First things first.  This was intended as a wearable muslin.  I’m never going to wear it, and it’s going into the op shop bag.  But that doesn’t mean it was a failure.

This is the Style Arc Melinda knit tunic. The line drawing and description from their website is as follows:

MELINDA KNIT TUNIC: The boat neck on this style gives this tunic length top a sophisticated look. The band treatment at the neck is both interesting and clever. The sliced bodice allows you to create your own version by mixing colours or textures. This tunic will become one of your favourite go to garments.

FABRIC SUGGESTION & DESCRIPTION: Jersey knit, slinky

I used a linen knit from Darn Cheap Fabrics as my muslin, and it wasn’t a good choice. This would have been better in a fabric with more structure and stretch – such as the jersey knit and slinky suggested! I made straight size 12.

The fit overall is not too bad – although I have gained quite a winter coat this year, even since these photos were taken, and by now it would probably even be a bit too tight around my middle. I really liked the way that the boat neckline was constructed. It was quite unusual, with folded bands attached to the upper front and back. The bands are straight but the neckline on the upper front dips which makes the bands dip with it. However, the dip wasn’t enough for me and I felt strangled. If I make this again I’ll need to remember to scoop out the front neckline more before attaching the bands. I’d also sew the two bands further in at the shoulders to narrow the boat neckline a little. It felt much too wide on me and exposed my bra straps. That said, my shoulders are more narrow and sloped than broad and substantial.

So for me this was a classic example of a bad fabric and pattern match. I do like the lines of the pattern, with the above modifications. I’ve seen some rather lovely versions of it on the internet, so don’t let my review put you off entirely. Just consider the neckline depth and width before you sew – and don’t sew it in a linen knit.