The Balmy Breezes tunic

I love sewing. I love trying new techniques and methods. I always jump at the chance of trying something new. I always accept a new fun challenge. 
This time was no different. When Maegan from Mae & K blog asked a few bloggers to join a fun sewing series on free patterns - Free Friday Pattern - I looked at all the patterns being showcased on every week this year and I immediately signed up for the Balmy Breezes Tunic.

The Balmy Breezes Tunic is a free pattern by Call Ajaire (for Sew Mama Sew) available only in size 3, that comes along with a tutorial on how to make Lattice smocking. If you follow my blog you may remember that a few posts ago I mentioned that there are two sewing techniques I have never tried: smocking and heirloom. Now there is one left: heirloom. Or... maybe not.

The first title I wrote for this post was: Lettuce smocking aka a failed attempt to make a Lattice smock. :) 

And I am sorry (not sorry) if I am already spoiling this post by revealing how this whole story ends. But I needed to spill it out. Phew! That felt great. 

We sewing bloggers sometimes hide our mistakes but hey, after I wrote my "Mistakes" post for Kids Clothes Week, three weeks ago, I don't care anymore. :) In the end, sewing is perfected with practice. And practice takes time. So if you make something that doesn't go well do not give up. I will say it again. Do.Not.Give.Up. Take a deep breath. Eat some chocolate. Go for a walk. (to clear your mind and burn the chocolate calories) But always come back to try again.

Next time - [break start] there will be a next time because as a lover of challenges I can't live with the feeling that something was not achieved, so I will have to make it again until I can get it to look good, not perfect, I don't mind if it isn't perfect, but it has to look almost perfect [end of break] - I will make it better since I was able to understand what went wrong this time. It was all my fault, not the tutorial's fault. So if you're planning to give it a try on the Lattice smocking here is what went wrong. I am giving you the chance to learn from my mistakes. You're welcome. :) 

Lessons learned:

#1 I have opted to use a cotton voile. It is pretty, yes. Yeah, I love polka dots too. But... it is too thin so I had a hard time being able to pick just one or two threads as required, and some would even break when I pulled the needle's thread... Next time I think I'll use a double gauze like Ajaire's did in her tutorial or another fabric with a more loose weave...

#2 I love that fabric but the dark color didn't help... It was hard to see the threads, specially when smocking at night (even if I was on a very well lit place). So, that is also lesson #3. Next time I will use a lighter color and make it during the day. (And I bet you're thinking "yeah, making this kind of intricate work during the night it is not super smart of you...". Well, I don't blame you for thinking I am not smart. We're still good, no worries.)

#4 Apart from the facts above -. all circumstantial - there was a huge mistake I made, also in part due to the fact that the fabric was not good for this. When in steps 14 and 15 the fabric was caught on fold between the two dots on the wrong side, thus not making that beautiful diagonal 3D weave at the front.

Here is a close look at mine. (Please don't be harsh on me...)

And here is how it should be. 

This is the Lattice smock. Beautiful, right? Any resemblance between the two is a mere coincidence. So from now on let's call mine the Lettuce smock. I hope one day it will be on sewing books with my name on it. (Not.)

Smocking this took me about 2 hours of hand sewing, just out of curiosity. But I have to say I like hand sewing. It's a good thing to make while you're watching TV in the evening. 

Regarding the Balmy Breezes tunic pattern itself, it was an easy sew with great construction methods, such as understitching! The bodice has facings (both at the front and back) and it is sewn with the "burrito" method - which is super easy once you make it two or three times. The closure is at the back, with a button loop on a keyhole opening, but I have opted for an exposed zipper just to make it different. I also had to adjust the armscye curve because my chubby three year-old is actually a size 4 or 5 (on some RTW) already.

By the way (since we are talking about this cute three year-old) she styled herself with her All-Stars and a mommy-made headband (I have made a tutorial for it here). I think she has a sense of style already. :) 

Can you tell this is her "Enough Mommy, I want to go play in the playground..." face? And that was the end of it. Off to the playground my sweetie! 

If you want to check a beautiful Lattice smock application (on a bag) go check my friend Olu's blog, Needle and Ted. And while you're there amaze yourself with some sewing perfection on her other posts too...

Maegan (who is hosting this fun series) is also posting today so head to her blog to check her take on Lattice smocking. I say she's a winner! 

Have you tried Lattice smocking yet? How was it? If not, please do! Now that you learned from my mistakes I know you will be brilliant!  (And then please come back and comment with a link, will you? Thanks!)


Happy smocking! (See what I just did here? :) )




Project linked to: 


Sew + Show