Vogue Patterns: 8854 (Misses' Tunic)  - Type:Tops  | | Viewed 597 times
| 9 more reviews | Review rated Helpful by 1 people Very Helpful by 15 people | | Reviewed by: | Nikki | 
 | About Nikki | | MD USA | | Member since: 4/8/02 | | Reviews written: 259 | | Sewing skills:Advanced | | Favored by: 93 people | | patterns reviewed: 224 | | Bio: more... |
| | Posted on: | 11/25/12 10:11 AM | | Project Photo: |  | | Pattern Photo: | 
Vogue Patterns Pattern Info | | Pattern Rating: | Recommend, with Modifications | | See other patterns in this category: Tops | Available for sale on PR: $16.88 (See envelope)  | | | | Fabric: | Hemp Jersey [See other projects in this fabric] | | Related Links | Click on  to add a link |
| Pattern Description:
Loose-fitting, pullover tunic has collar or hood, shaped hemline, narrow hem, and snap closing. I made view B, with the collar, front pocket, and button closure.
Pattern Sizing:
XS-XXL (misses 4-26). I made an S, tapering to an M at the lower hem.
Fabric Used:
This was one of the older pieces in my stash, a hemp-lycra jersey with a pebbled texture from Hemp Traders (I think). The fabric has a relatively high lycra content, so it has a lot of stretch and good recovery, but the hand is a little on the stiff side and it is meaty rather than drapey. I chose this pattern for the fabric because I thought the stiffer hand would be well suited to the design.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I lengthened the sleeves, an alteration that I almost always have to make. I probably could have made a smaller sleeve length alteration on this pattern, as the sleeves seem to run a little bit long. In the photo, I've drawn my hands into the sleeves a bit because it was freezing, but they are still a bit longer than wrist length.
Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes, but I think there are better ways to construct this pattern. The instructions look like they were taken out of a set of stock instructions on how to sew wovens, not knits. The only concession to sewing knits is that the seams are supposed to be double stitched. I chose to stitch the seams on my regular machine and then serge finish the seams.
The asymmetrical front piece has a self-fabric facing on the overlap, and the underlap is folded over. So this pattern would not work that well with thick fabrics due to the bulk of the facings. My fabric feels meaty, but is not actually that thick, so it worked out ok. I chose to serge finish the raw edges of the facings, but the instructions do not mention any edge finishing and just leave it raw - this would be a problem if you use a knit that tends to roll on the edge when washed. The collar is a simple folded rectangle, the instructions have you slipstitch it on the inside.
The front pocket is one place where I think the instructions could be improved. They have you fold a double hem along the open pocket edge and topstitch this before applying the pocket to the top. The problem is that this is a bulky finish that can be difficult with knits. I followed the instructions after some debate, but feel that it would be better to single-fold the hem instead to reduce bulk, as the double hem resulted in issues at the pocket corners.
The pattern also has you set in the sleeves for no apparent reason. I chose to change the order of construction and put the sleeves in flat. The sleeve cap was not so curved as to cause problems, although it was more curved than the style usually recommended for flat sewing. If you have enough experience putting in knit sleeves via the flat method, there should be no problem, but it might be tricky for beginners to ease the sleeve in, and setting the sleeve might be better in that case.
The front lap and collar are closed with small hand-sewn snaps, and the button is primarily decorative. I chose a wooden toggle-style button, as I think a button with some attitude is needed here.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes, although the envelope drawings don't have hips, haha.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
The resulting tunic is really quite comfortable and not too oversized. The length is usually a bit too long for me, but with the distinctive styling of the tunic I think it works fairly well this time. There is a bit of the sort of "Star Trek extra" vibe to this pattern with the styling, but I think it is kind of fun. The collar is higher than I was expecting, and I think it is possibly nicer with the collar folded down:
collar down
The only problem with having the collar down is that the snaps are visible on the inside of the collar. If I decide that I never want to wear the collar up, I might take the top snaps off of the collar entirely.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
This is a very distinctive pattern, and I am not sure how many versions I would really want to have. I might consider the hoodie version, but with the back hem taken up instead of coat-tail style. I would recommend this with some potential modifications in construction depending on the chosen fabric. I am not sure that view B would work well with a limp or very drapey fabric, as the weight of the collar and overlap might result in a saggy mess. Drapey fabrics might be best with the hoodie view C.
| Buy this pattern for $16.88 List Price: $22.50 Add to Bag  |
|
|
Pattern with more than 5 reviews!
<< Previous Next >>
11 Comments
Login to Add a Comment |
|
|Login|Help]
Thanks for the helpful review. I keep eyeing this pattern and wondered how it was drafted and what the instructions were like. I think yours is cute. :)
11/25/12 10:28 AM
Thanks for the review. I have this pattern and fabric to do the hooded version. Your tunic looks great...love the color.
11/25/12 11:03 AM
Thank you thank you!Super helpful review for those of us waiting to tackle this very different tunic. I love your version and think the collar up/collar down is a fun feature. Great job!!
11/25/12 11:33 AM
I love it! Nice job. It looks great on you too.
11/25/12 1:34 PM
P.S. FYI, now I HAVE to add this pattern to my stash : P
11/25/12 1:35 PM
What a fun top in a fun color! And a great review as well. I like your idea to fold down the collar.
11/25/12 5:16 PM
I love this, great details in your review!
11/25/12 6:10 PM
Love the colour and uniqueness of it! Never seen this pattern before..
11/25/12 6:54 PM
Great tunic...it looks fab on you! Great job...
11/26/12 0:19 AM
Thanks for such a detailed review. I was concerned about how high the collar seemed. After seeing yours and how nice the collar looks folded down, I think that is the way I would go. I like that best. Great job!
11/27/12 1:00 PM
Wow, I love this!
11/30/12 7:25 PM