I keep getting distracted from my SWAP sewing by other projects.  Fickle!  These are the last couple of items that I made before switching to a couple of as-yet-unblogged non-SWAP items.

These are the StyleARC Lola pants – the third pair that I’ve made – and the Simple Tunic from the book Bold & Beautiful Easy-Sew Clothes. Are you like me and every time you see/hear “Bold & Beautiful” you immediately think of Brooke, Ridge, Eric et al? Anyway, first to the pants.

These are exactly the same as my previous two makes. I included the pockets, but left out the pocket zips. There is elastic in the back hem edge, and I shortened the pants in two places, one above and one below the knee, which took around 3 inches total from the length. I am 158cm tall (5’2″) and this is my typical adjustment for StyleARC pants patterns.

The fabric is woven viscose from Darn Cheap Fabrics, and is navy with a rusty/tan print that I have found extremely difficult to colour match. I was originally hoping to make Vogue 8791 or the StyleARC Dotty blouse from a matching solid, but didn’t find one. So my plan changed. For reference, this is my original 3-pack #1 plan.

So now instead of the Vogue or StyleARC top, I have made the Simple Tunic. The fabric is a cross-woven linen from Spotlight. Although it’s not an exact colour match to the print in the pants, it still coordinates and was already in my stash.

I pounced upon this book the moment I came across it.  It contains the patterns and instructions for a number of loose, linen clothes, many in styles that I like to wear.  There is an accompanying CD with the patterns on it, so you can print them at home onto A4 pages and tape them together.  Or you can do what I have done for some of them and take them to a plan printer (although it still works out to around $10 per pattern to have the large ones printed – they are not laid out in a very cost-effective way).  I decided to start with the Simple Tunic to get an idea of sizing and fit.  As it turns out, I am the smallest size in all of these designs, and they go up to much, much larger sizes than me.  These are some of the other designs – there are plenty in the book.

I did print and tape this pattern together, as it wasn’t too many pieces. I made the smallest size without any alterations, and think that it fits just as it should. Roomy and slouchy, but not as though it is simply too big.

Although it is simple, the side slits and curved front and back are a lovely touch. The curves don’t go right to the edge of the side slits, so they are quite straightforward to make and give an interesting hemline. The neckline is faced. Normally I would use bias binding around a neckline like this, but wanted to try the pattern as intended. I think that for many people the front hemline would be a fraction short, but the proportions work well with the Lola pant.

So, that’s two SWAP items finished, photographed and blogged. There are actually another two items from 3-pack #3 finished; a top and a vest. And there is a skirt cut out that will replace one of the skirts I’d planned for 3-pack #2 or #3. Clearly this is an evolving SWAP!