The Gallery tunic pattern by Liesl & Co.
Winter Homecoming
by Debra VanDeventer
Fall fades, Winter comes
A frosty walk warms my heart
I am home again
Weathering Winter
Although I now call Arizona home, I’m a Midwestern girl. I grew up in Southern Indiana and am a frequent visitor to our family’s cozy lakeside condo there. We moved to the Southwest, in part, to enjoy the abundant sunshine and warm winter weather. But I must admit, I do occasionally miss the pattern of bare tree limbs against the gray sky, a brisk walk on a wintry day, and maybe a touch of snow. So how do I warm up to winter?
A cup of warm cocoa helps! I also like to cozy up in soft, warm layers.
Fabric
The Gallery Tunic pattern from Liesl & Co. was in my pattern stash, calling my name. A trip to the fabric store resulted in blush, tweed patterned flannel. On a whim I picked up plaid flannel for contrasting neck and cuff facings. Pewter-hued recycled buttons would be the perfect accent at the neck.
Add Personal Details
The tunic features an inverted pleat detail in the back. To add a touch of personality, I added a “tag” fashioned from a scrap of fabric leftover from an apron. You never know when one of those little bits of fabric will come in handy. (That’s why us sewists have overflowing closets… we throw nothing away, right?) I thought the tag turned out cute. Now I can call this my “tea” shirt!
Finishing touches
The contrasting neck facing was a breeze to do. (I just cut out the facing in the contrasting color and followed the directions as printed). The cuffs took some thinking. I had to rip out my first attempt as the raw seams showed when I rolled up the cuffs, but I figured it out. The only other modification I made was to shorten the pattern to just below hip length. I thought it would look better with jeans than if I’d made it in a tunic length. I was pleased with my warm, fuzzy shirt. It’s perfect for Indiana winter weather and, surprisingly enough, there’ve been a few chilly mornings when I was able to wear it in Arizona!
Threads of Thought
What do you enjoy about winter? Are you a transplant like I am (someone who has moved from their hometown)? What if you wrote a poem or story about a homecoming you’ve experienced?
Deb, in spite of the fact that I have very little interest in sewing. Ok, no interest unless a button is missing. Your writing always comes across as Deb., it’s fun, it’s you and it’s charming. And, your pics always come out so well, so attractive. I’m glad I’m your friend and that we share a common joy in writing. Go well my friend. David
Thanks for all of your help and encouragement David! Thanks for joining in. Maybe I should do a post on sewing on buttons, though I’m not really that good at it…