Over-sized collar tunic with contrast sleeves

It is cold here in Texas and time for more warm clothes! The window for warm clothes is very small so I have to be selective about I sew and it has to come together quickly. I had this out of print Vogue 8129 pattern in my pattern cabinet and have been waiting to make the over-sized collar tunic.

Vogue 8129

The pattern includes a misses dress, tunic, and pants. It has a loose fitting, slightly A-line dress, two inches below knee, ankle length or tunic. It has an over-sized bias turnover collar or standing collar and short or full length sleeves. To make the outfit complete there are straight-legged pants, without side seams that have an elasticized waist.

I cut this out about two weeks ago and ran out of fabric for the sleeve. At the time, I  was able to cut two smaller sleeves from the fabric hoping it would be enough. I have skinny arms, so I thought, eh, it would work out; I was so wrong. When I got ready to sew it, I completely forgot that I did not have enough fabric for the sleeve and sewed it up with no adjustments. The sleeve did not fit and I had a Tim Gunn "make it work" moment. 

I sewed the sleeve in flat on my serger and didn't want to cut through all of that stitching to fix the problem. I decided to insert a gusset in the sleeve under the arm in a contrasting color. I cut it in a black four-way knit I had in my stash. I chose a super stretchy knit because it allowed me to be less precise with the amount of fabric I needed for the gusset. The gusset was  a three inch wide rectangle that is as long as the sleeve and came to a point under the arm. It worked out great and I am so pleased with the result.

Adding a gusset

The pattern called for a 22-inch zipper for the back closure. I was torn between using an invisible or exposed zipper and asked for input on my Facebook page. The overwhelming opinion was for an invisible zipper. Many people thought the exposed zipper detracted from the look.

Exposed zipper option on B.I.R.A

I am really grateful for the input I got. Ultimately, I decided to omit the zipper altogether as the fabric has a lot of stretch and the neckline is large. I was leaning toward the exposed zipper before the poll and am so glad I asked because I think with the gusset, it would have been too much.

Vogue 8129

The pattern instructs you to tack the collar to the inside neckline seam. I decided to leave it free so I can adjust the drape to suit my mood.

Over-sized Collar

 

Back

 

Gusset sleeve and no zipper

I haven’t seen many current turtleneck patterns in the pattern books. If you want a similar tunic, Vogue 8670 comes close if you cut the neckline wider, increase the size of the collar and add length.

 

This is such a fun tunic. I want to wear it everyday! I have a green version cut and I like the idea of making one in a solid with a print collar. We will see, it is 30 degrees today, but it may be 80 tomorrow!

Happy Sewing!

Bianca