Simplicity 4149: Tunic

I'm slowly working my way through every view in the pattern envelope.  First I did the long skirt, then a sleeveless tunic, then another long skirt, and now I've graduated to the tunic with sleeves.  

Seeing the tunic on my (new!) dressform, I was suddenly worried that it'd look like my boobs had big earrings hanging from them or worse, like they were crying.  Investigation was necessary:  A photo on me:

Verdict:  Not horrific, but not great.  Ironic since I spent so much time laying out the pattern so that the notch in the collar would lie smack dab in the middle of the motif.   Hmmm...this is India...anything goes.  I resolve to wear this here, but probably not once I leave the country.

Here's the official pattern review:

Pattern Description: Pullover tunic, pants and skirt.  I made view A with flounce sleeves

Pattern Sizing:  I cut a 14 and graded out at the hip

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?  Simple pullover tunic.  I saw this one from Sew Tessuti and loved it, and wanted to make something similar with the sleeve flounce.  Since Simplicity 4149 was already in my stash, it was an obvious choice

Fabric Used:  fine cotton with an Indian motif print

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:  I shortened the sleeves so that the flounce would be at the elbow.  I also lengthened the tunic and left the neckline plain. 

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes and yes, although next time I will pay attention to how the pattern falls on my chest rather than just paying attention to the neckline.  

Conclusion: Great tunic pattern.  

Simplicity 4149: the "What was She Thinking?" Skirt

This skirt actually came out better than I expected.  It started with the fabric...doesn't it usually?  I liked the diagonal crepe "Dress Materials" I found and liked the green coordinating fabric that came with it.  Unfortunately, I had a heck of a time deciding what to make with the diagonal print once I got home.  I thought that a tunic would be a little busy near my face, and I didn't know how a straight diagonal would look on a skirt. Eventually, in a moment of inspiration, bravery, insanity, or something else, I thought of Simplicity 4149 and the skirt with the center front seam.  If I worked the fabric correctly, I could make a "V" down the center front of the skirt with the diagonal fabric!  And maybe, just maybe, the diagonals would work to elongate me, much like the horizontal lines in Elizabeth's ruffled skirt did for her.  Ah HA!  The decision was made.  :)

Once I had the fabric spread out on the floor, I realized that it's not so easy to work with diagonals, much less to line them up to (more or less) make a V down the front of the skirt.  There was only one pattern piece for the skirt, which had to be cut out 4 times.  In order to get the diagonals to be high at the side seams and low at the CF and CB, I had to cut 2 of the pieces on the cross grain of the fabric.  In order to be sure that I could line up the white diagonals, I extended the top of the pattern pieces by a few inches, so that I'd have more fabric to work with.  Lets just say that I spent more time planning to cut, than I did actually sewing the skirt together.

I sewed the 4 seams up and discovered another issue with using a diagonal print.  The skirt flares at the bottom, so that the angle of the diagonals on the fabric changed from being approximately 45' to being more vertical.  It did not look that great.  I am a mild perfectionist btw...so I pulled out the seam ripper and undid the lower portion of the CF and CB seams and realigned the diagonals, before sewing them up again.

Fluttering in the wind

All in all the pattern is quick and easy.  It is longer than I am used to, since I normally wear skirts at knee-length, being a whopping 5'-2" tall, but I like it.  It's not too crazy with a black top.