Berwick St. Tunic Sew Along Part Two: Preparing the Front and Back

​Welcome back to the Berwick St. Tunic Sew Along. Today we will begin by working with the Right and Left Front and the Back pieces. During this process we will create one of the distinguishing design features of the Berwick, the concealed placket. Let's get sewing! 

To begin, staystitch the neck edge of the Right Front. To staystitch, stitch just inside the ⅝ʺ seamline using slightly smaller stitches. 

Using the templates you created in Part One of the Sew Along, place the 2 ⅛ʺ template on the wrong side of the garment at the center front of the Righty Front. Match the raw center edge of the garment to the edge of the template. Press the fabric. 

Open out the hem you just pressed. Place the 1 ½ʺ template along the pressed crease. Press the remaining fabric at the center front to the wrong side along the template, creating a ⅝ʺ turn back and a 1 ½ʺ finished hem. 

Remove the template and re-press, creating a  1 ½ʺ-wide finished hem. Topstitch along the edge. 

 To make a ¾ʺ-wide concealed placket, press the stitched hem in half to the right side of the garment, matching the dots and just covering the previous stitching line. 

Open out the fold and sew your buttonholes as marked. If you wait to make your buttonholes until the tunic is finished, you won't be able to get into the top and bottom of the concealed placket to sew those two buttonholes. Cut the buttonholes open using a buttonhole cutter. Using a buttonhole cutter to cut the holes open creates sharp, clean cuts with a much more professional finish. 

To secure the concealed placket, stitch across the placket ⅝ʺ from the bottom. 

Staystitch the neck edge of the Left Front. 

 Use your 1 ⅜ʺ template to press the center front to the wrong side. 

Open out the hem you just pressed. Place the ¾ʺ template along the pressed crease. Press the remaining fabric at the center front to the wrong side along the template, creating a ⅝ʺ hem.

Re-press the hem to make a ¾ʺ-wide finished hem. Topstitch along the edge. 

Staystitch the neck edge of the Back. 

Tp prepare the Back hems, use the pressing with templates method to press 1 ½ʺ to the wrong side of the bottom. Press the side vent hems in the same manner at this time, too.

Open out the hems and place the ¾ʺ-wide template in the previous crease and press the remaining ¾ʺ tp the wrong side. Re-press the hems. Note! the hems will be topstitched later.

With right sides together and matching the notches, sew the Right Front to the Back at the shoulder seam. Finish the seam and press towards the Back. Repeat for the Left Front.