Tip Top Tunic

There is a very attractive tunic in the Boden catalogue [currently would like another tunic to wear with leggings this summer.

Then my latest Prima magazine arrived last week, and I noticed the free pattern was for a tunic of the same sort of style.

I had some soft viscose in the stash, a black and white print, and only 1.4 metres was needed, so I had a go at the weekend.

It does say ‘some skill required’ and I was frustrated to realise the pattern for the sleeve is on the back of the ‘front’ pattern piece. I had to copy a sleeve pattern onto scrap paper. That took ages!

I made it up as a size 12 – but it came up too big, and the neckline was particularly saggy. So that meant re-sewing all the tucks in the front and the darts at the back.

There were no clear instructions about the bias edging for the neckline.

But now it is done, I am really pleased with it. If I make another I shall remember to get it all finished and fitted before I bind the neckline, and I may use a contrast [plain?] binding instead of using the matching fabric. From start to finish [including pattern making and fitting alterations] took around four hours – I would hope to make a similar top again in half the time.

There are no fastenings to worry about, the shaping is done with 6 parallel tucks on the front bodice and two long darts on the back. The sleeves have a simple hem threaded with elastic. there is also a short sleeved variation on the pattern too.

Looking through some other blogs, I notice that Prima did a very similar tunic top a couple of years ago.

This one will be going to Cornerstones for next week’s holiday!