Tunic, Amy Butler Pattern

I'm not going to brag or anything, but I won a pattern. An Amy Butler pattern! I finally sat down to sew it up and here's how it turned out:


Now if you can ignore the lack of ironing (I'm really bad about such details) you'll see that it actually fits me. I consider this an absolute triumph -- as patterns hate me -- and my husband actually said, "It's cute." (He might have learned a lesson in diplomacy after my last project.)

Here's what I estimate I spent on the project:

Pattern = free (Thank you finny and donk sew along)
Amy Butler fabric = about $14 -- I used about 1 5/8 yards and I paid about $8 a yard
Lining fabric = about $2 -- again, I didn't use much and I bought the symphony broadcloth at joann's for $1/yard
buttons = $1.60
thread = I had some

TOTAL = in the neighborhood of $18

Here's a few thoughts I have about the pattern itself.

1. It's pretty simple if you're not simple minded. I myself had a simple-minded, if not absent-minded, moment in which I thought the front was the back and the back was the front. So, I couldn't get my pins to all line up. But it was midnight and I was a little tired -- in my defense. After a good night's sleep the problem became painfully obvious to me and I whipped out the rest of the tunic in minutes.

2. The neck, or yoke, or collar, or whatever you'd want to call it could be assembled in an easier way, I think. I think it would be easier to iron 1/2 inch allowance around the bottom of it, before you sew it on. Then just sandwich the tunic body in between the two layers of the yoke. Just a thought... if you're going to try it.

3. Sizing is great with Amy Butler. There are none of the usual problems with patterns... high waist, too short, etc. But I did envision that the yoke would cover a bit more of my arm. I made the cami from the pattern, but I think it's plenty long. I think I'll try the dress of this pattern, next.

4. I didn't even bother with the flower brooch and belt that is outlined and accounted for in cutting instructions and materials. I'm just not that kind of girl. But I do think I'll make the flower brooch eventually, perhaps for something else, like an embellishment on a tote bag.