Valley Yarns #184 Summer Tunic

Valley Yarns Summer Tunic

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Summer Tunic is a handwoven garment designed by Wendy Bestor that combines traditional weaving techniques with contemporary sewing construction. This project produces a comfortable, lightweight tunic top suitable for warm weather wear. The design is based on the Get Weaving Pattern T001, which provides the sewing instructions for converting handwoven fabric into a finished garment. The tunic is adaptable across multiple sizes, ranging from Small (31-32" bust) to XXL, making it accessible for various body measurements.

Weaving Structure and Techniques

This tunic is woven using a twill weave structure on a 4-shaft loom, which creates a diagonal ribbed texture characteristic of twill fabrics. The pattern incorporates horizontal stripes created through strategic color changes in the warp yarns. The striping technique allows weavers to customize the finished fabric by selecting different colors from their yarn stash, providing creative flexibility while maintaining the same weave structure. The twill structure produces fabric that is both visually interesting and exceptionally comfortable against the skin, making it ideal for summer garments.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Summer Tunic requires specific yarn quantities and types to achieve the intended finished fabric. For a Medium size tunic, the project uses:

• Warp Yarns: Valley Yarns 8/2 Cotton in Natural (#8176) at 1296 yards, combined with Brassard 8/2 Cottolin in three colors—Jaune Or (C3161) at 162 yards, Vert Pale (C1831) at 162 yards, and Rouille (C1316) at 84 yards. The Valley Yarns 8/2 Cotton is 100% unmercerized cotton with a yardage rate of 3360 yards per pound. The Brassard 8/2 Cottolin blend combines 60% organic cotton with 40% linen, also at 3360 yards per pound.
• Weft Yarns: Valley Yarns 8/2 Cotton in Natural (#8176) at 1562 yards, using the same unmercerized cotton as the primary warp color
• Notions: Sewing thread, iron-on interfacing, and 1" bias tape as specified in the Get Weaving sewing pattern

For larger sizes, yardage requirements increase; specifically, size XXL requires two cones of Valley Yarns 8/2 Cotton in Natural instead of one. The combination of cotton and cottolin yarns creates a fabric with excellent drape and breathability, essential qualities for a summer garment.

Loom and Equipment Requirements

Weavers need a 4-shaft loom with a minimum weaving width of 15 inches, depending on the desired shirt size. The project requires one shuttle and one bobbin for efficient weaving. The warp is set at 20 epi (ends per inch) using a 10-dent reed with 2/dent threading, creating a balanced, stable fabric. The total warp length is 6 yards containing 284 ends for a Medium size, including 2 floating selvedges for clean fabric edges.

Finished Fabric Dimensions

For a Medium size tunic, the wet finished cloth measures 12 inches wide by 164 inches long. This finished width of 12 inches provides sufficient fabric for the tunic body after wet finishing accounts for shrinkage and the weaving process. The length of 164 inches allows for cutting pattern pieces with appropriate seam allowances and finishing techniques.

Design Adaptability

One of the key strengths of this pattern is its adaptability. Weavers can easily modify the project by adjusting the number of warp ends based on their chosen size, as detailed in the sizing chart. The stripe colors can be customized based on available yarn in a weaver's stash, allowing for personalized color combinations while maintaining the twill structure. The fabric weaves up quickly and is noted for being incredibly comfortable to wear, making it an excellent project for weavers seeking to overcome hesitation about cutting into handwoven fabric for garment construction.