Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Vogue 8962 - Yellow striped long sleeve tunic

I am having so much fun making casual clothing lately! In the past I have mostly made fancier stuff and just purchased my casual clothing from stores. I still plan to make the really envolved garments, but you can expect to see a lot more everyday styles with interesting details on this blog in the coming months.


The pattern used is an OOP "Very Easy Vogue" pattern, 8962. I bought this pattern for the cowl neck view, which I cut out and sewed a number of years ago. At that time, unfortunately, I wasn't very knowledgeable about sewing with knits and picked a fabric that was too thin. This time around I used a nice weight yellow viscose ponte knit from Mood fabrics. I previously used this fabric in 2014 when I was pregnant for a maternity skirt. I knew then that I would need to make something more permanent in my closet and ordered another cut of it.


I cut the size 10 and it is loose but the bust fits nicely so I don't feel it is too big. My normal Vogue size is a 12, but I always go down one size for knits. I might go down to the 8 if I make this pattern again to tighten up the shoulder area.


Somehow I managed to cut the backs opposite of the example on Vogue's website. I also cut some off the bottom of the pattern the first time I made this, so I'm not sure how much shorter it is than it was drafted.


I modified the neckline from the directed 5/8" double folded hem to a folded piece of fabric cut on the straight grain. I folded it so that only the yellow is showing on the outside and topstitched with a 4 mm stitch length. I've figured out that this longer stitch length is the key to getting RTW looking results on knits, and also use it for the double needle stitching along the hemlines.


I was asked to show an inside picture of this type of neckline finish on my last top, so here it is. After topstitching on the outside, I graded the fabrics to lay as flat as possible on the inside. All other seams were finished with the overlocking stitch on my regular sewing machine.


Will I ever tire of the tunic with skinny pants silhouette? Probably not anytime soon. It's perfect for my mom-on-the-go lifestyle.

Here we have some photobombing children. Yes they are in shorts. We had the mildest winter in years and our current daily highs are in the 70s. It feels like heaven.


Note: This fabric was purchased with my Mood Fabrics monthly allowance, as part of my participation in the Mood Sewing Network.

34 comments:

  1. So, I was scrolling through and planning on commenting that you were wearing open toed shoes. Then you go right ahead and tell us it's 70 degrees!! It was mid 30s in Baltimore over President's Day weekend and I was really mad we didn't go back to San Antonio last weekend.

    Now that I've got that off my chest, I love the color and the stripes are so fun. And look how big your kids are getting!

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    1. Haha, joke's on me. It got cold and windy right after I posted that. Not 30's though. Brrrr.

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  2. as always: so great. and a summer color too. Here spring weather and around 10C. I can see your children are ready for summer!
    Love, Wilma

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    1. Thanks Wilma! I love yellow in any season of the year. It's so cheerful.

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  3. You have a way of making me take a second look at pattern choices that previously held no appeal to me. I love your tunic and the special touches you added. Great job...as always!

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    1. That's why sewing blogs are such fun reads! I love being inspired by others as well. Thanks Aisha!

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  4. I really look forward to your posts. Great top; love the directions of the stripes!

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  5. Beautiful tunic! I see your stripes are perfectly matched also. :-) I've grown to love sewing casual clothes. I wear them much more, and they are completed so quickly!

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    1. I couldn't match the tops of the shoulders but I guess that happens when a smaller stripe is used. Thanks Jenny!

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  6. I love seeing your projects, be they fancy dresses or casual separates. I really like the use of the stripe fabric and the plain yellow neckband, a small detail that makes such a difference. I will try your 4mm topstitching tip on my next knit.

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    1. Oh thank you Allison! I hope the stitch length works for you..

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  7. Your top is cute and perfectly sewn. Like you I used to buy most of my casual garments saving my sewing time for more complicated clothing. Retired, I need a casual chic style which I now enjoy sewing. Thanks for sharing. As I also live in Texas a cold front is blowing through the Houston area so the sandals are back in the closet. Karen

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    1. Yep, we got that cold front too. And just when I was changing my closet over to warm weather stuff. Blah. Thanks for you comment Karen!

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  8. Thanks for the tip about 4mm stitch length for topstitching, I will try that soon. Your work is impeccable - I am so impressed with the precision, how perfectly executed the inside neckband looks.

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  9. What a beautiful top and I love the cheerful yellow color. I too find myself making mostly everyday clothes!

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  10. Love your wardrobe fun or fancy but it is to see what you do with the casual pieces, too. Nice tip about the stitch length.

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  11. This may be a casual top but it has plenty of interesting details. The stripes work so well in this pattern and your sewing is impeccable as always.

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  12. That is a lovely casual top! I like that you kept it fun with the orientation of the stripes. Also, your kids are sooo cute!!

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    1. Thanks Vanessa! The pattern layout has the stripes configured like this so it was not my original idea.

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  13. Thanks for showing the inside, how do you handle sewing knits to keep the thread from popping? Are you using a stretch stitch because this does not look like a zig-zag, double needle or sew-and-stretch technique.

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    1. The only seams that sometimes pop are the hemlines, especially if I'm not gentle while taking the garment off. Otherwise I just use a regular straight stitch, and have never had any problems.

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    2. Try your stretch stitch on those hemlines then; I just started using it and it is amazing!

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    3. I'm not sure if I have that or if it will work with a twin needle but I'll check it out. Thanks!

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    4. Oh, you are using a twin needle? That is what I was wondering about for compensating for stretch. Good to know.

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    5. Yes, I usually always use a twin needle for hems on knits. :)

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  14. Another beautiful creation! I am writing the tip on the 4mm stitch length in my sewing notebook - hopefully I'll remember it's there the next time I attempt a knit top! Your kids are adorable! Hopefully you get the warm weather back soon - I'm in the Panhandle of Florida, and we were in the 70s for a while before the latest storm moved in a few days ago!

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    1. Thanks Lisa! I am slowly learning how to work with knits. Of course I've sewn with them for many years, but I'm often not that satisfied with how they look when compared with RTW.

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  15. Amazing fit and execution.You look fantastic in it!

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  16. Hi Amanda, I am fascinated by the inside of your neck treatment. I can't figure out how you got such a perfect look. What creates that small roll? I would greatly appreciate more detail. I mostly use Linda Lee's construction, but yours is even cleaner and prettier. Thanks, Wendy

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    1. The edges of the fabric are graded which I believe is what looks like a small roll. I do that so all the edges of the fabric to not stop at a single spot and create bulk on the outside. Does that make sense? It works on knits because they don't ravel but I wouldn't attempt on a woven fabric. HTH

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