A Lotus Tunic

Last weekend I was due to be a participant on a map reading course but it got cancelled due to low numbers.  I was notified a couple of weeks ahead of time so had a decision to make.  I could cancel the annual leave that I'd already booked and just have a normal weekend, or I could find something else to do with my time.

I decided on the latter.  I bought the Amy Butler Lotus Tunic sewing pattern maybe 10 years ago.  When I started reading the pattern I freaked out a bit and gave up - it looked really complicated and included a lining - something I'd never done before.  But I've made all sorts of clothing since then, the Coco dress, a pair of trousers, a t-shirt, the joni dress, and a whole bunch of other things.  So I was starting to feel a little more confident.

I'd found some lovely capri peach skin fabric (it really does feel like a peach skin) from Lulou Designs for the dress and I'd meant to try making the dress at Easter 2020, but lockdown stopped that (we got locked down before I could get all the other things needed).  But we're out of lockdown now and the shops are back open so I paid a visit to my local sewing show and the lady there was so helpful and found me a pale green cotton lawn to make the lining with. 

So last weekend, with everything prepared, fabric washed and ironed and all the other things I needed collected I started making the dress.  It was actually much easier that I thought it was going to be.  I did make a couple of mistakes where I had to unpick bits, but in general it came together very well.  I also added some pockets following a Tilly and the Buttons tutorial - they worked very well too.

I didn't quite finish it last weekend, so I finished the sleeves and hemmed it this weekend.  I'm really please with how its turned out.  However it's a bit more formal that I thought it would be, it feels like something a charactor from a Jane Austen novel would wear, not something I would wear into the office.  Of course I haven't worn a dress for over a year, so anything is going to feel more formal than my standard jeans and t-shirt right now.  Not something I have to worry about right now I guess.