Finished Project: Summer Shirt

 

As I mentionned before, I started this shirt a while back but got bored of it halfway through, because a) I'd just sewn two other shirts (my ugly shirt and Judy's shirt), and b) This was going to be a spring item and I felt no rush to finish it just before winter started.
I'm usually pretty good at working on one project at once and finishing what I started, but this time around I made an exception (and it seems as I'm repeating this  with my fur vest, bound to wait until fall for final touches).

This pattern is the same as my perfected Ugly Shirt (Burda 114 from April 2010), with some new alterations:

• I transfered some volume from the bust dart to the front yoke to create gathers.
• I added 2 inches of width to the back, also to create gathers at the yoke.
• The sleeve vents and hidden button plaquette are from BOWF 106A from August 2008
• I omitted the collar and only used the collar stand.
• I added self-drafted pockets with flaps.

When I first bought the fabric, it was on the remnant rack at Gala Fabric and right away I knew I wanted to make a loose shirt with it. The fabric is a very light silk/cotton blend, lighter than voile almost but with still a bit of body. I had so little of it, i only have one little scrap left that I did my buttonhole testing on. No room to mess up!

I had bought buttons at Dressew but then I debated putting no-sew snap-ons instead, to save me the trouble of sewing buttonholes. Unfortunately the snap-ons I bought were pretty low quality and ended up not working at all and I eventually reversed back to buttonholes. In the end I think it was the better decision, as the snap-ons would have added thickness under the plaquette and made them sot so invisible anymore.

This shirt is exactly what I wanted it to be: loose, comfortable, easy to wear, an Equipment shirt for a faction of the price.

I'm really happy with the fit of this pattern and I can see doing a lot more alterations of it in the future, when the right fabric comes along.

and now for a little summer look, with my cut-out jeans and some pretty ballerina flats.

Sneak Peek: Summer Shirt

I started this shirt back in the fall, but because I knew it would be more of a spring item, I put it away for a while. But now it's finished and it's pretty much exactly what I had in mind.

Well, to be honnest, it's not 100% finished. I have to add buttons to the sleeve vents but I couldn't wait and I've already worn it to work with the sleeves rolled up... I'll be sharing pictures of me wearing it soon I hope.

Dump post: Miscellanious sewing and planning

Although I haven't been reporting much, I have been sewing quite a bit lately. I was on vacation for ten days in October and visited my family in Montreal. I made a shirt and a skirt for my step-brother's girlfriend. It was my first time sewing for somebody else, and I very much enjoyed it - so much easier to check the fit and figure out proper alterations!

I added one of Adrienne's lovely label to really finish off the shirt.

The shirt pattern is the same one I used for my ugly shirt, and the skirt is from the Burda October issue of this year. I made muslins for both. The shirt is what took me the most time, although by now I'm quite familiar with the step by step and how to put it together. I don't think that I used the seam ripper more than once this time! The skirt was really easy to sew. As a matter of fact I put it all together (except for the hem) in a few hours on my last day there. I actually really like this pattern, it's simple (no waistband) but very stylish and requires very little fabric (less then a meter). A perfect pattern for one of those end-of roll pieces that hang on the sales rack at Gala Farbics....

I don't have a picture of the finished garment, but it pretty much looked the same as rhis, in a dark green wool fabric

Speaking of fabric, the one for the shirt is from a store called Effiloché, on rue St Hubert in Montreal. It's a very cute yarn and fabric store, which also offers classes for both knitting and sewing. They only carry quilting fabrics, but they have a great selection of them and this one was perfect for this shirt. They also have a selection of gorgeous Liberty of London prints including this one, which was made up into a Sorbetto top on one of their dress-forms (drool...)

The skirt fabric is from C&M Textiles, another store on rue St Hubert, which carries a lot of quality fabric at reasonable prices. The wool was 17.00 a meter. We were helped by two older italian ladies who evidentally knew what they were talking about and gave us great service. If you are in Montreal or ever visiting the area, I would really recommend these two stores for fabric shopping...

Since I've been back, I have had quite a few projects lined up, and I am trying to figure out waht to start next:
Another, modified version of my ugly shirt pattern is in the midst of being put together. It has gathers at the shoulder yoke, and a hidden button placket.

I also want to make my first array into knit-fabric land, with a simple Renfrew top in a grey jersey...

... and this will be the perfect practice for another knit project, a dress made out of rayon fabric found at Gala Fabric in Victoria, BC

I'm actually hesitating between 2 patterns:

The first one is dress 101 from June 2009, to which I photoshoped long sleeves, and the second one is from February 2008, both from Burda Magazine...I might make muslins for both and decide after...I'm really longing for winter dresses, something comfortable and easy to wear but not too casual looking so I may end up making both.
Other projects in the cue are a faux-fur vest (the one I didn't get around to making last year) - I'm thinking a removable collar would make it more versatile.

I'd also like to make Sewaholic's Alma Blouse in a winter version with a light wool-type fabric.

Oh, and I almost forgot. A friend of mine is having a MadMen-themed cocktail party for her b-day on December 15th. As soon as she mentioned it, this dress popped into my head.

1950's inspired cocktail dress, BWOF 107-11-2007

It's not quite the right decade (more 50's than 60's) but it has a retro feel, while still feeling modern, and I could easily wear it on other occasions like office christmas party and such. I've already made a muslin for the bodice and it doesn't look too bad. I just have to find the right fabric for it. I'd love to be able to sew-up a little jacket in a matching fabric. I found this one in a thrift store recently and thought it would be the perfect shape. I might try to copy it...

That's it for now, my sewing list for fall/winter...

Finished Project: My Ugly Shirt

I actually kind of love this shirt. So why ugly?

Well, when B. saw the fabric, and later when I started putting the shirt together, he said he didn't like it, it looked like it was faded by the sun or that grease had been poured over it and who knows what else...

Well, ok, I can understand that not everybody would like the colors...But personnaly, I'm in love with this shirt... I think it has to do with the fact that once again, I mastered a great fit after a few muslins.

When I found the fabric, I thought it would be perfect for a button-down shirt. I had another pattern in mind but not enough fabric for it so I settled on Burda 114 from April 2010.

The piping idea came from here and here. For once I actually found exactly what I wanted at Dressew. The brown piping is cotton but it has a wax-y aspect, with a bit of shine so it could be leather...

Alterations I made to the pattern:
- sba (my first ever, it worked like a charm to get rid of some under-the-bust wrinkles)
- sway back adjustment
- narrow back adjustment (lower back only)
- lengthened bust above the waist
- lengthened sleeves by 5 cm (2") and made them narrower as well - I would love for Burda to add an elbow mark and lengthen/shorten line on their patterns for easier adjustments.

I also had to modify the button placket slightly to incorporate the piping.

The last thing i had to do on the shirt was trim the armhole allowance and do an overlock stitch... As I'm trimming, I start thinking: better be careful, this is how one makes a hole in a garment...Well, sure enough, fabric from the sleeve got in the way and before I noticed,  I cut right through it...Wish i could just do Ctrl+Z on life sometimes...

I freaked out at first - no fabric left to recut a sleeve. But the hole was actually more of a slit and I managed to paste the two edges back together with fabric glue and with a tiny fabric scrap on the wrong side. I also added a square of fusible interfacing on the inside to make the patch stronger...

I was so upset at first, for being so careless. Thankfully the fabric is forgiving and it's hardly noticeable now. B. says if you're close enough to see it then you're too close...:)

 

Aside from that, and  a minor collar mishap, the shirt itself came together really easily.

And I am really truly happy with the final fit.

 

Buttons are horn, and as always, from Button Button. at $1 a piece, I liked them better than some plain plastic ones at $.12 just because of the uneven tones. I can never go cheap on buttons...

I know this is definitely a pattern I will be reusing, I already have a variation with gathers at the yoke that I want to make...more dart rotating action coming up, hopefully more successfully than that time.

This shirt is going to be perfect for fall, with skinny jeans and boots...For once I've finished something in time for the coming season...More Happy Dance action...

WIP: Piping

After a bunch of muslins, I'm finally back to sewing "real" fabric! And playing with contrasting piping on this next project...

This shouldn't take me too long (famous last words...)