Folkwear Patterns - Afghan Dress

About the Afghan Dress

This traditional dress worn by women in Afghanistan is ideal for mixing fabrics and embellishments. This dress pattern has an extremely full skirt and sleeves. It is traditionally worn ankle length, but can be adapted to a shorter variation. The raised bodice is fitted and connects to skirt by the front waist band and underarm gussets. The neck opening can be placed at front or back.  The skirt is gathered by a double line of even stitches, forming tiny, unpressed pleats.  The back of the skirt has two tiers and fabric can be mixed or one kind.

There are three optional bodice embroidery treatments, using chain stitch, mirror cloth, and satin stitch which are all authentic detailing.

 Read this blogpost for tips on sizing up this pattern (it is currently 6-160

The Fabric

Choose soft, medium-weight fabrics such as cotton, rayon challis, or silk; the upper sleeve and/or skirt may be of soft rayon or silk velvet. This dress is often made in many prints, which is a wonderful opportunity to use up bits and pieces of brilliant fabrics.

Sizing

This pattern is a multi-sized pattern - Size 6 - 16.

Level of Difficulty

There is no specified level of difficultly on the pattern, but Folkwear have very good instructions.