Thursday 5 April 2012

Tip Top Tunic

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

boden tunic

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

Prima UK - May 2012

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.

DSCF3518

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.

DSCF3519

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!

5 comments:

  1. Cute! I like it! I do like tunics very much. If it was a struggle for you, it would be a HUGE struggle for me as my seamstress skills are rusty. You'll have to take a picture of yourself wearing it! Thinking of you this busy ministry week.

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  2. Beautiful fabric and lovely tunic. I like the cut - it looks comfortable and feminine.

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  3. Pretty! But just thinking about patterns makes my head ache...

    So, Cullercoats Aug 1997? Son 1 was born in June 1997 and we were pretty much at the church every Sunday except when we were visiting the family, so I guess we may have worshipped together then! How incredible, Ang.

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  4. Erm...four hours for you....six months then two months in therapy for me.
    Jane x

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  5. Gorgeous! Tunic is nice too!

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