I had a little non-work-related time to sew over the holidays, which is something that hasn’t happened in a while. So I took advantage of that time to make this tartan flannel Class Picnic Blouse for S.
I customized the basic pattern just a little bit, mostly adding a few inches to the hem to lengthen the top into a tunic, and then I added a ruffle to the sleeves (and shortened the sleeves a bit so the ruffle would start just below the elbow).
The ruffle started out quite wide (probably a 2-to-1 ratio to the width of the sleeve itself), but wide ruffles and full-length sleeves don’t perform very well because they end up getting dragged into everything at the dinner table, at school, and everywhere else. So I quickly narrowed the ruffle rectangle to be just a few inches wider than the sleeve width itself. You still get the ruffle effect, but not the disastrous side effects.
By the way, this hairstyle was our first, rushed attempt at Princess Leia/Heidi hair, just before we discovered that this hairstyle does not work with bike helmets. You’ll see more of this look with the upcoming spring patterns. S loves it, even though I’m not a very good hair stylist. (You’d really think I’d be better at this, given all those years of taking ballet and putting my own hair in buns!) I think it’s funny that she can’t decide whether she’s Heidi or Princess Leia.
S is wearing this tunic mostly with leggings and skinny jeans, but it looks cute tucked into her navy wool 2+2 pleated skirt for school, too. The fabric is so soft and cozy that I wouldn’t mind one of these for myself today in this cold snap we’re experiencing!