The Sew Liberated Studio Tunic
This year I’ve been going through a lot of change in regards to the silhouettes I wear. There was a good chunk of time that I was struggling with my body. After having kids I would constantly think back to the days my body looked a certain way and wanting to get that body back. Well gone are those days. I spent way too much time thinking about my body in the past that I was neglecting my body right now. Once I had this shift mentally, it’s like everything changed and I started making things and wanting to make things that were just what I wanted and not what I wanted it to look like. So that brings me to the new pattern released by Sew Liberated.
When I first saw the studio tunic I thought it was super cute and I was really excited to make it due to functionality. It has the utility vibe I love. Lots of pockets and easy to put on and off. This made it perfect for the busy mum's life. Then I got thinking, why am I going to make something just to wear it at home? I chatted back and forth with my dearest friend Emily and she shared all these inspiration shots that looked so effortless and high fashion. I knew I wanted to do this for my version but I wasn’t sure how.
For my first version I used some twill remnants I had in my stash. I wanted to make sure I had the sizing right for me. It’s super important when testing a pattern that you don’t use your good fabric from the beginning. My first version ended up being too big; it was super cute, but just way too big. So for my second version I sized down two sizes and shortened it by 3”. I used a medium yellow twill I thrifted and it turned out exactly like the inspiration shot Emily had shared with me. I loved it so much and it was a totally different vibe to the first one I made. This showed me that fabric choice was really important with this pattern. Although I love colour and print, it just wasn't the right fit for this pattern on me. Using a solid, textured fabric allowed me to take a dress I would have worn around the house for chores and make it into a dress for outside the house. I even wore it in Hawaii and got so many compliments!
The pattern itself is wonderful. It has beautiful finishes throughout and sews up super fast! The facings allow for a wonderful v-neck neckline with no bulk. I had not used that method before to finish the neckline and I really enjoyed the outcome. Although I shortened the tester version, this feedback was used and the final pattern was shortened so keep that in mind when making your own. I love my new tunic and I can’t wait to make more. It’s so versatile and I’m hoping to make it in denim next. Oh and one more word of caution, don’t use too heavy of a fabric. It can really be hard to go over when sewing around seams. The french seam finishes are wonderful but can cause severe bulk if your fabric is too thick! Hope you try out the pattern for yourself!
