Spring sewing plans, part 2: Dresses, shirtdresses, jumpsuits, and rompers(!)

Because I couldn't contain my entire "to sew" list in one post (that first post was getting seriously long), I split my spring planning into two posts. I realize that these planning posts are probably boring for others to read ("Hey, a blouse pattern! Oh, another blouse pattern!"), but I like to write them every few months to jot my thoughts down somewhere so that I can refer back to them for inspiration. From a purely self-indulgent standpoint, it's also fun for me to go back a few months later and look at what I was planning to sew and compare that list to what I actually did sew.

Spring sewing wouldn't be spring sewing without a ton of dresses on my list, so this post calls out the non-separate sewing patterns that I'm looking to make for this spring/summer.

Dresses

HotPatterns Cote d'Azur Dress

First up is an old favorite. I made this dress last summer, loved it, wore it a ton, and got a ton of compliments on it. Unfortunately, the fabric is starting to fade and pill a bit, and I want to replace last year's version with a new version sewn in a higher quality knit.

HotPatterns Cote D'Azur dress

BlueGingerDoll Violet

Tanya's versions sold this pattern to me while back during a BGD pattern sale. Mary's recent version reinforced that I want one of these in my wardrobe sooner rather than later.  For mine, for warm weather, I'd be going with the short sleeved option on the dress with the fuller skirt.

Bluegingerdoll Violet dress

On a side note, when one of these Violet dresses pops up in the blogosphere, am I the only one who then immediately winds up with Courtney Love screaming in her head, "Go on take everything, take everything, I want you to!"  It's just me? Oh well, carry on, then.


Modcloth Coach Tour Dress knock-off (McCall's 6796 & Colette Moneta frankenpattern)

When browsing Modcloth, I became smitten with the Coach Tour Dress:

ModCloth Coach Tour Dress

I couldn't find a pattern that was all that close of a match to this one, but McCall's 6796 does have that collar, and the gathered skirt is similar to the Colette Moneta.

McCall's 6796

 I'm envisioning a frankenpattern of the two patterns, and my version will have short sleeves, rather than being sleeveless. Since I'll need an FBA on the McCall's, I'll just rotate the resulting dart to the waist gathers, and I'll add a waistband/belt detail between the bodice and the skirt.

Shirtdresses

Will Spring 2015 finally be the season that I finally sew one of the shirtdresses that I've been openly ogling/pinning/talking about for months, but not actually sewing? If I'm going to deal with the hassle of fitting woven blouses, I might as well tackle fitting a shirtdress, right?

Lekala 4115

The dress that started my recent streak of wanting to knock off Modcloth dresses was this one: the Soda Fountain dress:

ModCloth Soda Fountain Dress (in grape)

I'd sent my husband a link of a swimsuit that I wanted his opinion on (he liked it, I bought it), and I apparently got him browsing the site. He sent me a link to this dress and said, "You should make this!" That immediately sent me browsing pattern sites looking for a pattern that I could use or patterns that I could frankenpattern.

Lekala 4115 is pretty close to the inspiration dress:

Lekala 4115

So, I paid the $3 for another Lekala experiment. I'm not a fan of the super puffy sleeves, but I can modify those. My first experiment with Lekala was a total wadder, but it was a knit, and they seem to do better with woven patterns, so I thought I'd give them another shot.

McCall's 6696 & McCall's 7084
McCall's has a few good shirtdress patterns. The two that really jump out to me are the ever-popular M6696 (aka Mary/Idle Fancy's shirtdress) and McCall's 7084.

McCall's 6696

M7084

Both dresses have a separate button band. M6966 has a waistband as well. M7084 has shoulder princess seams (yay!) but no separate cup sizing (boo!). M6966 has the separate cup sizing (yay!) but uses darts for shaping (meh, compared to princess seams). Both patterns have options for a straight skirt or a full skirt--M6966's full skirt is pleated, whereas M7084's full skirt has a bunch of godets. I'm really on the fence as to which of these I'd rather sew and wear--I think my perfect pattern would be if these two patterns mated had had baby shirtdresses.

StyleArc Italia

The StyleArc Italia is the only dress on this list that doesn't have some sort of a waist seam. However, it does have a fair amount of shaping through bust darts, waist darts, and back darts. This pattern is also easily the most modern/least retro looking of the group that I've picked, so if I end up sewing two shirtdresses, I'm sure that this will be one of them.

StyleArc Italia shirtdress

Colette Hawthorn

Because it has to be here, right? I'm going to keep the Hawthorn on my to-sew list until I finally sew the damn pattern. Or maybe if I keep including it in these lists, it will fit and sew itself, right?

Colette Hawthorn

Jumpsuits and rompers

Like a shark drawn to chum, I've been picking up and hoarding jumpsuit and romper patterns every time they're on sale for the last few months. Have I made any of these patterns yet? No, and I'm not sure if they're work on my figure, but I'd like to imagine that they will with the right fit and proportions! I'm determined to at least muslin at least one of the following patterns in the upcoming months.

Vogue 9075

My desire to make this pattern hasn't decreased in the months since it was released. I suspect that I'm not the only one, given that the larger size range was sold out on the Vogue website for a little while. On paper, this pattern sounds like a horrible idea--a culotte jumpsuit! But really, in the photos, it looks like a fit-and-flare style dress (a good silhouette on me) that just happens to have wide-legged pants instead of a skirt attached. In reality, this is probably the "safest" pattern choice out of this bunch, between the shape and the fact that it has shoulder princess seams.

Vogue 9075

Lekala 4053

On my many visits to San Diego over the past few months, I saw rompers everywhere, on women of all shapes, sizes, and ages. I went to brunch with a friend one Sunday morning (at one of those places with an outdoor patio that's great for people watching), and I swear that every third woman was wearing either a romper or a jumpsuit that looked like a maxi-dress. This convinced me that I could pull off this look with the right pattern, fabric, and fit adjustments.

That said, a romper/playsuit on a 5'2" uber-busty plus sized woman should be an ultimate test of Lekala's custom drafting abilities, right? I like this one because it's a little more conservative than some of the romper patterns out there, with its longer shorts and short sleeves, but it doesn't look dowdy.

Lekala 4053

McCall's 7115

McCall's 7115 is probably the closest style-wise, to most of the rompers that I saw in San Diego. It's also similar to the rompers that were popular in the mid-90's that I always coveted but could never wear because my top half was two sizes larger than my bottom half. I still think that I could make this work with the right fabric choice and fit adjustments:

McCall's 7115

Final Thoughts

So, those are the patterns that have made it to the top of the pile on my sewing desk for the next few months. I am sure that there will be at least a few bright and shiny new patterns released this spring and summer that will vie for my sewing attention as well.

I'm extra, extra torn on the various shirtdress selections. I feel like I'm a housecat trying to chase a laser pointer when it comes to choosing one to sew. Here! No, over here! Do any of these grab your attention over the others?

Feeling... meh.

Well, I finished attaching the buttons/front drape on my Lekala tunic...

Yeah, not a good look:

*sad trombone*

I attached the buttons and drape according to the pattern markings, but looking at it on me, I'm realizing something that I should have noticed when I was examining the pattern pieces.

The two big problems that I see are that the buttons aren't placed close enough to the edge of the drape piece. That'll be a pain, but it's an easy enough fix to move the buttons close to the edge. In the tech drawing, they appear to be pretty close to the edge:

Lekala 4319 tech drawing

The more difficult problem to fix will be to re-distribute the ruching in a more flattering manner.

See how the ruching is concentrated through the midsection on the tech drawing? Whereas on me, it all pools at the bottom half? When I saw this, I thought that the ruching placement would be good for camouflaging lumps and bumps.
Now, let's look at the pattern piece for the underlayer:

Lekala 4319 front drape piece

See how the buttons are clustered close together at the bottom, but get further apart as you travel further up the tunic?

Now, look at the drape overlay. The buttons with the biggest "gaps" between them are the mid-section buttons. So we should see the ruching appear as it is in the line drawing, right?

Lekala 4319 drape overlay piece

What I think is happening is that my ginormous bust is taking up some of the length of the ruching, so it's looking like it's all pooling at the lower half. Given that this was a custom-drafted pattern, and my large bust was clearly accounted for in the draft of the underlayer (no riding up, properly positioned bust darts, etc), I'm a little surprised to be encountering it with the drape layer.

To rescue this top, I will clearly need to do some playing around with redistributing the ruching in a more pleasing manner when I move the buttons closer to the edge of the drape. I don't know how my final tweaked version will turn out, but at this point, I'll be happy if I have a comfortable tunic that I can wear under a cardigan or jacket. Given that this was a custom-drafted pattern, I really wasn't expecting so much difficulty with getting it to the point where I thought it was wearable!

I have to be honest, with all of the mis-steps (running out of fabric) and fussiness (the ill-placed ruching on my first attempt at attaching the buttons), I am really ready to be done with this tunic. I also feel like I really need an "easy" project as a palette cleanser, but I'm still trying to decide on my next project.

Here's a picture of my feline supervisor to break up several paragraphs of text.

So what do I think I'll tackle next?

Before this most recent frustration with the button/ruching placement, I had been considering making a blouse as part of the Pattern Review "fitted blouse" contest, starting March 1st. What I like about the format of this contest is that they're dividing it into three skill categories: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. I feel like I'm pretty squarely intermediate in my sewing/fitting skills, so it would be nice to enter a contest with people at a similar skill level. On the other hand, button-down blouses are a fitting nightmare for me, and I don't know that I'm mentally up to that at this point. On the other hand, a "great white blouse" would check off a box on my capsule wardrobe.

I'm thinking that a better choice would be do whip up one or two of my TNT t-shirts in a fun print. I could stash-bust and end up with a guaranteed-wearable top at the same time. And you can't have enough simple knit tops in fun prints, can you? I could also whip up a third Mr. HP t-shirt for my husband (I never blogged the second one, but it's in a soft merino wool jersey and he wears it All The Time), but it's more fun to sew for yourself, right?

On the more practical side of things, my 20-month-old daughter has been going through a growth spurt, and much of her 18M-sized clothing is too short or close to being too short. I really should sew a couple of size 2T outfits for her, but I can't make up my mind on what to sew. Too. Many. Possibilities.

Lastly, I really want to make up the HotPatterns tailored track pant. I have a black ponte earmarked for these, and I don't currently have a pair of casual black pants that fit. So, while not technically part of my capsule wardrobe, these would fill a wardrobe hole and should also be pretty easy to make.

The Lekala 4319 construction post

I very nearly finished my version of my Lekala 4319 tunic this weekend. The tunic itself is fairly easy to construct, but the instructions are so cryptic that they make Burda magazine instructions appear user-friendly.  I've seen a few comments indicating interest in seeing how things go with this pattern, so I am going to dedicate this blog post to documenting my construction process. If you're on the fence about this pattern or come across this post via google because you're looking to make this pattern but want more detailed instructions, hopefully this post will help you.

These instructions/observations are my own, so take these with a grain of salt where needed.

Pattern Overview

Lekala 4319 tunic is a hip-length tunic with a front bodice underlayer and an overlayer that drapes over the underlayer asymmetrically. A row of buttons secures the top layer in place with a ruching effect. The tunic has a cowl-style neckline, long sleeves, and a hem band.

Fabric requirements and recommendations

My tunic required 3 yards of merino wool jersey. Full disclosure/goof: I started cutting my fabric before I realized that I only had 2.5 yards of the fabric that I really wanted to use for this project. By getting really creative with my layout, piecing the front underlayer, and leaving off the bottom hem band, I was able to squeeze this tunic out of 2.5 yards.

If you are making this tunic, you will want to use a very drapey jersey. Consider a rayon, merino wool, or silk jersey. I don't think that most cotton jerseys or ITY jerseys will have enough drape for this pattern and are likely to have too much bulk. Definitely stay away from heavier knits like ponte.

For my own tunic, I am using this red merino wool jersey from FabricMart and these cool-looking metal buttons from Fashion Sewing Supply:

Difficulty level: Advanced Beginner

I think that this pattern would be appropriate for an advanced beginner. You won't be encountering much in the way of difficult construction techniques, and since the pattern is customized for your measurements, you likely won't have too many fitting issues. You will, however, need to figure out your own pattern layout on your fabric and be able to sew a decent knit hem. (I recommend using a twin needle or coverstitch.)

Pattern pieces

This pattern only has 5 pieces, and no facings or bindings:

• Bodice underlayer (Cut 1x)
• Bodice over layer/drape (Cut 1x)
• Bodice back (Cut 2x)
• Sleeve (Cut 2x)
• Hem band (Cut 1x)

Time requirements

I spent about 5 hours total on this tunic:

• ~1 hour to tape the PDF together.
• ~1 hour to cut the fabric. (Keep in mind that I had to get creative with my layout. If you have enough fabric-- ~3 yards, you should be able to cut this out much faster than I did.)
• ~ 3 hours to sew the tunic, including a couple of goofs where I had things pinned wrong and had to re-pin before serging.

Construction skills needed

• Sewing darts
• Familiarity with knits
• Hemming knits
• Marking/sewing buttons

Construction

The following instructions describe how I put my tunic together. Other methods might work better for you, but I'm hoping that these might help if you've already ordered the pattern and are scratching your head at the included PDF instructions.

1. Mark, pin, and sew the bust darts on the bodice underlayer:
   

   

   Mark and pin darts

2. Hem the neckline on the back piece and on the front underlayer pieces.
   
   I used the coverstitch function on my Babylock Evolve, but a twin needle hem would work as well:
   
   

   

   Back neckline hemmed

   
   

   
   

   
   

3. Hem the following edges on the front overlayer/drape piece:
   • Cowl/neckline edge
   • Left shoulder edge
   • Long/curved edge on the garment's left side
     
     

     

     Front drape piece with cowl neckline, left shoulder, left side all hemmed.
     

4.  Remove excess calico cat from fabric.
   
   
   
5. Lay out the front underlayer, right-side up. Place the overlayer/drape on top (right side of under layer to the wrong side of the overlayer). Pin or base along the left shoulder, left armscye, and left side edges.
6. Stitch/serge the shoulder seams:
• For the right shoulder, stitch/serge through all three layers (front under and over layers, back piece).
• For the left shoulder, stitch/serge the front underlayer to the pack piece. The hemmed overlayer will be flapping around loose.
  
  You can see what the sandwich of layers looks like in the photo below (ignore the seam that looks like a yoke--that was a result of my "creative" fabric layout/piecing):
  
  
7. Set your sleeves in flat:
   
   
   • On the left side of the tunic, stitch through all three layers (overlayer, underlayer, sleeve) on the front part of the tunic. Stitch as you normally would (back, sleeve) on the back side of the tunic.
   • On the right side of the tunic, stitch through the front underlayer/sleeve on the front side and the back/sleeve on the back side.
     
     The left side of the overlayer/drape will still be unattached.
     
     
8. You can now try the tunic on. You can now get a much better idea of what the neckline and drape are going to look like.
   
   In this picture, I've pinned the left shoulder drape piece to the underlayer. Apologies for the bathroom mirror selfie:
   
   
   
   
   Here, I've added a few pins at semi-regular intervals along the left side to get a better idea of what the ruching/drape will look like:
   
   
   
9. Mark your button placement on both the under and outer layer of the front. I plan to play around with my button placement a little, if needed, to ensure a flattering effect.
   
   
   
10. Construct/attach the hem band: (Note that I will be omitting this step because of my fabric goof and will simply be doing a coverhem at the bottom hem.)
    • Right sides together, stitch the short edges of the hem band together to form a ring.
    • Fold the ring in half, wrong sides together, so that the raw edges of the band touch.
    • Pin the hem band to the bottom of the tunic. Line up the four layers of raw edges on the front and three layers of raw edges on the back. Stitch/serge to attach.
11. Hem the sleeves.

That's it, you're done!

Note: I'll update this post with pictures from the final few steps once I've completed those and taken photos.

Lekala 4319 progress

I've decided to take a stab at Lekala 4319 as a potential entry into the "New to Me Pattern Contest" on PatternReview.

Lekala 4319 tech drawing

Lekala 4319 is a tunic-length knit top with a ruching detail at the side. The following image shows the vitual model on the Lekala web site:

Computer model version

I have printed out and taped together the PDF pattern and cut my fabric last Sunday. As is generally the case with Lekala patterns, the instructions are a bit sparse and already led to an "oops" with my cutting layout (more on that in a bit). In case anyone else plans to make up this pattern at some point, I'll document the construction here on my blog as I go.

Pattern Prep

Just a few notes about the pattern/PDF itself:

• The pattern took 44 pages of letter-sized paper to print out.
• The grid of the PDF layout is 7 x 6 pages with a few blank pages mixed in.
• The first page of the PDF gives an overview of what the pattern pieces look like on the PDF grid:

 

To make the massive PDF grid more manageable, I grouped the pages together by pattern piece for taping. The pages are pretty well labeled, as far as what goes next to what, so it was easy to tape all of the bodice overlay pieces together, for example, cut out that piece, then move onto the next piece/grouping. 

One thing that I found interesting that I wasn't sure about for the line drawing is that the bodice has a full underlay piece. My pattern piece is darted, although I'm not sure if that's typical (the line drawing has no darts), or if it was something that the software added because of my massive bust.

Fabric layout and cutting

A few more notes about the fabric layout and cutting your fabric for this pattern:

• This pattern is a fabric hog, to put it bluntly. I had a 3-yard piece of merino wool jersey that I really wanted to use for this pattern, and I ran out of fabric. I did prewash and likely lost a little length to shrinkage, but to be safe, you'll probably want to have a 3 1/4 yard length piece for this pattern. (Full disclosure: Obviously, I am plus sized, but I am also only 5'2". If you're smaller, you might be able to tease this out of a shorter length of fabric.)
  
  Correction (24-Feb-2014): I goofed when I originally wrote this bullet point. I found the original sticker from FabricMart, and I had purchased a 2.5 yard length, not a 3-yard length, as I'd originally thought/written. If you have a 3-yard length of fabric, you should be fine for this pattern.
  
• To compensate for running out of fabric, I am either eliminating the bottom hem band or will be doing the bottom hem band out of a contrast fabric. I'll try pinning it both ways and see what I think looks better.  I also had to piece the front underlay piece, figuring that the pieced seam won't show, to squeeze everything in.
• There is a Center Back (CB) seam to this top, although that seam offers no shaping. Because I didn't pay enough attention to the line drawing, I actually cut the back piece on the fold. I am sure that this didn't help my fabric shortage issues. Obviously, because I printed out a pattern with seam allowances, I now have an extra 1.25" at my CB, but I can easily add that CB seam back in with my serger.

I am in the process of finishing up another Mr. HP Nice & Easy T for my husband right now, but as soon as I am finished with that, I will be diving in to the construction of my Lekala tunic.

New (to me) pattern contest on PatternReview, StyleArc non-update

Yes, it's another post from me where I pontificate on possible future projects and post pictures of the prospective patterns! 

New (to me) pattern contest

I've been a member of PatternReview for nearly seven years, but I rarely participate in the monthly contests held there. To put it bluntly, the contest winners are usually more popular, thinner, younger, and far more advanced in their fitting and sewing skills than I am. I have a competitive enough nature that I have no interest in entering a contest where I have zero shot at winning. Starting Sunday, however, is a contest that I am actually interested enough in entering that I don't give a rat's ass how many or how few votes I get. That contest is the "New to Me Pattern Contest", which I am entering to challenge myself to step and hold myself accountable.

With me being me, I haven't yet decided which pattern, or even which pattern company, I am going to use for the contest. I've narrowed the field down to three candidate patterns, two of which are Lekala patterns. Here are the candidates:

Lekala 4319

If you read my Basic t-shirt with a flare post a little while back, Lekala 4319 should look familiar to you:

Since my original post where I pointed out this pattern, I have since purchased and printed out the PDF download. I am really dying to see how Lekala's custom measurement system works out for my body type. An interesting note is that although it's not shown in the line drawing, my version of this pattern includes a dart in front. I wonder if that's an omission from the line drawing, or if it was something that the Lekala system generated for me because of my large bust.

Lekala 4321

Pattern candidate is also a Lekala. I have purchased the PDF download for Lekala 4321, as well. I really love the line drawings of both. I think that if I make the body of this top in black and the yoke in a bright color, it will draw attention towards my face and away from my bust/body:

Victory Patterns Lola Dress

The Victory Patterns Lola Dress is a candidate quite simply because I love the idea of a seamed sweatshirt dress. This dress looks super-comfortable and has looked surprisingly good on a wide variety of figures. I love the idea of pairing this with leggings and boots, and the interesting seaming would give me an excuse to play around with some decorative top-stitching on my Babylock Evolve:

The knock against the Lola is that I haven't purchased the pattern yet, and it is quite a bit pricier (~$12 for a PDF download) than the inexpensive Lekalas ($2.50 each/PDF pattern). And the Lola would require more pattern adjusting/fitting work, since I Victory didn't simply generate a custom pattern for me based on my measurements. But...I really love the look of the Lola from the line drawing. Sweatshirt dress.

As a footnote, I was considering the Deer & Doe Plantain t-shirt for this contest, but decided that while I still plan to make up that pattern, it's a little boring for a contest entry.

StyleArc non-update

I'm still trying to decide which two StyleArc patterns to order along with my freebie pattern for the month of February. They did announce a mid-month pattern release for February, but the new patterns are four nice-enough, but not terribly exciting skirt patterns. They're fine, but they're not going to bump anything off of my pattern candidate list or make my decision any easier. I can't say that I've even eliminated any of the patterns from my original list of six; although I think I might be leaning slightly towards going with two patterns for separates (pants + top/blouse or 2 tops/blouses) over the dress pattern, but I might very well change my mind five minutes from now. My decision will very likely come down to the temperature and my mood when I actually place the order. Whichever patterns I don't choose with this order will still be available in a few months when I place my next order, I'm sure.

Variations on a theme: Basic t-shirt with a flare

I'm planning to do a series of posts where I do a roundup of patterns that have caught my eye for a particular garment type. Currently, there is a message board thread running over on Pattern Review debating the pros and cons of developing a Tried-aNd-True (TNT) pattern. To me, one of the undeniable pros of a TNT is to be able to quickly fit a new pattern of the same garment type.

Since I feel like I've recently established a TNT pattern for a basic t-shirt (the SBCC Tonic t-shirt), I'm going to kick off the series with a look at a few patterns that offer a slight twist on the basic t-shirt. These are patterns that would lend themselves to a quick fit when using a TNT tee as a sloper for the pattern. I haven't yet made up any of these patterns, but these are the ones that I have pinned and keep going back to look at and will likely pull the trigger on at some point.

 

Ruched raglan sleeve tee from BurdaStyle

To kick things off, I've been eyeing this BurdaStyle tee with ruched raglan sleeves ever since I saw the line drawing, like, a year ago.



A ton of people have made this top on PatternReview from a ton of different knit fabrics, and it's universally turned out cute. The only reason why I haven't made it yet is because its largest size is a Burda 42, which will require me to grade up a few sizes. HOWEVER, now that I have my TNT tee and a Jalie raglan-sleeve tee that fit reasonably well, I'm less concerned about having to grade up the pattern.

For such a great basic, I'm surprised that the sizing tops out at 42 (38" bust) on this one. Usually, the smaller size range is a clue that a style might not be flattering on larger figures, but I can't see what the issue would be with this top.

 

Plantain t-shirt from Deer & Doe

Deer & Doe is a French indie pattern company that's been around for a little over a year. Within the past few months, they've localized their web site and made their pattern instructions available in English. I find their styles are a bit Colette-ish, but without as literal of a vintage vibe.

I haven't tried any of their patterns yet, but they recently posted a free PDF download pattern that's been getting a bit of buzz: The Plantain t-shirt. The Plantain is available in Euro sizes 34-46 (so no massive grading for me--probably just an FBA and a bit at the side seams).



I like the shape of this top--on the women who have made it up, it's fitted through the bust and then has an easy fit on down. I think it will work well on those of us with post-baby bellies. The elbow patches are a cute detail as well.

 

Rose t-shirt from Blank Slate patterns

Most of Blank Slate's patterns are for the kids. The garments are very wearable, sometimes unisex, and always modern. The Rose t-shirt is their one garment pattern offering for adult women.

The Rose t-shirt is offered in sizes XS-XL (33"-44" bust), so there's a pretty generous size range available. Here's where the TNT would come in handy for me--my full bust is slightly larger than the XL, but given the ruching/draping of the top, I might be able to get away with skipping the FBA if there's enough ease.

I like the mixture of knits and the woven contrast neckband section with this design, and I think that this shape (open neckline, ruching) will likely flatter most figure types. As an added plus, there's also a little girls' dress version available, if you're one of those annoying moms like me who sometimes takes the "mini-me" thing a little too literally.

 

Tootsie Top from StyleArc

StyleArc followers know that the pattern company gives away a free pattern with purchase every month.  A few months ago, the freebie pattern was the Tootsie knit top:

I love playing with stripes in my garments, so seeing the striped option for this pattern made it easy for me to make the decision to place the order for this top. This one is available in StyleArc (Au) sizes 4-30, which should cover most women. This one comes with short and long-sleeved options (no re-drafting there) and hits at a nice hip length. I've seen a few of these made up online, and it's a cute and flattering top for all body types.

 

Lekala 4319 draped tunic

I guess that this one is a little bit of a stretch (no pun intended) for this post because it's technically a tunic, but I've been coveting Lekala 4319 since it appeared on the Russian version of the Lekala web site.



For those unfamiliar with Lekala, their web site allows you to enter a set of your own body measurements and then emails you a PDF pattern that has been customized to your measurements. I haven't tried one yet, but they generally get rave reviews for fit, AND they're quite inexpensive at ~$2.50/pattern. Their instructions, however, do not get rave reviews, so you're probably best off sticking with garment types where you won't need them.

I love this top for it's interesting draping and neckline. According to the drawing on the model, this top/tunic hits at about crotch length, so it's not a super long tunic--maybe more of a long top. I like long tops. This pattern is a candidate for one of the, um, about half dozen lengths of merino wool that I bought at recent FabricMart sales.

I tried to stick with relatively recently released patterns. Are there any new-ish knit top/t-shirt patterns that have grabbed your eye lately?