For summer, sew loose shapes in breathable fabrics: a tank top, pull-on shorts, a boxy top, a tiered skirt, a half-circle sundress, wide-leg trousers, a slip dress, a gauze kimono jacket, a bucket hat and a tote bag. Linen, cotton lawn, double gauze, seersucker and viscose let air through and dry fast, and none of these ten projects needs a lining, a collar or a fitted sleeve. Start with the quick ones and finish with the dress.
Which fabrics are best for summer sewing?
Summer fabric has two jobs: let the air move and keep its shape when it is damp. Plant fibers do both. Polyester and nylon hold sweat against the skin, so save them for a lining or a swim cover you will not wear for long.
| Fabric | Weight | Feels like | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linen | Light to medium | Crisp, cool, creases | Shorts, trousers, tank, boxy top |
| Cotton lawn | Very light | Smooth, soft, slightly sheer | Blouses, sundress, kimono |
| Double gauze | Light | Airy, textured, soft | Tiered skirt, kimono, cover-ups |
| Seersucker | Light | Puckered, stands off the skin | Sundress, shorts |
| Viscose crepe | Light | Fluid, cool, drapes | Slip dress, wide trousers |
| Cotton canvas | Heavy | Firm, structured | Bucket hat, tote bag |
Prewash all of them. Linen and viscose can shrink by several centimeters per meter (an inch or more per yard), and a summer garment is washed often. The pre-washing guide covers temperatures and drying.
10 summer sewing projects
1. A tank top in cotton jersey
The T-shirt and tank pattern with the tank option is the fastest wearable project on this list: a front, a back and a neckband, sewn in an hour. Choose a cotton or cotton-modal jersey of 150 to 180 g/m² (4.5 to 5.3 oz/yd²) with at least 20 % stretch across the width; a lighter jersey clings and shows every seam. Bind the armholes with the same jersey cut across the stretch and you have no facings to flip out.
2. Pull-on shorts in linen
Pull-on shorts in a medium-weight linen are the summer bottom you will reach for most. Linen is cool because its fibers are hollow and wick moisture, and the creases are part of the look. Cut them with 5 cm (2 in) of ease at the hip, an elastic waist and in-seam pockets, and finish the inside with a serger or a zigzag, because linen frays. The linen sewing post has the needle, stitch length and pressing settings.
3. A boxy top in cotton lawn
The boxy version of the woven top pattern has no darts, a dropped shoulder and a wide hem, so the fabric hangs away from the body and air moves underneath. Cotton lawn is the fabric: 70 to 90 g/m² (2 to 2.7 oz/yd²), smooth and opaque enough in a print. A plain lawn may need a camisole underneath. Sew the shoulder and side seams as French seams; on a fabric this light they are the neatest finish and take no longer than a serged seam.
4. A tiered skirt in double gauze
Two or three gathered tiers of double gauze make a skirt that moves with every step and weighs almost nothing. The gathered and tiered skirt pattern gives each tier as a rectangle with cutting dimensions, so you cut straight lines and spend your time on the gathering. Gauze is two layers of loosely woven cotton tacked together, which is why it breathes so well and why it shrinks: wash it twice before cutting. Keep the gathering ratio around 1.5 to 1 between tiers; more than 2 to 1 gets bulky at the seam.
5. A half-circle sundress in seersucker
The fit-and-flare dress with straps and a half-circle skirt is the one dress a summer wardrobe needs. Seersucker's puckered stripes hold the fabric off the skin, which is why it was the fabric of hot-climate suits long before air conditioning, and the texture hides creases. Cotton poplin works too for a crisper shape. Allow a weekend: the bodice has darts and a facing, and the skirt hem wants to hang overnight before you level it.
6. Wide-leg trousers in linen
Wide pull-on trousers in a light linen are cooler than shorts on a very hot day, because the fabric moves and shades the legs instead of touching them. Choose 180 to 220 g/m² (5.3 to 6.5 oz/yd²) so the legs hang straight; lighter linen clings in a breeze. A full-length pair takes 2.2 to 3 m (2 3/8 to 3 1/4 yd) of 140 cm (55 in) wide fabric; run your own numbers through the fabric yardage calculator before you buy.
7. A slip dress in viscose crepe
For evenings, a bias-cut slip dress in viscose crepe or a washable satin. Viscose is a plant-based fiber that absorbs moisture like cotton and drapes like silk, so it feels cool and swings. Cut on the bias, it skims rather than clings. Stabilize the neckline with a strip of fusible tape before sewing, and let the dress hang for a day before hemming, as with any bias cut.
8. A gauze kimono jacket as a sun cover
Summer needs a layer for the air-conditioned restaurant and the walk home after sunset, and a kimono jacket in cotton gauze, voile or a light linen is it. It is straight lines and a front band, worn open, hip or mid-thigh length. In a sheer voile it doubles as a cover-up at the beach.
9. A bucket hat in cotton canvas
A bucket hat in a 250 to 300 g/m² (7 to 9 oz/yd²) cotton canvas or heavy twill gives real shade and keeps its brim shape. Make it reversible with a lighter printed cotton on the inside, and fuse a medium interfacing to the outer brim so it does not flop. It uses about 40 cm (1/2 yd) of each fabric, which makes it a good use of leftovers from the tote.
10. A tote bag for the beach
A tote bag in canvas carries towels, books and the bucket hat. Canvas does not need a lining to stand up, but an inner pocket in a cotton print keeps the keys findable. Top-stitch the handles in a box with a cross inside; it is the one seam on a tote that carries real weight. A 50 cm (20 in) wide, 40 cm (16 in) tall bag takes about 1 m (1 1/8 yd) of canvas.
In what order should you sew the summer projects?
Sew the tote, the bucket hat and the tank first: three straight-line projects that get your machine settings right for the season and give you something to wear within a weekend. Then the shorts and the boxy top, which share the same linen or lawn and the same French seams. Save the dress, the trousers and the slip dress for the weekends when you can let a hem hang overnight.
If you sew only three things, make them the shorts, the boxy top and the tiered skirt. They mix with every T-shirt you already own, and all three come from fabric that is easy to find and easy to wash.
How do you keep summer clothes cool to wear?
Add ease. Summer garments want 8 to 12 cm (3 to 4 3/4 in) of wearing ease at the bust and hip rather than the 5 cm of a fitted winter top, so the fabric floats and air moves. Made-to-measure drafting, as Sewly does from your own measurements, lets you set that ease per garment instead of sizing up and getting wider shoulders with it.
Finish seams narrow and flat. French seams, a serged edge or a bias-bound seam lie against the skin without the ridge of a pressed-open seam on a light fabric. Hem with a narrow double fold rather than a deep hem, which adds weight exactly where you want the fabric to swing.
Choose light colors and loose weaves for the hottest days, and keep the dark linen for the evening. A white linen top in full sun feels several degrees cooler than the same top in navy.