Mod Striped Tunic (and linking with Project Run and Play!)

I have projects and birthdays and Christmas and baby and moving and New Year stuff to talk about, but for today I'm just posting about Charly's birthday outfit that I made. I am in love with it. It might be my favorite thing I've made ever, and you guys, I MADE MY SISTER'S WEDDING DRESS last year. So yeah. I love that dress, but gosh darn I just love Charly's new mod striped tunic. And it took a WHOLE lot less time than the wedding dress, so maybe that's where it pulls ahead.

Anyway, why don't I just show you?

Gah, those baby blues! I can't believe she is 2!

I got the fabric- a $2, 2 yard remnant with maybe a little (lot) of a moth ball smell- from a thrift store about a year ago. I've been staring at it ever since trying to figure out what I'd like to do with it. I love the funky colors, but I usually wear stuff a tad more conservative so I knew I wanted to make it into kids clothing. I'd thought about some sort of sporty jacket, but ugh, zippers. And somehow, suddenly, whilst I was doing some other birthday sewing for Charly, I connected the dots between my thrifted fabric and the Sunki dress pattern from Figgy's (which I already owned and had sewn up once before, and I'd definitely call it a tunic rather than a dress for lengths sake) and BAM. It was written. It must be made.

Figgy's sends a label with each paper pattern you buy. I pretty much love how pro this makes it look!

The Sunki does have a zipper, but since my fabric has a little stretch I decided to alter it slightly by removing the seam allowance for the zipper and cutting the back piece on the fold, making it one whole back piece rather than two sewn together with a zipper between. The knit I used is a stable knit that holds its shape well, which is why I felt confident using a fabric that was very different from what the pattern recommended   And I'm so glad I did. A zippered tunic on a two year old just doesn't seem very practical to me. This one pulls over her head easily and is totally easy to wear. Plus pockets! Oh how this kid loves pockets! It makes for a rather chic little play outfit I think.

Lets talk stripes for a minute, shall we? I haven't sewn stripes maybe ever, but I have watched enough Project Runway to know that matching your stripes is one thing that will make your garment look professional. People are always stressing about matching stripes on that show. The side panels of the Sunki pattern screamed "diagonal stripes! on the bias!" to me. So that's what I did. I cut those panels on the bias and tried a feeble attempt at matching such a variegated stripe, with it's sister diagonal striped piece, on a curve. Surprise! It worked. Marvelously. And somehow, unintentionally, the stripe on the sleeve lines up pretty well also. I feel like a rock star for that.

Blessed stripes

Speaking of Project Runway, I follow a blog series called Project Run and Play. It is totally fun- they have bloggers compete each week in designing kids clothes based on a theme. Each week they have a winner, and one person is voted out of the competition. They also have a sew along for anybody who wants to sew based on the theme and submit pictures of what they created. Each week they pick one look from the sew along pool (which is open to anyone) to win a prize that week too. Anyway, I've never participated in the sew along before. I thought about doing it this season, but then moving, and baby, and family stuff... just didn't seem like a good time. But hey! I JUST finished this tunic, and the theme this week is stripes and polka dots, so I figured why not, ya know? Just this one? So, for the first time ever, I'm linking up a project of mine to blog land. You can check it out, and all of the other sew along-ers projects, here. The turban style headband was a later addition to bring in some polka dots, and I have to say, I kinda think it makes the outfit. Too bad she'll only wear it when being bribed with fruit snacks. Actually, that is the only way I was able to get her to stop playing, change clothes, go outside for pictures, AND wear her headband. The girl just loves fruit snacks.

The polka dot is subtle, but I kinda like that. 

Fruit snack fiend

Oh, and don't worry, it only smells like moth balls if I have to steam iron it, which is good, because Matt just about gagged while I was pressing seams while constructing it. Luckily this knit is wrinkle free- probably thanks to a high polyester content:) The seventies got something right!