation!
Now take the measurements. The measurements should be:
- Length of Kurti – From shoulder to your desired length.
- Shoulder width – measure your shoulder from end to end.
- Bust circumference
- Waist circumference
- Hip circumference (waist and hip circumference is necessary as kurtis are tightly fitted while kurtas are loose)
- Neckline length (deep neck or normal neck according to your preference)
- Width of neckline
- Circumference of armhole
- Length of slit – from waist to the bottom of kurti
- Length from shoulder to bust
- Length from bust to waist
- Length from waist to bottom
While stitching kurtis, the measurements need to be increased a bit so as to accommodate the bulk of the stitching and hemming. The increase in measurements should be:
- Add 1 inch to the measurement for the hemming.
- Add 1/8 of an inch as cutting allowance.
- Add ¼ of an inch as seam allowance.
- Add ¼ of an inch as serving allowance.
Now note down your final measurements and keep them separate from the original measurement.
Using the final measurements with added length, create a pattern on paper as shown in the figure below. The pattern is half of the kurti, as when you cut the fabric you will fold it in half so that the measurement at both sides remains the same. This way, you can stitch kurtis perfectly.
The second figure shows the pattern at the back of the kurti.
Now fold the fabric you will use to stitch the kurti in half and put the patterned paper on it. Using chalk, outline the pattern on the fabric. Then remove the paper and using a scissor cut the fabric according to the chalked outline.
In this tutorial, we are stitching a sleeveless kurti. If you want your homemade kurti to have sleeves, take the measurement of the sleeves' length. For full sleeves, take the measurements of the circumference of your upper arm, lower arm and also the circumference of your wrist.
Then, make the pattern on paper. Put the paper on fabric and chalk out the pattern. Then, remove the paper and cut out the sleeves, just like you did before.
Now let’s move to the neckline. Take the first paper in which you have cut the front outline of the kurti. Then, using the measurement taken at first, mark the neckline.
If you are stitching kurtis for the first time, keep the neck simple by making it a square neck. Add half an inch to the neckline length and width and mark the new pattern on the paper. Use half the width, as the fabric will be folded in half. When you open the fabric after the final cut out is complete, you'll be able to see the neckline clearly.
If you are a more advanced sewer, you can try more complex necklines for your homemade kurti. For a more complicated collar, check out how to stitch a sherwani collar.
Now, cut the outer portion of neckline and place the paper again on the fabric. Chalk out the neck outline on the fabric and then cut out the extra fabric.
Now it is time to sew together the shoulders of the kurti to create the back neckline. With the outer side of the kurti facing downwards, line up the front and back piece so that the shoulders of both pieces are touching each other.
Then, sew the top of both shoulders leaving a ¼ inch seam. Now take a strip of the fabric the same length as the back neck line and 1 ½ inches wide. Fold this strip and place it so that the crease faces away from the neckline.
Then, sew the shoulder from left to right. Line up the biased edge with the shoulder before the neckline starts and sew it down as you can see in the picture. Then, rotate the strip so that it is lining with the neckline and sew it on. At the end of the neckline, rotate the fabric at 30 degrees and sew the new bias along the shoulder.
Now, sew together the rest of the homemade kurti. Double-stitch each seam for durability. Sew the sides till you reach the beginning of the slit. Finally, hem the necklines, the bottom of the kurti, the sides of sleeves and the splits on both sides.
Now, turn the kurti inside out so that the stitched side is inside. Your homemade kurti is ready! Wear and flaunt your own handmade kurti and share your patterns with your friends.
Now that you know how to stitch kurtis and have made your own customized one, you have your learn how to mix and match kurtis to look amazing! Don't miss the following articles:
- How to style a kurti
- How to accessorize a plain saree
- How to wear a saree in a new style
- All the different types of saree blouse design
If you want to read similar articles to How to Stitch Kurtis, we recommend you visit our Fashion & Style category.