Create your own boho beach cover-up with this easy, kimono-style wrap sewing project! Perfect for beginners, this flowy wrap is lightweight, stylish, and ideal for sunny beach days or casual summer outings. Customize it with your favorite fabrics for a unique, breezy look!
Click HERE to download printable instructions with additional photos.
Supplies:
- Baby Lock Sewing Machine
- 2¼ yards light weave fabric with drape such as cotton lawn, voile, or gauze
- 4½ yards of purchased crochet trim
- Thread
Getting Creative:
Coverups like this are sold everywhere in stores, but you can sew your own up in a day with this easy pattern. For the beach, you will want a fabric that can easily be laundered, but you can also create this same coverup in a fancier fabric for a more elegant evening wrap, just be sure the fabric you choose has a nice, flowy drape to it, such as rayon.
Trim: I used a purchased cotton crochet trim and dyed it to coordinate with my fabric choice. Instead of a crocheted trim, you could use any decorative trim you like, such as pompoms, or even leave off the trim.
Instructions:
1. Cut two 36” x 36” pieces of fabric. One will be the back of your coverup and the other will become the front.
This is a “one size fits most” pattern, but you can easily adjust the size of the finished project at this step. For example, to make a larger coverup, simply increase to 40” x 40” or for a smaller version, decrease the starting size.
2. Fold your two cuts of fabric in half (see figure 1).
3. Make two marks on your pieces, one along the top edge 3” from the fold and one 3¼” down the unfolded edge. Draw a diagonal line connecting these marks. Cut along this line through both layers of the folded fabric (figure 2). You will do this for both the front and back fabric squares. Set one piece aside for the back.
4. The remaining piece will be the front of the coverup. Keeping this piece folded, cut away 2½” along the FOLDED edge to create a left and a right front piece as shown in figure 3.
5. To finish the center front edges (figure 4), turn under ¼” and then turn under another ¼” (see figure 5).
6. Lightweight fabrics often fray easily so I chose to use a French seam for the shoulders. This is quite an easy technique, so don’t let it scare you off! With WRONG sides together, sew a ¼” shoulder seam, joining the front pieces to the back (see figure 6). Iron this seam towards the back and turn the garment so that the right sides are now facing each other. Now sew a ⅜” seam along the shoulder seam encasing the first shoulder seam you sewed (see figure 7). Press this seam towards the back.
7. To finish the back neck edge, turn under ¼” and press – you will need to clip the fabric right next to the French seam (see figure 8). Along the raw edge, turn under another ⅜” and press. Topstitch (figure 9).
8. To create the arm openings, measure down 12” from the shoulder seam and 2” in from the side edge. Mark this point with an air or water-soluble marker (test the marker on a piece of scrap fabric first!). Make another mark 14” down from the shoulder seam and 2” in from the side seam. Using a triple stitch, sew between these two marks. Then sew a line ¼” inside this line to create two parallel lines of stitching, two inches in length (figure 10). Repeat for the other arm opening.
9. Turn under ¼” along both armhole openings. Stitch ¼” from this folded edge to create a guide for aligning the trim. If you do not want to add trim to your arm openings, you can finish the arm openings just as you finished the center front edges of your coverup in step 5 and then jump to step 11 to hem your coverup.
10. On the RIGHT side of the fabric, place the purchased trim WRONG SIDE UP along the inner edge of the stitching guide you just sewed (see figure 11). Stitch the crochet trim in place. Turn the crochet trim to the RIGHT side by turning under the edge of fabric, creating a finished edge for the arm opening (figure 12). Topstitch a scant ¼” from the crochet trim to hold the fabric in place. Apply a fabric sealant to the ends of your crochet trim to prevent raveling (see figure 12). Allow the sealant to dry completely.
11. Create a bottom hem on the back and both front pieces by turning under ¼” along raw edge and pressing. Then turn under an additional 1¼” and press. Topstitch 1⅛” away from lower edge. Press (figure 13).