Too Nice To Wear on The Lawn

This cotton lawn, available from Ann at Gorgeous Fabrics, is just the ticket for an elegantly casual tunic. I used Simplicity 2584. And..Ann has suggested just this pattern to make up this fabric. Great minds and all that. I really did think of it before I saw her recommendation!

The fabric made up beautifully in this design. The fabric is so finely woven that ironing was not necessary after I pre-washed. That bodes well for care of the finished garment.

I kind of see this garment as a 'brunch at the country club' type thing. Casual, colorful, not frumpy-comfy. Just comfy.

I drafted an 'all in one' neck facing, by overlapping the seam allowances at the shoulder, then cutting a one piece facing using silk organza. Actually, I cut two facing pieces, sewed them together, at the edges, then turned them right side out, thus creating a finished facing which I applied to the garment neck edge. Neato. I first learned of this technique from the Spadea sewing book back in the mid-1990's, when I checked out a copy at my local library. I bought my own copy quickly thereafter. This is the type of book I take to bed with me. (It's either a sewing book or a cookbook. And sewing books don't make me hungry...) The Spadea book is a collection of newspaper articles from the 60s and 70s. Back when sewing at home was something a lot of people did, it was common for mainstream newspapers to print sewing articles. They were in the "living" or "entertainment" section, usually near the crossword puzzles. Anyway, this book is out of print, but well worth getting, if you can find it.

I added a split hem at both sides, for wearing ease, especially when sitting. This garment is cut close to the body. Which is good, for appearance's sake - it looks good - not voluminous and bulky. Of course, that makes fitting very important. I have a broad back, so I added a total of 1 inch in the back, easing the extra fabric in at the shoulderline.

I inserted an invisible zipper and a button and loop at the neck. (The pattern does call for a zipper - the regular kind. You might agree with me that using an invisible zip ensures that your garment does not have that sometimes undesirable 'loving hands at home' look). The zipper allows the garment to fit pretty closely and you can still get in and out of it.