Woven viscose drapes softly and feels light and cool, which makes it a lovely fabric for a summer tunic. It is slippery and can be tricky to handle, so these notes cover the key details: the placket, the collar and the pockets.

Front placket

Use a simple self-fabric placket about 3 cm wide. Interfacing must be used inside the placket to support the buttonholes, otherwise they will stretch and fray on a soft fabric like viscose.

Marking the pockets

Mark the pocket positions in advance with a heat- or steam-erasable pen. The marks disappear when you press the fabric with steam, so they leave no trace on the finished tunic.

Collar

Use a woven (cloth) interfacing in the collar. For the front placket, the interfacing choice is less critical, and a paper-backed interfacing can be used.

Optional belt

The belt for the skirt is entirely optional. A normal width is about 2.8 cm.

For more on viscose, see our guide on pre-washing cotton, linen and viscose.