Supplement 287 - Model #231&232 - Autumn 2012
Sleeveless Tunic Top and Leggings
Wow, between getting ready for vacation and then being gone a week, the month of March has nearly gotten away from me! I didn't get any sewing done this month so I will share with you a couple of outfits I made back in the Fall for my niece K .
Pattern Drafting Hints:
Both the top and leggings patterns are pretty straightforward to enlarge to one's own size. The top is just front and back pieces with combined neck and arm hole facings. The leggings have no side seams so are simply one pattern piece for each leg. I do particularly like that the leggings have a little shape to them as opposed to some pattern companies that just draw the lines for the legs perfectly straight from crotch to ankle. This allows for a little customization in case you have either slimmer or shapelier legs than average.
Fabric Used/Suggested:
The leggings are made from a cotton/poly/spandex blend fabric in a lovely teal color. There is a tiny bit of glitter in it if you catch it in just the right light. I would recommend a fabric with a good amount of spandex in it to avoid stretching out and bagging at the knees.
You may notice that the two tops hang just a little bit differently on K. This is because the zig zag one is a lightweight poly/rayon knit whereas the spotted one is a slightly heavier weight cotton/spandex knit. Both fabrics performed admirably for this pattern but do be aware your fabric choice will affect the shape of your top. Since there is no closure at the neckline your top will need to have enough stretch to pull it over your head.
Design Changes:
There were no design changes to the leggings at all. For the top, instead of the facings, I did use fine poly/cotton ribbing at the neck and arm holes to widen the shoulders just a tad. If you look closely you'll see that I did make one more change to add some interest at the neckline and add some swing at the hem. On both front and back I made a small inverted box pleat. Below is a photo of how I cut the pattern to achieve this.
Since the pattern pieces are cut on the fold I simply moved the edge of the pattern away from the fold to add some extra room in the neckline. When the pleat is folded it takes up all the extra fabric at the neckline so your facing or binding length is not affected. Keep in mind that this does add some width to the entire length of your garment. If you like you can try this as a more prominent pleat on the outside too.
Because K is still a young teen I found the length of both patterns to be plenty long. When I made the leggings pattern for myself I did need to make my usual length adjustments just like any other Lutterloh pants pattern. You can see a pair of the leggings on me in this post here:
1 pattern 3 ways
Closing Hints:
The leggings pattern is now my go to pattern for leggings of any length. As the weather gets warmer I will likely make a couple of the tops for myself since the simple shape lends itself to some embellishment opportunities. Although it may appear so in the fashion drawing this tunic top is not longer in the back. However, I did find it long enough to be considered a true tunic. I won't leave the house wearing leggings if my top is not long enough to cover my crotch in front and my whole behind in the back!
How do you feel about leggings as pants? Do leggings require a longer shirt?
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