The Tunic Bible Blog Tour and Giveaway!

I have been a long time admirer of the work of the authors Julie Starr and Sarah Gunn. When they invited me to make a tunic from their, not then released book, I was thrilled! I initially thought I was to be a pattern tester, but learned my make would be included in the book gallery alongside other sewists I admire. I did not attend American high school, but I felt like I was invited to eat lunch at the "cool kids table"! 

When you call something a "Bible", you set the bar pretty high for meeting all your needs. This book claims to be "the only tunic pattern you'll every need! It includes a graded bodice pattern with alternate neck plackets, collars, and sleeves that allow you to tailor tunics to suit any style, length and fabric. After reading and sewing from this book, I think it lives up to its' name.

I have mentioned before that I loathe tracing patterns. I am also lazy when it comes to learning a new pattern writers process. It doesn't stop me from making them, but it does slow me down. These usual prohibitions become irrelevant with the limitless options available here. The book is visually appealing and loaded with inspiration and mixing formulas to customize your tunic.

With so many possibilities, I happily contemplated which of the many versions I would make. The beauty of this book is that even if you are not  tunic wearer, you can find a style that works for you. In the end, I chose the short tunic with the shorty placket and the ruffle sleeve.

I made my tunic in an Ankara Wax print based on my measurements with no adjustments. I love the silhouette and the way it skims my body without being to snug. I did not add a zipper when I made it last Fall. I am recovering from 2 knee surgeries since then and suffering from a lack of cardio. I may add a zipper now to help ease getting it on and off.

I was drawn to this tunic option because of this ruffle sleeve. It's construction is like none I have done before and I love the structure it has. It is poofy and stable at the same time! 

I considered a contrast placket, but decided I wanted to showcase all of the wax fabric. This would be fun with contrasts on the ruffle and placket don't you think?

When Julie asked me to make a tunic, I immediately thought of the possibilities of a jersey hand-stitched version. The time-frame was too tight to make the book gallery deadline, but I knew I had time for the book release.

                  

I made this hand-embellished, hand-sewn tunic using the V-neck placket and slim sleeves tapered to the wide width. I stenciled and airbrushed the front fabric using my flower stencil before sewing around the shapes to secure the red layer to the black. I then removed the middle of the shapes to complete the reverse applique technique.

I stitched red and silver sequins at the ends of the pointed stars for some sparkle. To guild the lily, I added an exposed bias neckline secured with random beaded parallel stitches along the neckline.

I added a 1/2 inch fabric strip along the wrists and secured them with more random beading to mimic that of the neckline.

The wrist and dress hems are left raw and unhemmed. They will curl in time adding more texture. 

    

These tunics are unbelievably comfortable and easy to wear. Now that the pattern is traced, I am sure to try the other variations. I have my eye on a maxi length version next.

Ever generous, Sarah and Julie are giving away a copy of  The Tunic Bible to one lucky reader. The contest is open everyone nationally (hard copy) and internationally (digital copy). I will also give the winner an stenciled image felt version of this flower stencil. The 18in. x 12in. firm felt is painted with the design and just needs to be cut so you can get started. 

Enter here:

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To continue the blog tour be sure to visit the other bloggers.

October 3

C&T www.ctpub.com/blog

Pattern Review www.patternreview.com/blog

October 4

Cloning Couture www.cloningcouture.com

Generation Q Magazine www.generationqmagazine.com

October 5

Oonaballoona www.oonaballoona.com

Featherstitch Avenue www.featherstitchavenue.com

October 6

Allie J www.alliemjackson.com

Thanks I Made Them www.thanksimadethem.blogspot.com

October 7

Sew Busy Lizzy www.sewbusylizzy.com

Jennuine Design www.jennuinedesign.com

October 8

Inside The Hem www.insidethehem.com

Girls in the Garden www.girlsinthegarden.net

October 9

Sew Manju www.sewmanju.wordpress.com

My Love Affair with Sewing www.myloveaffairwithsewing.com

October 10

Evolution of a Sewing Goddess www.evolutionofasewinggoddess.blogspot.com

Creating in the Gap www.creatinginthegap.ca

October 11

House of Pinheiro www.houseofpinheiro.com

The Tunic Bible www.thetunicbible.com

Happy Sewing and read your Bible,

Bianca

Paradiso Designs Boho Frock and a Giveaway!!

Oh Bianca, where art thou? Where have I been? Over on Instagram getting instant gratification without writing an endless post like the one you are about to read (please read it). I know it is terrible to say, but it is partly true. I have been hanging out and posting existing makes there during Me Made May. I have been working on wearing clothes that I had or remakes using pattern I had already sewn. I did not have many new makes to blog about so I have been neglectful, but that will change I promise. 

Today's Me Made May look is a new make from an Indie Designer and I am so happy to share it with you.

I first saw this pattern it at the International Quilt Festival and thought it was so cute. 

I really wanted to find the right fabric to make this fun dress. In my stash, I found a vintage tablecloth. It has a lovely flower motif, but had a few age spots and stains. I planned to address that  with some fabric dye later. 

It is a fun dress that can be made in three different lengths, babydoll, midi and maxi. I chose the babydoll length for my first one.

I am lazy in that once I learn a pattern company, I am reluctant to learn a new one unless I love the design. I loved the BoHo Frock when I saw the samples at the International Quilt Festival. My love of the dress and variations available in the diversions  made me get over my reluctance to try something new.


The instructions are very detailed and appear overwhelming, but are not. The booklet is not like the big four pattern companies so that was a minor mental block of mine. I read it once and I was good to go. It is intuitive and worth trying.

Because I was using a tablecloth with lace trim, I had to tweak my construction steps. It was fun playing with pattern placement to maximize the fabric. I  stitched the sleeves in flat to be sure the lace portions matched up. 

Sleeves being stitched in flat.

I left the sleeve and dress hems trimmed with the original lace. I serged the seams for a clean finish and fed the threads tails back into the seam.

Hiding the thread tails

:)

The dress came together very quickly.

Because of the dinginess and age of the tablecloth, I wanted to tie dye the fabric.

Rubber banded

I began with Navy blue dye

After the first pass in the dye bath, it was too light. I redyed it in a turquoise bath and love the result!

My daughter was mystified that my black slip under the dress camouflaged my undergarments. She was really nervous about preserving my modesty.
  

 I really love the way the dye came out!

I am really happy with my dress and feel silly for taking so long to make it.

Cheryl has expanded the original pattern options with her diversions. It allows to to make changes to the Boho Frock for more looks. I will be trying one of these soon maybe in a sew along?

To share this awesome dress, I have partnered with Cheryl of Paradiso Designs to give one lucky reader a Boho Frock Duo Pattern set. That is the original Boho Frock pattern and the Diversions!

The contest starts tomorrow so be sure to check back. If you follow me on IG I will remind you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

If you have not had enough of me by now, I was featured as a Paradiso Passionate Sewist and you can read the story on Cheryl's blog. 

Happy Sewing,
Bianca

Lucky Me! Little One Yard Wonders!

Lucky, lucky, lucky me! This week I won a random giveaway on Pattern Review. The prize was the book Little One yard Wonders!
                                 

I own the other books in the series, One Yard Wonders and Fabric-by-Fabric One Yard Wonders and was excited to see what this book had to offer. Today, the book arrived in the mail.There are 101 projects for babies and kids and many caught my eye. Here are a few that caught my eye and are on "to make list".

Go Away Big Monster Towel

My "Little Man" loves hooded towels. He is outgrowing the ones I made when he was born. This will be a great treat for him!

Yia Yia Snuggle Hoodie

 He is also a huge fan of fleece. He has many blankets he carries EVERYWHERE. When the weather cools off in December, I will make him a few of these.

Simple Pants (Love the pockets)

 I think the whole household can benefit from these fun pockets on pants.

Summer Days Hat

 How cute is the ponytail slot?

Tot Tote and Wallet

 Pockets, pockets everywhere!

Doll bed with Storage

 So much cheaper to make than the designer doll beds at a particular doll store. 

House in the Hallway

I seriously Googled this type of playhouse this week. I could not find the correct words to get what I was looking for. I am so excited to make this in a bakery style and car repair shop.

Car Cozy Playmat

"Little man" takes his cars wherever he goes. He would love to take this on the go.

Retro-Inspired Bathing Cover-Up

I love the pocket detail and pom-poms here! I will be adding this to a grown-up dress for sure. 

There are so many wonderful projects to complete in this book. I am anxious to get started on some of these. I am working on a long list of sewing projects so these have to wait a bit, but I am thrilled to have something to waiting in the wings.

Happy Sewing,
Bianca

Butterfly Wings Take Flight

Playing dress-up is one of the most favorite activities in our home. On any given afternoon, one would find our family playing hospital, library, school, or grocery store. The clear favorite, though, is "Fairy Princess." Over the last 5 years, I believe we have gone through at least 8 sets of dress-up, fairy, butterfly, and dragonfly wings. Invariably, our Little Miss plays too rough with them or they are to flimsy, breaking, warping, or twisting beyond use. With every broken wing, there is an accompanying desperate plea for me to repair them.

I know toys break. Some toys are made with inferior products, and these have a short short shelf life, which is inherent in their construction and composition. Planned obsolescence of these products ensures the life of the companies that make them.
With every new fairy movie, there is a push for new accessories. In my home, there is greater a push from Little Miss to purchase the new accessories to replace those that broke.

I grew tired of replacing and repairing things that are used in every day play. I shared this frustration with Little Miss the last time she requested yet another pair of dress-up wings. In her infinite wisdom she looked at me and said, "Why don't you just make me a pair that won't break and that I can wear all the time?"

What a fantastic idea! After much planning, drafting, cutting, re-cutting and sewing up prototypes I finally found a design and size that does the trick. Introducing the Double-sided Butterfly Wings pattern.

These wings will spark imagination and creativity as your child “takes flight”. Your child will love the versatility of these double-sided wings that allow for personality expression in fabric choice. These wings come in two styles, one with stitching details on the wings and one without. You will love the durability of these wings. This pattern is perfect for the beginner seamstress and the stuffing task is perfect for little hands.

The pattern is available for sale in my Craftsy and Etsy stores! I know you will love these wings as much as we do.  They will make a fun gift for any occasion. I can't wait to see what your wings look like!

The Giveaway has ended! Thanks to all who entered.

Happy Sewing!

Bianca

Meet B.I.R.A. My Custom Two-way Dress form

I used to own a sewing dress form. It was one of those mass produced numbers you can adjust to fit your size and height. I fiddled with the knobs on the bust, but the waist would shift. I would widen the hips, but the rear would shift out of whack. It was a good guideline for garment fitting but, it did not adjust to fit MY body. I sold it to someone on Craigslist. She could use it more than I, and I was happy to get rid of it. 

I continued to sew without a form and did okay until I recently lost about 25 pounds. I was able to cut and sew a pattern from the big four US companies and know it would fit based on history. Since losing weight, I have found it difficult to determine the correct size to cut and sew. My mind sometimes gets stuck on the larger size despite the objective data of my measurements. It occurred to me that a dress form would come in handy for tissue fittings and adjustments as I went along. That said, I couldn't see purchasing another like the one I had.

I did some research on other brands and types of forms that provide a more realistic replica of ones' body, but the cost was prohibitive. I did some Pinterest looking and found paper tape, duck tape and plaster cast D.I.Y options. After reading a multitude of methods, I did not find any one that suited my needs. Some were armless or legless, options that did not allow for sleeve or pant fittings. Others were not pin-able, or durable to last long term. Some instructions omitted key steps or were lacking visuals that I thought necessary for my success. 

I made a list of key features I wanted in my form and decided to design a form to suit my needs.

• It would have arms for sleeve fittings
• It needed to be more than standard torso only, or "one-way" dress forms
• It would have hips and legs for lower body garment fittings for pants, shorts, swimwear, etc.
• It would have a stand for dresses, but be easily removable to fit lower body garments.
• It would be an exact replica of my body
• It would be pin-able for draping and alterations
• It would be fairly easy to make and could be done in a weekend or two

I got to work and made B.I.R.A (my Body Image Realignment Aid). This custom dress form is fantastic! She meets all the requirements I specified and more. I love her!
 

 Here is B.I.R.A in my Passport Dress

Here I am in the same dress!

Here she is wearing a pair of jeans and my Anna's Garden Fitted Tunic.

 Here I am in the same garment!

 Pants can be fitted from the hanging position

 

Or Shorts can be fitted on the stand. B.I.R.A is wearing my Cynthia Rowley overlap shorts.

  

I have documented the creation of B.I.R.A in a 15-page  pictorial digital PDF download. It is available for sale in My Etsy store.

It is also available on Craftsy.

For the next week I will be hosting a giveaway of this PDF instruction booklet. 

Enter to win a copy below! Please spread the news!

 

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