I've been meaning to make the Hey June Cheyenne Tunic for a while now; the pattern has been in my stash for approximately forever. I love the unique V-shaped neckline and popover style. Here's my first go!
For my first Cheyenne I went with this olive and black textured herringbone cotton flannel. It's the cousin of the plum flannel I used for my Margot PJ pants, but with added rainbow flocks (is that a word?). I don't see the green on the Joann website, but there is a blue version here.
In retrospect, the fabric/pattern combination is feels a bit like it escaped from the set of the Fellowship of the Ring or was stolen off the back of one of Robin's Merry Men. I think it's the color, plus the rustic texture of the fabric... but I love it anyway!
I went for a size 1X with the long sleeve. I did a little tissue fit of the sleeve to see if I had to make my typical full bicep adjustment, but wrapping the sleeve pattern piece around my arm indicated that the sleeves are pretty wide. I didn't make any adjustments! If anything, the sleeves could maybe even be a bit slimmer. Words that have, until now, never crossed my lips. I'm really happy with the fit, though... it's pretty great. I won't make any changes for my next Cheyenne.
I skipped the breast pockets; they looked a bit small and, frankly, I'm not all that into them. The black buttons are from my prodigious Bangkok stash. I considered the sleeve tabs, but left them off for now. I may go back and add them later. I cut the fabric on the cross-grain for the yoke, cuffs, and other details, but you can't really tell unless you're up very close!
This was a fun pattern to sew. Lots of traditional shirt details (tower plackets, curved hem, etc.), but some unique details, too, like that neckline. The neckline is a smidge low- you can see a peek of my camisole on occasion- but I really love the shape.
The seam allowances vary somewhat throughout, but the instructions are very clear about which to use when. I also appreciate that following the instructions gives you very neat insides: a burrito-ed yoke and french seams on the armscye and side seams makes for a very professional finish.
The only places I had a teeny bit of trouble were not fault of the pattern, but rather the thickness of my fabric. I couldn't get a nice point at the bottom of the front button placket, so I just squared it off. In addition, by rolling the neckband to the inside, I ended up with too much overlap on the inside of the shirt and didn't catch the folded under bit when I topstitched on the right side. I had to go back and hand stitch it down- I wasn't about to undo that topstitching because it turned out perfect on the right side. Damn you, turn of cloth!
Love my new top! I've already started cutting out another Cheyenne in Mammoth flannel from Imagine Gnats... coming soon to a blog near you! Can't stop, won't stop.
