How to Make a Dashiki

The word "dashiki" has roots in Nigerian Yoruba and Hausa culture and is generally translated as "man's shirt." This loose, hot-weather-friendly garment is easy to sew and can express African culture, African solidarity, or respect for folk crafts throughout the world. Adapted to a variety of fabrics, dashikis take on the greatest meaning when made with African textiles, especially kente cloth. Making a dashiki can involve making both a general cultural statement or a specific one, depending on the ethical and historical symbols incorporated into the cloth.

Measure your fabric in the traditional African way: You need double the length from your shoulders to just above your knees and a width from the crook of one elbow to the other. This translates roughly into 2 yards long by 30 to 36 inches wide, depending on your body. The fabric also needs to be wide enough at the stomach and hips that you can cut away 6 inches from each side without your shirt becoming too tight.

Decide on the style of your neckline when choosing fabric. A dashiki can have a simple slit for a neckline, a slit with a notch in the front or a V-neck. Depending on your sewing abilities, all necklines can be faced in plain fabric, bound with bias tape, or created with a simple, small-rolled hem. Some printed fabrics for dashikis have prints that resemble elaborate embroidery around a V-neck, enabling you to just cut out the neckline and hem it without further decoration.

Fold your fabric with the cut ends together and lay it on a flat surface. Cut into the fabric on each side to make a rough rectangle: This is the cut to make sleeves. Begin your rectangle 9 to 10 inches below the top fold in your fabric, with a 6-inch cut parallel to the fold. Complete the rectangle by cutting down to the end of the fabric for the body of the shirt. Cut a similar rectangle on the other side of the fabric. You now have a rough T shape, with plenty of room for your arms and body.

Cut out the neckline from the fold at the top of the fabric. If you are making a simple slit or slit with a notch, try on the neckline, to make sure you have enough room for your head and will not strain the fabric when pulling it on and off.

Finish your neckline with facing, tape or a small rolled seam.

Decide on whether you wish to hem the rest of your dashiki. Some makers do, others do not. The point of this garment design is to keep your body cool; not hemming sleeves or the bottom keeps fabric more responsive to light breezes.

Decide on further decoration. If you like to embroider, the neckline of your dashiki is a perfect place to show off your talent. A plain-fabric dashiki could be ornamented with cutouts of animals and other symbols. As was the case of the original creators, this simple shirt is a canvas on which you can express ideas.