The Wiksten Tova is an indie pattern that has been all over the web for the past few years, and I finally got around to trying the pattern – twice!
First the pattern: there is a reason that the pattern has received rave reviews. The pattern pieces all work together as they should. The directions include lots of pictures and walk you through the sewing process step by step. The Tova would be a great second, or third project for a new sewist.
For my first Tova, I choose a rayon viscose, perfect for the transitional days of fall. I picked up the fabric at Eliot Berman on a recent trip to the NY garment district. I love the little feathers, and the blue with a touch of yellow is a great top to throw on with a pair of jeans. The only change I made to the pattern was to add the vintage lace trim, and to shorten the tunic length to a top length.
Next up: the Tova dress in a black check flannel. I picked up the flannel at Mood, again when visiting NY!
I added a few inches to the dress length so it wasn’t so short, and lengthened the sleeves to full length. I get cold! I also made the inset deeper and added buttons. The Tova already has a placket as part of the inset, so to add buttons, all you need to do is put in the button holes and sew on the buttons. The placket in the original pattern opens too much for my taste and I didn’t want to have to wear a camisole. Adding the buttons solved the problem. I also liked the fun touch of the buttons. A flannel dress on a cold day – add leggings and boots and you are as close to staying in your pajamas as you can get without actually doing it!