Weekender Tunic (and a SALE)

I’ll give you a hint…there is a coupon code at the bottom of this post.  You could just scroll all the way down and miss my entertaining banter or you could read through and see everything that rocks about the Women and Girls’ Weekender Tunic patterns. 🙂 There is also a coupon code for Urban Rag Traders on Etsy (where I bought my sweater knits!).  Read along and then leave me a comment with your favorite option in the Weekender Tunic patterns.

Weather here in Georgia is finicky, so I like to create patterns that can transition between the seasons.  Our spring is basically made up of days that trick you into thinking the weather is going to finally turn warm (so you spend the day changing all your clothes over to warm weather clothes) and then laughing at you when it turns cold again.

I’ve seen styles like the Weekender Tunic all over the place!  (See here, here, and here.)The beauty of this pattern is that it has SO many styles in one.  The overarching style is very similar to a dolman WITHOUT THE BATWINGS.  No, seriously.  The shoulders are dropped and the arm scye is relaxed, but the transition to the sleeve is drawn slightly differently than a traditional dolman so you don’t have as much extra fabric folding at your underarms.  I LOVE THIS.

The Weekender Tunic was made with sweater knits in mind.  Yes, you can use any drapey knit fabric you have in your stash that has at least 25% stretch. BUT, sweater knits can be found CHEAP and once you figure out sweater knits you will fall in love with the cozy comfort and look. They can have a tight weave for winter wear or a loose weave for more of a swim coverup look.  (See what I said about VERSATILITY!) Two places to check out for sweater knits are the Purple Seamstress on Facebook and Urban Rag Trader on Etsy.  A lot of the testers used the heathered sweater knits from Purple Seamstress (as seen in the blue mommy and me picture below) and gave them rave reviews.  I bought my sweater knits (heathered blue in my daughter’s picture of her thumbhole cuffs and the turquoise shown in the picture of the twins) from Urban Rag Trader on Etsy and loved them. Urban Rag Trader has offered you a 20% off coupon with the code PATTERN.  (The coupon will expire April 1st.)  Other fabric choices include any fabric with excellent drape such as rayon or ITY blends.  A few testers used cotton/lycra and loved it as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Included in the Weekender Tunic pattern:

• Short sleeve and long sleeve options,
• Slim fit* and loose fit sleeves
• Crewneck or scoop neck*, open placket (can be laced up or left open), hood, or funnel,
• Straight, banded, or high-low hem, and
• Thumb hole cuffs or hemmed sleeves.

(*The women’s version has the options for slim fit sleeves and a scoop neck.  The girls’ version does not.)

If I were better at math, I’d tell you how many different combinations you could make…but let’s just leave it at A LOT!

The twins LOVE having mama in a matching sweater.  I made a crew neck and hemmed sleeves for one of the girls and a funnel with thumb hole cuffs for the other.  For myself, I opted for a short sleeved version with a funnel neck.  When it’s cold, I slide this over a tight fitting long sleeve tee and when it’s a little warmer, I can wear it on its own.  I love that!  One daughter decided she needed to sleep in her sweater and tried to wear it the next day as well.

For my older daughter, I used a loose weave sweater knit and made one with thumb holes and a funnel neck.  I like funnel necks, is it obvious?  In my mind, a funnel neck is the perfect midway point between a turtleneck and a cowl.  She loves this shirt because while the sweater knit is incredibly soft and cuddly, the loose weave means she wears a tank top underneath it.  In her mind, this made her feel old and she’s at that delicate age where she’s in a hurry to be old.  (SIGH)

When sewing a knit pattern, it’s important to stabilize the shoulders with either twill tape or clear elastic.  I also used clear elastic on my daughter’s crew neck.  I use Washaway Wonder Tape to help keep the clear elastic in place when I’m sewing it into the seam allowance.  (These are affiliate links for Amazon.)

I was incredibly lucky with my testers this time around too.  Most of them not only followed through but delivered amazing pictures.  It’s always a happy bonus when I get awesome pictures back from testers.  Most of them styled for the cold weather they are getting right now, but a few had some pictures to show how the tunic can be styled in the spring and summer.  Check out the product listing for the Women’s and the Girls’ to see the tester’s awesome pictures.  I love when I get most of the offered sizes accounted for in pictures!

5 out of 4 Patterns is one of the sponsors of this week’s PDF Love game in the PDF Patterns and Promotions group.  Make sure you post your entry on Wednesday with the #pdflove tag for your chance to win a pattern pack from all of this week’s sponsors.

Last but not least, we’re having a sale through Friday, February 26th.  Use the code NOFEAR to get 20% off your favorite patterns!  I suggest checking out Tibeca over at Sewing with Ti for her series on how to sew with knit fabrics.  She has some great tips and tricks to help everyone get over their fear of knits!

So, what do you think?  Which option is your favorite?

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