I fell in love with this pattern a couple months ago and really wanted to own it. Then three weeks ago I finally ordered it and was sooooo excited to finally make my own Schoolhouse Tunic.
Sometimes I skip making a muslin, but this time I made one, and man was that a good idea. The plan was making the muslin out of the awesome natural muslin fabric I have in stash and put some dark red decorative stitching on it as wearable muslin. The decorative stitching turned out just how I had imagined. Unfortunately the tunic didn't.
Note to myself: Always!! read pattern reviews before buying one!!!
Almost all of the reviews said the tunic turned out baggy and adjustments had to be made. And I don't mean fitting adjustments, no, actually really changing the pattern. And a little bit too much for my taste. I don't want to have to add major things, like an elastic on the side or on the back, or something major to make it look less like an potato bag and more like something a normal human being would actually wear. It also gaps a lot in the front and makes these weird wrinkles. I looked at a ton of pictures online and saw the same thing on those tunics.
I ended up using the top part of the Schoolhouse Tunic pattern and the skirt part from the Favorite Things Prairie Girl pattern including the straps to tie it in the back.
I really want to love the pattern, but I don't. My final version in Art Gallery cotton turned out ok. I am planning wearing it in the fall with black tights and boots. Pictures to follow.
The tie in the back is a huge improvement to the pattern, also the less wide skirt, but it's still not that I love the fit. I am not a good enough sewer yet to really figure out how I could alter the pattern for a better fit. I would like to write something good about the pattern, but so far it only has been a huge disappointment.
