She's very happy about the style!
Twin-kie fun!
I just finished the second version this afternoon and Heather wore it to her grandparents' house. Pattern Description
"Girls' jacket or vest, knit dress in two lengths and tunic. I sewed view "C" (with semi-detached gathered sleeves) in the tunic version
Size
Girls' 8, 10, 12, 14, 16. I made an estimated size smaller than an "8".
Fabric
Poly knit jersey (left over from our matching tops made last year) purchased over a year ago from Gorgeousfabrics.com.
Favorite features
*Trendy sleeve style
*Thick shoulder straps (also knows as the upper front yoke)
*Gathered center front in upper bodice
*Easy to construct.
*Comfortable
Not-so-favorite features
* Why does this pattern (and many others) draft patterns for girls assuming they are built like little football players?
* Maybe not so much in the first version, but in the second version, I noticed during my daughter's first fitting, the neckline was unacceptably low and just drooped. Since I made the first version 8 months ago, I do not remember clearly what modifications I made, if any.
Directions
They were fine and the illustrations helped further clarify certain steps such as placement of semi-detached sleeve onto the armscye by placing on the marked dots.
Modifications
*Instead of using loose, long machine stitches to gather the center of the upper bodice, I used a 1/4" wide piece of elastic, stretching while I sewed.
*I noticed even after the straps were taken in further, the upper front edge still drooped. After looking at the pieces to see what I can do, I moved (more like scooted over) what seemed like extra fabric in the upper edge of the upper bodice towards the strap so that it would further overlap the strap, thus becoming part of the larger seam allowance between the front strap and the upper bodice.
*Three baste and fit moments (someone almost became irate and impatient) resulted in an additional 2" in the seam between the front strap and the upper bodice.
Conclusion
Despite my challenges with raising the neckline of the upper bodice, I was able to complete my daughter's tunic within 3 1/2 hours (includes pinning the pattern and cutting the fabric). If I sew with this pattern again, I would sew the dress/tunic with the fully attached sleeves. If you have this pattern for a young lady you know, check for the fit of the front straps and bodice and adjust accordingly. Other than that fitting issue, it's simple to sew, and even better with a serger!
