Itch To Stitch Vikos x 2

 

This is a pattern that I think will be very versatile because it can be reworked many ways. As it is, it has a bit of a folklorish vibe to me because of the neckline and wide topstitched facing. It reminds me of a smock or some of the old patterns from Folkwear, except that Vikos is not a hugely voluminous cut. It can be either a top or a dress, and comes with a short sleeve or a 3/4 sleeve that can be finished with a vented cuff or rolled up with a tab.

I did some flat pattern measuring before making up what ended up being a wearable muslin. The sizing chart put me in the same size as my previous Itch To Stitch top and that consistency gave me confidence. Before cutting the muslin, I widened the sleeve 1/2", lowered the bust dart, shortened the top by 1-1/4" (it's fairly long), and graded out two sizes at the hip. I made all these changes as I traced the pattern, hoping that I could keep the tracing nice and neat and maybe not need to re-do it.

the muslin

The muslin was made from a drapey rayon/linen blend left over from a pair of Style Arc Bob pants. I do make quite a few pants but don't put them on the blog often because it is such an ordeal to get decent photos of them. Back to Vikos - I think the very short sleeve included with the pattern is cute, but wanted more coverage. The sleeves on the muslin are cut elbow length because that's all the fabric I had. I was pleased with the fit except that it seemed like there should be a little more uptake on the dart. That was the only fitting change made after the muslin.

the fixed boo-boo

When the top was laundered to get it ready for its glamour shot, the fabric frayed right at the base of the notch. It's pretty narrow there where you need to clip and I thought I went right down the center. I hope I saved it by tucking the ends in, applying a drop of Fray Block, and clamping it in a hemostat to dry. When you look closely you can see the fix, but it's not glaring enough to bother me. I hope this will hold up through the next wash. I also learned from this test garment to use interfacing with more body to keep the corners of the neckline from flopping open.

the cuff

The second version was made from Brussels Washer, another rayon/linen blend that is slightly heavier than the test version. For this one I was able to make the cute vented cuff. This is just the sort of detail I like.  On me, the 3/4 sleeve is a bit long and I'll shorten it next time. And on this one I went ahead and applied some Fray Block to the tip of the neckline slit before washing.

Here's the lovely bathroom mirror photo of me wearing it. Both my versions were made from drapey fabrics which allow the neckline to splay open a bit (even with stiffer interfacing) causing the armscye to droop down the arm a little. Maybe a slight narrowing of the shoulder is in order. I can see making this again, turning the facing to the outside and maybe embellishing it with some pintucks or contrast topstitching. I might also make a tracing with a plain scoop neckline and use this pattern as a basic woven top. Really, you could transfer all kinds of necklines onto it. It would work well with a little popover-type placket, too. Vikos may well reappear on the blog in other iterations.