Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Two Sheer but Not Too Sheer....Simplicity 2371

When I was prepping mock ups of various patterns to take to Sarah Veblen's sewing retreat, this Simplicity pattern Simplicity 2371  was one of the contenders for my desired Tory Burch-like / J McLaughlin tunic wardrobe addition.  Tory Tunic  Biscayne Tunic

Simplicity 237, version 1
Simplicity 2371, version 2
The bad old days...
Personally I think the Simplicity pattern photo is atrocious; it reminds me of bad seventies tunic pant suit patterns.....and I know because I recall making one of them and even in those days I knew it was **** ugly. 

Look at the silly small scale lace trim and the kitten heels on a very not kittenish outfit.  It just seems all wrong.  But, now that I have insulted the pattern photo, I have to admit that I am in love with this pattern.  It is exactly what I wanted....a simple summer tunic to wear with straight leg pants or Bermuda shorts.  I normally do a FBA but the shoulder pleats gave me enough ease that it was unnecessary this time around.  I was so thrilled with the fit on the mockup that I didn't even bring it to Sarah for tweaking.  Instead I made one version the very next week.....and then another a few weeks later.  

These first two are from semi-sheer fabrics so I plan on wearing them with a slippery camisole underneath.  I would like to make at least two more versions, in non-sheer fabrics, but was wondering about how to make lightweight, Liberty-like cotton lawn work.  I did ask Sarah Veblen if I should underline this pattern and what would she suggest I use. Using silk organza seems like it would defeat the purpose of the cotton lawn since I am afraid it would lose some of the 'flow-y" effect.  I could also underline it in a solid cotton lawn but again, a little bulkier than I want, and definitely not slippery over my swayback high hip shelf. I really didn't want to line it with Ambiance since that seemed like overkill.  Sarah made a very interesting suggestion.  She thought I should consider underlining the thin cotton lawn with silk chiffon or a light silk georgette.  Hmmmm, I think that would work quite nicely.  If  I ever proceed along those lines I'll let you know what I think.

The pattern does have a facing and I used a very lightweight silk organza as a stabilizer/interfacing to keep the sheer fabric feel.  In retrospect, the second green and blue version should have a slightly darker piece of silk organza since I will wear this version with a dark colored camisole.  
Serged armhole inside
I finished the side seams and armholes with my serger, clipping the armhole seam and "serging on air" as I mentioned in my last post.  All in all a very simple and successful new pattern in my repertoire.  I hope your sewing projects go as well this week. 

6 comments:

  1. Beautiful!! The first one is my favorite, but both are great. The lightness of the fabric makes it seem so airy. Great job!

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  2. Very nice and floaty! Great for summer.

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  3. Oh, I love both these tunics. No wonder you are so happy with them! They look like the perfect topper for summer!

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  4. Love these! So cool-looking without being too bare.

    I've looked at this pattern many times (I may even own it), but always rejected it at the last minute because of that photo. Those of us who lived though the '70s remember those ugly pantsuits with a shudder. But I always liked that style of tunic. Thanks to you, now I know a pattern I can use to recreate the look! Thank you for sharing.

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  5. Those are so nice & look good on you. The fabrics are pretty too. BTW, I really enjoy reading your blog.

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