I have quite a few pieces of fabric in my stash that I think are particularly lovely.  I keep them together, often going through them and trying to think of which pattern would be perfect for each one.  Sometimes I pair them with patterns, only to separate them and put them away again, because something is telling me that the combination is not quite right.  Other times I put a piece of fabric and a pattern together and a spark ignites.  It’s just right!  The Goldilocks moment!  That’s how this garment came together.

The fabric is a jacquard lime/rust linen that was a birthday gift (oh how I love my sewing friends) but I think was purchased at The Drapery. Everything about it is perfect for me! And the pattern is the Style Arc Jules woven tunic.

I sewed size 12, which is my usual Style Arc top/dress size, but did a half inch forward shoulder adjustment. I have found that whenever I remember to do this adjustment (especially on wovens) my tops sit so much better! No more tugging them forward.

From the Style Arc website: Give your everyday wardrobe a refresh with this flattering tunic. A great piece to see you through the weekends and into the work week. Featuring a “V” neck with a front button opening and a 7/8th length sleeve. The lightly gathered skirt falls softly from the shaped under bust seam. FABRIC SUGGESTION: Washed linen, silk, crepe, soft cotton.

The hardest thing in making this tunic was deciding which side of the jacquard would be the ‘right’ side! Either would have been lovely; they’re not terribly different but one is slightly more green dominant and the other slightly more rust. I had lovely green buttons from Gaye at Notionally Better in stash that work beautifully with the fabric. Note that the buttons/buttonholes are placed as per the pattern; numbers three and four are meant to be closer together since they are above/below the seamline between the bodice and ‘skirt’. The bodice buttons are equidistant from one another, and so are the ‘skirt’ buttons.

I especially enjoyed sewing this tunic, and equally enjoyed wearing it last weekend. I think that it will work across a range of seasons depending on what is layered over/under it and whether the sleeves are rolled up or not. The sleeves have nice wide hems that will roll nicely, and the linen has that lovely ‘give’ that is characteristic of the fabric (along with those wrinkles).

This tunic could easily become a dress, either by just lengthening the ‘skirt’ pattern pieces or maybe by adding another tier of fabric to the bottom. I didn’t need to unbutton it to slip it on or off; there’s enough ease in the pattern for me to wriggle into it. I’ll definitely be using this pattern again.