Proportion = Fail

Properly wearing the clothes you make is just as important as making them. Especially paying attention to proportion. This combination is an epic fail. I have worn this combination twice, mainly because it's summer and it's hot, and I don't want to sweat to death in jeans. Also, other than jeans, I don't have any other pants that come anywhere close to matching the colors of the tunic. The result is that I look a frumpy. Very frumpy. And before you wonder, "Well, gee, didn't you look in the mirror first?" the answer is, yes, I did, but rolled with the look anyway...due to said heat (it was around 100 that day).

This tunic would look much better with skinny jeans, and a shoe with a bit of heel, instead of flip-flops (remember, I said it was hot, and I live in flip-flops all summer, and these even had little purple stripes on them, that matched the tunic skirt). The cargo pants are too baggy. Baggy on baggy looks, well...let's just say it's not the most flattering combination I could have picked.

The tunic itself works, although in looking at this picture, I think it would be even better if I had made it a bit shorter. As far as the back view goes, the tunic does cup my butt a little, but not as much as it appears in the photo. I had my hands on my hips, and it pulled the fabric in tighter. Also, the cargo pants are low-rise, and have pocket flaps on the back, so those and the waist band kinda push the tunic out a bit. Another reason why the cargo pants really, REALLY don't work with this tunic.

Rule of thumb for proportion is usually, if it's loose/baggy on top, it should be tighter on the bottom, and vise-versa. Also, don't chop up the vertical line of the body with a bunch of horizontal lines in your clothing. With this combination the bodice ornament, tunic waist band, tunic hem, and cargo pants ending mid-calf just make a hash-work of the vertical line. Hash =  frumpy. 

Needless to say, I will not be wearing this combination again. No matter how hot it gets.

BTW, there is not a big, ugly pleat in the back, it's just the way the shirt kinda bunched up because of where I have my hands, and also, this was after we got home from running errands all day, so the shirt was kinda wrinkly from me sitting in the car.

Belle Epoque Tunic — Completed

After hours and hours of pleasurable beading, and adding the front decoration to the bodice, the tunic is now finished. Well, except for the buttons, which are boring, but I don't have anything to replace them that would work. I will keep an eye out, and when I find something, will swap them out.

I didn't bead the arm binding, as I thought it might be pretty scratchy on my underarms. The center decoration was made up of a scrap from the shirt, purple binding, beads, and an iron-on peacock feather that was one of several in a package I bought at JoAnn Fabrics.

The skirt hem beading.

Waist band, with double row of fly stitch and beads.

So, this project went from this = The inspiration.

To this = The materials (All from the Goodwill)

 

To this = The finished tunic.

I still wish I had been able to add the short sleeves, so if I do another one of these, I will make sure I have enough fabric to do that. Also, I may do the whole tunic out of T-shirt material rather than another cotton shirt, just to see how each one moves and hangs differently. Another tweak I may do, is not raise the front part of the waist. My fear is, the way I have it now, will make me look pregnant! NOT GOOD. I am wearing it today when I run into town to do errands, so will know better how everything works by the time I get home. If anyone asks me, "When are you due?", after being horrified, it will be my sign that something must be changed!

So, now it's on to the next project. I have an idea I want to try, using stencils on a T-shirt. Also, my Etsy jewelry shop has been closed for several months, while I decided in what direction I wanted to go, and to give me time to upgrade my stock, and take better photos. I need to get busy on that, and have several jewelry projects in mind that need to get made. With the temperatures hanging between 95 and 103 inside projects are a good thing!

Belle Epoque Tunic — Process

Here are process photos of the BE tunic I am making. The tunic is done, except for the beading, and the small applique that will go on the front of the bodice.


The inspiration, and the elements laid out.

The bodice cut out, and the lower part of the man's cotton shirt cut off just below the sleeves.  I also cut the narrow hem off the bottom of the shirt, since I intended to add purple binding as a finish.

The tunic sewn together, and the purple binding sewn on with fly-stitch (or fern-stitch, I've seen it called either one). The cotton skirt was basted to the bodice with a running stitch, and instead of gathers, I made pleats to take in the fullness. I pinned the purple binding around the waist, to see how it looked, decided I liked it, but made it a bit narrower.

Also, I had intended for it to have short sleeves, but there wasn't enough of the gray T-shirt to make them, and I didn't want them in purple, so the tunic ended up sleeveless.

The tunic laid out on my coffee table (better lighting...sorta). I have almost finished beading the waist band, which was sewn down with a double row of fly-stitch. Next to bead will be the neckline, armholes, and the bottom of the skirt. Yeah...lots of beading. But I love the heft the garment takes on the more beads I add, and I like the clicking sound the beaded parts make against the table as I work on the piece. The beads are tiny matte-finished silver, AB dark purple, and larger lozenge beads in dark purple with blue glints. Embroidery floss is gunmetal gray a shade lighter than the bodice.

I'm going to either swap out the buttons for others, or sew beads to the existing buttons. Not sure which.  And I think I am going to hand-sew down the front of the skirt, so it doesn't gap in between the buttons. I'm never going to unbutton it, so might as well close it nicely. Probably with a running stitch in the gray floss. In the last photo it looks as if there is a stain on the right side of the skirt, but it's just shadows.

The more I work on this tunic, the better I like it. Wasn't too in love with it at first. I wondered if all the beading I was doing would be for naught...but no, as it goes along, the piece grows on me. I'll see how I feel when the applique is on, and the beading is finished. I may love it by then. One can only hope.