Made in America: Bow Tunic

I don’t know why it’s been so long since my last blog post. Oh wait, I do! I was buried in a pile of Elsa Inspired dresses, and I am not complaining one bit! Phew! Now that I have a break in orders and can come up for air, I’d love to share with you one of my new favorite patterns! I was asked to sew up the Bow Trim Tunic from Ainsley Fox Patterns for One Thimble eZine. I love tunics, they are so easy and breezy and perfect for summer. This pattern kicked up the look a notch with a cute bow trim along the neckline that I was so geeked to try out! And if you like what you see, the entire collection is for sale in the Lily Shine Boutique etsy shop

Here’s what I sewed up:

The silhouette of the tunic is darling. I love the A line shape for a comfortable wear. The back is all buttons, and the construction is so professional and easy. I love Ainslee Fox patterns because I think she constructs her garments in a way that is clean and crisp with a professional finish. There are no skipped steps or rush to finish, she takes her time and does things thoroughly.

My favorite part of the pattern of course, is the bow trim detail. The directions in the tutorial are easy to understand and the photos are great at illustrating how to create the bow trim. I wished I had cut a longer piece of trim to start with, but I will make adjustments next time. My bows were a little more spaced out than what I was hoping for. The bodice yokes come together easy and are fully lined. The arms are finished with bias tape, folded and top stitched to the inside of the tunic for a clean look.

The pattern is written for a wide variety of sizes, ranging from 000 to size 8. I would sew up a smaller version in width for Honor next time, as her arm holes are a bit wide and long in this size. The length is spot on.