Gallery hack

I made another Gallery Tunic.  You'll be forgiven for thinking that it doesn't exactly look like a Gallery Tunic.  But I didn't actually set out to hack this pattern.  I prepped my fabric (via FabricMart, is originally from J.Crew and was described as a "cotton flannel voile") and started cutting with the full intention of making the pattern as drafted.  As I was cutting, though, ideas kept coming to me.  "I haven't made a shirt with a yoke for myself in awhile.  It really wouldn't be difficult to add a back yoke ..."  Then "I think a ruffly collar would be cool in this fabric."  Finally, "Oops, I accidentally cut my front in two pieces instead of on the fold ... guess I'll just go with it."

So, yeah, it doesn't really look like a Gallery Tunic.

But on to the nitty gritty.  I used the same sizing mods for this one as on my first Gallery Tunic.   I cut a size 8 with an FBA, the body being widened to a 16. The sleeve is also adjusted for a fuller bicep.

The part of this shirt that I'm most excited about is the ruffle collar.  I like the juxtaposition of the girly ruffle and the more masculine plaid.  To make the ruffle, I used the mandarin collar piece, and then cut a ruffle 1.5 times the length of the collar by 2.25".  Then I folded the ruffle in half lengthwise, gathered up the raw ends until the ruffle was the same length as the collar, and sewed it in between the two collar pieces, right sides together.  Using the 1/2" seam allowance, my ruffle finished at 5/8".  My collar did get stretched out somehow at the back, but since my hair is usually down, I'm not going to let it bother me too much.  I do really like how it looks at the front.  This fabric is very thin and drapey, so the collar flops open a little, which is what I was going for.  A ruffle collar that stands too close to the neck is not a look I feel comfortable in, but a floppy ruffle, I can totally do.

Once I realized I had made a mistake in cutting the front as two pieces rather than as one on the fold, I decided to just interface and fold the front edges to the wrong side to create a button placket.  The original pattern includes a 1" pleat at the bust, which then hangs free below the bust.  So I made each placket 1" and topstitched them down.  As you can see above, I didn't bother making buttonholes where I knew I wouldn't fasten the buttons.  The placket looks like it's angled at the top but it actually is completely straight.

The back yoke was another easy modification.  I lined the yoke via the burrito method and I really like the added detail of the bias-cut yoke at the back.  Although I was careful in my handling, and stay-stitched all necklines, I still ended up with some stretching at the back, as you can see below.  That will pretty much always be covered by my hair, though, and I can't see it, so it's ok :)

All in all, I'm quite happy with the way this shirt turned out.  For being super-lightweight, it's quite warm, and just the slightest bit scratchy, which makes me wonder whether there is any wool content.  I don't remember a wooly smell when I washed the fabric, though that was actually a couple of years ago ...

My single gripe with this shirt is the fact that it seems to highlight my bust in a way that my first Gallery does not.  I wonder whether this is because of my back yoke - the shirt is a little tighter across the bust than the first Gallery.  I may need to widen the bottom of the yoke a bit if I make this one again ... and like the first time I made the Gallery, I'm not certain I will try again.  But you never know. 

Thanks for reading, and see you next time!