I’m supposed to be sewing my Minoru jacket, but other things have taken precedence, and I still haven’t gotten to it. Fortunately, the sew-along is moving at a relaxed pace, so I’m not out of time quite yet.
In between some critical house projects, I did manage to sew up this weird and wonky tunic. I’m desperately searching for some alternative to rectangular sweatshirt tunics to wear around the house. I live with five toddlers cats, so I need some serious, indestructible shirts to loll about in. This looked as if it might fit the bill, and I knew it would make up in less than an hour. My assessment was right on target.
I don’t think this is a flattering style on anyone, although doing the front panel in a contrasting color might help. (So would having the proportions of the women in Vogue’s illustrations, which I’ve never seen on a living person It’s always a bad sign when the pattern company only shows a pattern in sketches, with no photos.)
Back view:
The full sleeves exaggerate the width of the top, and make it look clumsy and super-wide. For wearing comfort, this is excellent. For style, not so much.
The sleeves gather into the gauntlet-like cuffs, which run from the elbow to the wrist. (The sleeve is unhemmed here; I was still making up my mind about the length.)
I actually think this is very practical for a wear-around-the-house, utility garment. The top is nice and warm, but the fit is so close along the lower arm that the sleeves stay well out of the way when performing domestic tasks (or sewing, for that matter).
The “tail” on the tunic is very long, but the front isn’t quite long enough — when it rides up, as it inevitably does when worn, it neatly arcs over the lower crotch area on my leggings. This is fine at home, but perhaps not the effect anyone would prefer when running around in public. The rear hem length does a nice job of making leggings respectable, though.
This pattern is meant to be sewn in something drapey and fluid. I didn’t do that. Instead, I used some black sweatshirting I’d picked up at that “craft” store that sells fabric, because sweats were what I needed.
Although it’s priced at $13 per yard, this stuff is the nastiest sweatshirt fabric I’ve ever seen. My local JoAnn stores have replaced their sturdy but wearable 60/40 cotton/poly sweatshirting with this dreck, and it’s awful. I did realize, to my horror, that it was almost all polyester before I bought it, but, hey, it was for knocking around the house, so I figured I could live with that. What I hadn’t counted on were the sparkles (yes — sparkles!) in the material, which I assume are all the hard plastic bits that give it a truly awful hand once it’s washed.
Do.Not.Buy.This. Even at steep discount! It’s worth — and I use the term loosely — four dollars a yard at best, but only if you’re upholstering plywood with it, or doing something similar.
See the horrible little plastic flecks? Yuck. The alarming plasticity of this stuff made it poof peculiarly where the sleeve curve met the bodice. That’s my fault, not Vogue’s, due to my choice of fabric. I edge-stitched all around the sleeve seam, which reduced the plastic pouf a bit.
Because there was absolutely no stretch to my material, I cut the size Vogue recommended (it’s usually waaay too big for me), and used a smaller-than-usual seam allowance. I also raised the neckline; I think Vogue’s doesn’t work very well, and makes the shirt look more droopy than drapey.
Would my result be more flattering if done in a lighter weight knit? Possibly. Maybe I’ll give it a try. I do like the cut of the center panel, but the unflattering sleeves, not so much. Overall grade: Meh.
(Ignore the baby gate in the background. Did I mention that we had a houseful of toddlers cats?)
Dear Noile,
what a shame this pattern did not lead to the result you were looking for! I just love the sketch, but seeing what the ready made piece turned out like is frustrating. I´d say it might turn out much nice made from some stretchy thinner material like a jersey with viscose in it. For myself I wouldn´t consider making the front part in another colour an option- too eighties! I think I´d lower the neckline in the hope of the front becoming more “waterfally” and make the whole shirt longer omitting the short-in the-front-long-in the-back-look. I´ve never liked this style! (Did you know in Germany in the 80ies a ridiculous hairstyle like this was fashionable: front-short, back-long, called VO-KU-HI-LA … this shirts reminds me of it.) Maybe it would even be an option to add elastic to the side seams of the part covering the hips and part of the thighs, then, to gather them a little – a feature allowing to wear it over leggings without having any unwanted forms show through like a panty seam for example…
anja
In truth, Anja, I might have had a much better result with a better fabric. I think you’re right about two colors making it too 1980s. That’s NOT the effect I’d want!
The elastic in the side seam is a good idea, and would make the top look much more contemporary.. In any case, if I try it again, I will change the hem length in front (to make it longer) and the one in back (to make it shorter). But now I’m always going to think of the German 80s hairstyle you describe when thinking of this top!
All the fabric Joann sells now is dreck. I don’t understand who buys it all. I like this variation on ae sweatshirt–a little more style than the usual.
No doubt, Trena — who is buying all that stuff? Every year the knit prints get uglier and uglier, and I can’t even imagine how they ever get sold. And yet, they keep coming back. I’ve found exactly three types of fabric at JoAnn that I’ve liked in the past five years, and that’s it. It’s maddening, really.
You are soooo funny! I love your descrition of the pattern, how it fits, etc. I bought that pattern last week. I am going to make it out of some knit from my stash. Now I won’t feel so bad if I don’t like it!
I also read about your Koos coat…it’s beautiful. I bought that pattern after I saw Jilly’s…don’t have the fabric yet. Yes the numbering sure is confusing!!! I’m going to do what you did and make my own map, so thank you!
This is the first time I’ve seen your blog…it’s fun!!!
Thanks for your kind words, Judi! You may get much better results with a knit than I did from this awful sweatshirting. Good luck with it!
The Koos coat is so much fun, beginning with fabric selection. It’s an adventure!
Yeah, this pattern doesn’t look like it would flatter me, either. I already have way too many lounge-around-the-home clothes. 🙂
I’m not sure V8771 would flatter anyone, Shams! As for me, my lounge-around-the-home clothes are pajamas, hence my desperation to stock up on something — anything — a little more . . . formal? That’s not quite the word, but you take my point, I’m sure.
I wish I had baby gates like you do for your 5 cats. I live with 4 dogs, 2 of which are 5 pounders (Pomeranian/Papillon crosses) that are not reliably housebroken. 8-(( My version of baby gates is foam core board joined with binder clips. Four sets of them around the house.
I just don’t know what to say about that fabric, perhaps you could use it as fine grit sandpaper? lol
Funny, ElleC! Maybe I could use the sweatshirting as coarse grit sandpaper — I think it might tear up delicate wood!
Oy, the baby gates! The best thing I can say about them is that they do the job — I love your foam board and binder clip solution, though I think the cats would shred the board in a nanosecond. We could have funded a 401k with what we’ve spent on baby gates.