Good morning on what is another beautiful morning here.
I finished the new tunic–it’s the orange one, mid-thigh on the left.
To make it, I ordered a gorgeous flannel–which will go with my aqua leggings. And the sewing went well.
BUT (there is always a but when I make a pattern for the first time)…
It’s so heavy!!! I am still getting used to the South Carolina winter weather. Right now, temps drop to 50s at night, but go back up to high 70s during the day. So I start out with warm clothes and switch to cooler ones later in the day–especially if I am going to walk.
I am narrow in the front, between the shoulders. Over time I’ve found a great hack to take out the extra yardage at the neck for a pattern that is cut on the fold. I have to lose about 4 inches at the front center neckline for this top. So I’ve made that change on the tissue pattern I traced.
It’s too long. I added an extra inch at the bottom when I drew the tissue pattern, so the top sits just above my knees. (I wanted to make sure the top covered my bum.) So now I need to shorten this top by a lot, which I’ll do next. AND the pockets seem to be a bit high for me, so I’ll lower them.
This top is totally wearable; it’s just big and heavy. I’ll layer it with a turtleneck and call it a day. I very much like the plackets at the hem, and with the excess front fabric removed and the bottom shortened, the whole thing will fit very well.
I’ve ordered an Essex linen in a soft grey, so I’ll make it again in that lighter fabric, with my alterations. And, layered with a turtleneck, it will be warm enough for all but the few weeks of really cold weather here.
Here’s the hack that removes neckline extra fabric without changing the grainline on the front fold:
https://www.threadsmagazine.com/project-guides/fit-and-sew-tops/remove-excess-fabric-neckline-video
Louisa Enright's Blog 