Free sewing pattern – Boho Kimono Dress Pattern

Free sewing pattern and tutorial - A Free People inspired kimono dress!

Hello everyone, I’m Rin. I’m visiting today from my sewing blog, Sew in Love. I’m very excited to share this sewing tutorial for a boho kimono dress here at So-Sew-Easy!

The inspiration for this dress came from a maxi dress I saw at Free People. I was looking for a bohemian, comfortable dress with a high waistline to accommodate my growing pregnant belly. I’m quite pleased with the result, and I have been wearing the dress now at 8 months pregnant, so it’s definitely comfortable! I’m sure I’ll continue to wear it post-pregnancy as well.

DIY-boho-kimono-dress-free-sewing-pattern-FRONT

DIY-boho-kimono-dress-free-sewing-pattern-BACK

Let’s get started.

To sew your Kimono Dress Pattern, you will need:

  • 2 yards or 1.8 metres minimum of fabric: I suggest something with a slight drape, such as rayon
  • Elastic (1/5” or 5mm wide)

Instructions:

This video tutorial takes you step by step, how to measure and cut the pattern, and how to sew everything together.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel:

 

To make it a little easier for you to draw your own sewing pattern, here’s the diagrams from the video.

How to make boho kimono dress - measurements

How-to-make-boho-kimono-dress---sewing-pattern

Please make sure you do a practice run using scrap fabric, because everyone’s measurements are different! I made my dress to fall just below the knees, but I think it would be suitable for the evening if you make it into a maxi dress. 

The simple cut of this dress makes it a great sewing pattern to show off fun prints – what fabric will you use to make your boho kimono dress?

If you enjoyed this tutorial, you'll love my most popular free sewing pattern, Reversible Shift Dress. Looking forward to seeing you over at Sew in Love!


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Hi, I'm Rin from Sew in Love. I love sewing for fashion, home and baby. My blog is all about living a modern and chic handmade lifestyle. I'd love to have you join me on my creative journey at:
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[…] Pattern/Source: so-sew-easy […]

Diane
Diane

Thanks for explaining the bust measurements is all the way around. Makes total sense now.

Caz
Caz

Wonderful design. Thank you for sharing =)
For those worried about boxy sleeves based on bust measurements, you could try drafting a quarter circle cutout at the underarm area and trimming the sleeve width to this – hope that makes sense

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Nia Reid-Allen
Nia Reid-Allen

Good Evening Rin, thanks for posting this. It seems easy from what you have posted but I am having difficult and wondering if you can help. I am in inches so when I follow the math to draft the pattern for the skirt part, it keeps coming out extremely narrow and I think doesn’t look like the drawing nor the pictures you illustrate. For example my under bust measurement is “12” so if I half that, it’s “6”, this X 1.4 makes it 8.2 which when I start to draft it looks really small and I don’t get the same skirt shape that you have illustrated? What am I doing wrong?

Aida
Aida
Reply to  Nia Reid-Allen

Same happens to me…. it looks rather small and I am quite unsure about the measurements I’ve got… it would be great if Rin could help pout here 🙂 Thanks for sharing this!

Aida
Aida
Reply to  Aida

Going through the numbers again and I found why it can never be ok: if we take A (bustline) and multiply it by 0.7 (=1/2×1,4) we get a measure that is already smaller than our measured bustline, i.e. 30% smaller. So here there is a typo because it makes no sense to me at all.
Having started with the bodice, I noticed that for my measures (36 cm bustline and 50 cm sleeves), after following the instructions it happens to be a 76 cm long opening to insert the skirt, which makes more much sense to me as it would fit the bodice and my hips, while having fabric enough for the wrapping… so im going to test this way, and see whether it looks half way fine… in the meantime, happy to hear from you all and your experience. Thanks a lot!

Aida
Aida
Reply to  Aida

I think i know! I must measure the whole bustline and not only the half, as I understood from the diagrams. This would mean there is fabric enough but now a too big opening from the bodice…I’ll keep on trying!

Linda
Linda
Reply to  Aida

I believe measurement “A” is the measurement around your body at your bust line. You then divide that number by 2 and multiply by 1.4 to get your skirt top width. For the skirt bottom width you then multiply the skirt top width number by 1.3. Combined with your “D” measurement, this will give you the size of the front of the skirt. You cut an identical piece to make the back.

Anne
Anne
Reply to  Nia Reid-Allen

Your underbust measurement should be measured all the way around your body. So baisically your underbust measurement is at least 24. Unless you’re a super tiny person that’s probably wrong, I’d take the measurement again. There shouldn’t be any inches to cm problems beacause the lengths are expressed as a formula. The math will work out right no matter what system you use.

patsijean
patsijean
Reply to  Anne

Do watch the video before you panic.
As for any other pattern, MEASURE ALL THE WAY AROUND YOUR BODY to get your under bust circumference. I am 5’2″ and weigh 147. My under bust measurement is 34″. 34″ divided by 2 is 17″. 17″ x 1.4 = 23.8″ . The top/waist of my skirt pattern piece should measure 23 & 3/4″ or 24″ . If you have a protruding tummy, you might want to add an inch or two (take it easy, a little extra goes a long way).

Cut out two skirt pieces; one for the front, one for the back.

muhajibahmile

Love the idea, wanted to make a maxi version that I could nurse my twin boys in, so instead of sewing the two sleeve bits together in the middle, i pinned them overlapping by about four inches front and back and sewed them on that way, offers high enough coverage for modesty but easily pulls down on both sides for nursing! I used the flat sheet from a king sheet set that i loved but was not a good fabric or print for our bed. made two crib sheets out of the fitted sheet 🙂

Tebby
Tebby

I love it, but I agree with Angela; my muslin was too low in the bodice. Rather than redoing it (I like the muslin and may dye it), I’m taking up the top of the shoulder seam. It makes the sleeves shorter, but that’s ok with me.

Angela
Angela

This is my first dress and I had a try at a muslin today and it was quite necessary ! The instructions are clear and simple but I strongly recommend making a test first because it may look too boxy otherwise. I realised a bit too late that the longer you make the bodice, the fuller the sleeves will be. And there’s “nice full” and “bag of potatoes full”. I’ll make the real one quite high under the bust.

Suzannah
Suzannah

Hi Rin,
This is so lovely! Thanks for the simple directions 🙂
-Suzannah

Pam @Threading My Way

Beautiful and so versatile. I’ve featured your boho kimono today.

Shirley

Beautiful dress!

anneweaver1974

Beautiful! I’ve got a Craft Gossip post scheduled for later this morning that links to your tutorial: http://sewing.craftgossip.com/?p=84547 –Anne

Lodi Srygley
Lodi Srygley

Very pretty dress, and I LOVE your simple and clear diagram/directions!

Sharon
Sharon

It’s beautiful, and you look great in it! Thank you for sharing it with us.

Jennifer Melton
Jennifer Melton

I love this! I’m adding this to our Sewing Circle Saturday!

Rin
Rin

Thank you! So glad you like it 🙂

Fashionedbyrose

Gorgeous!