This garment was sewn and reviewed in March 2022. I wrote a review on a sewing website/forum that I no longer visit or use. Rather than lose the reviews, I’m recreating them here on my blog.
The Pattern
Get ready for spring or fall with this great utility jacket. Available in sizes XXS-XXL, this anorak features optional hood with zip-front closure and pocket variations. Express your individuality by making this jacket sportier using organza, or go for a casual look with twills and cotton fabrics.
Simplicity 8843 – I made the version without the hood in size Large.
Now that I’m back in a cooler climate, I need jackets. Anoraks are great for this climate and my ‘shape’ in life because they are long enough to wear over tights or leggings, big enough to wear over a sweater, and the waist tie adds some shape (and keeps the cold wind out).
Fabric Used
100% Cotton Twill for the jacket. 100% Nylon ripstop lining. Both were gifted to me by FabricMart because I’m a Fabricista vlogger/blogger.
Alterations and Changes
I added a lining to make this wearable in early spring in this part of the world where spring may not come until late May. I have not added a lot of linings in my life but this was relatively simple because I just needed to use the front, back, and sleeve pieces for the lining.
For a bit of fun, I fussy cut a piece of the design and stitched that to the inside of the lining. No one else will see it, but it was something that made this jacket bespoke.
Sewing Comments
Again, another relatively easy project that a beginner could sew with a bit of patience. There are challenges with the zipper (made more challenging by adding the lining). And I added work for myself when I used a bold print that would need to be placed properly and matched. I did not mark the pockets well so first sewed them on too high, then when I moved them down they needed to be recut to align with the print.
The cord at the waist is in an external channel that again, needs to have the print aligned. That was actually easier than the pockets!
Conclusion
This turned out to be a really enjoyable sewing project and I’m really happy with the final result!
I would definitely use this pattern again, perhaps with a technical fabric. It’s a nice shape for every day. I wasn’t as successful in matching the fabric design as I had hoped to be but I did add a lining and that was a growth moment 😉
This is a great weight fabric, and the ripstop lining does a good job of cutting the wind which makes this a good choice for spring and fall. And the design is interesting but not so weird that it can’t be worn as outerwear to work.
Thoughts after wearing this jacket for a year
One change I would make if I use this pattern again is to add some length to the sleeves. They are just barely long enough when walking around but pull up when driving. There’s a bit of fabric left in a scrap bag so this may become one of those ‘mending’ projects for the future.
I am consolidating my pattern reviews and will be adding blog posts of pattern reviews that were previously posted on a sewing website that I no longer participate on.
This garment was made in October of 2019. I’m highlighting it today as part of Sew Frugal 23, an Instagram sewing challenge in the month of March, 2023.
Alice and Co. created a free, downloadable Mary Quant mini dress in celebration of the Mary Quant exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London which ran from April 2019 through February 2020. Here’s a link to the V&A’s website on the exhibition.
In addition to this free pattern, the Minidress, the Georgie dress is also available for free from the V&A website. Search the exhibition website (paragraph above) for that pattern.
Although I was quite young in the swinging 60s, I love the images of Twiggy and friends on Carnaby Street. To me, little shift dresses seem like dresses that can be worn when walking, or dancing, or playing croquet. They are not a shape designed for sitting carefully at tea (although they certainly can be worn for any occasion!)
A link to the free pattern and background information on the V&A Exhibit and Alice and Co’s development of the pattern can be found here: Sew Your Own Mary Quant Minidress
The fabric used for the dress is stretch faux suede that I purchased from Fabric Mart Fabrics. It was featured in one of Julie’s Picks in 2019 and I loved the bright red that doesn’t have a hint of orange so it’s suitable for pink faced people like me.
When I received the fabric it felt more like a sueded scuba. It has quite a bit of bounce to the fabric and certainly does not drape. I thought that lent well to the A-line of the MQ Minidress.
Before I go into too many details, I want to add that the dress is really nicely drafted. It’s absolutely reminiscent of the 1960s but is also a very wearable dress for the 2020s. There are little details that add to the complexity and sophistication of the dress, such as the shaping at the top of the sleeves (photo below in gallery).
Adjustments
I paper fit the pattern and the bust darts aligned well so the only alteration I made was cutting the dress 2″ longer. Once I had basted the dress together I wound up removing over an inch from each side because it was just too big. There’s obviously quite a bit of ease in the pattern.
After stitching on the sleeves, I took about 1 1/2″ off of the width of the sleeves from the shoulder down to the wrist because my fabric wouldn’t drape well on the gathers. That likely wouldn’t be an issue with a lighter weight fabric.
After I had completed the dress I didn’t like where it hit on my legs so I cut 4″ off the length. I must have been feeling quite young that day because it’s now too short! It’s good over opaque tights but I don’t feel that it’s the best length for me.
And the keyhole is quite low cut, as you will see in the one photo of me wearing the dress with a vest/cami underneath. I will add more photos of me in the dress- but for today there is just the one from 2019.
Sewing ‘Challenges’
The primary challenge I encountered on this project was the front keyhole opening. The keyhole is intended to be faced but once I stitched on the facing it was really obvious – my fabric was too thick and springy. Adding to the challenge, this fabric did not take well to unpicking so I wound up with raggedy edges that needed to be trimmed. In the end, I settled on a baby hem around the keyhole opening. I stitched on my machine and held my breath, hoping that the edge didn’t pop out. This was a solution, but definitely not the best solution. This pattern will work much better with fabric that is lighter weight. If you see me wearing this dress, don’t look too closely at the keyhole opening, okay? 🫣
Somewhere along the way, I decided it would be a great idea to make the collar detachable with fashion fabric on one side and plaid on the other. Not having any idea what I was doing, I drafted a collar stand, added a placket, messed around with buttons then ultimate decided that it wasn’t going to lie flat or look finished so I unpicked a lot of stitches and went back to the original pattern. I think the collar would look better with a stand. The way it is, it does look authentically 1960s.
The final piece was the half-belt on the back, and I endeavoured to place it at the small of my back. This is indeed a reversible belt with one side plaid and the other red. I also used the plaid for the cuffs.
Now, over three years after making the dress, I do still like it and I wear it occasionally over opaque tights on cold days. After I had completed the dress and worn it a couple of times, I cut 4″ off the length. That’s was too much and it’s shorter than I would like, and it’s also a bit boxy but again, that is likely the result of the fabric. I may chop off several more inches and wear it over leggings next year, if leggings are still a thing.
If you are wanting to make an easy dress that has that Carnaby Street vibe, this is definitely a good choice. It’s well drafted and quite easy to sew. And free!
Back Belt OpenBack Belt ClosedNice shaping at sleeve headOld photos from 2019. Current photos will come!Old photos from 2019. Current photos will come!
I’m a super active participant in the @SewOver50 community on Instagram and also volunteer as the Relief Editor for the group. There are currently about 43,000 followers of the Sew Over 50 account and it’s a wonderful, welcoming community comprised of those who are over age 50 and sew. We don’t discriminate – those under 50 are welcome to follow along!
In September 2022, the two ladies who ARE Sew Over 50 organised a Frocktails event in Edinburgh, Scotland. Like a lot of people, I had trips planned prior to March 2020 and wound up with a bunch of airline credits waiting for an excuse. One of my pandemic lessons was that life can change in an instant. We don’t know what could happen next week or two years from now so grab opportunities when they come your way! So I took those airline credits and bought myself a ticket from Calgary to Edinburgh. Then I started thinking about what kind of frock I would wear to Frocktails!
I set a few requirements for my garment before I settled on a pattern and fabric: a) comfortable, b) pack/travel well, c) versatile and d) suitable for late-September weather.
A quick lunchtime visit to Rick Rack Textiles and I’m ready to sew!
I’m a fan of Pamela Leggett’s patterns because they are well drafted classics that are designed to fit the more mature figure. For this event I wanted a comfortable dress that could be later worn to work, for dinner or out for events. This pattern fit the bill.
The fabric I purchased is stretch cotton (95% cotton, 5% spandex – about 200 gsm) designed by EttaVee for Riley Blake Designs. In the fabric description it lists that it is suitable for t-shirts, leggings and sleepwear. Does that make for a comfy dress? You betcha! I selected this fabric for the colours and also the design that was decidedly NOT florals. (I tend to gravitate toward florals and have way too many in my wardrobe.)
I selected this pattern because it was designed for knits, it has some shape (it’s not a loose fitting dress) and it is suitable for everything from a day at work to dinner out. Pamela also provides excellent directions on how to adjust her patterns, so I knew that I could finesse the fit.
Before I started cutting I made two adjustments to the pattern. First, I changed the neckline from a square or scoop neck to a v-neck because that’s more flattering for my bust. The second change was to line the bodice. This allowed for a beautifully turned v-neck and also helps the bodice to lie nicely. The photo on the left is of the lining in the bodice.
I selected a size based on my upper bust and went from there. Once the dress was basted together, it was clearly too large so I followed Pamela’s detailed instructions to move the waistband higher, shift the front and back pleats to the most flattering point, and taper the skirt. In the end, I wound up with a dress that fits so well. And it was made to be packed in a suitcase!
Topper: Style Arc Coral Cardigan
When I was shopping at Rick Rack for the dress fabric I spied a wool blend that matched perfectly and it seemed like the right weight for an autumn cardigan. I hadn’t planned to make a cardigan but the match was just too good and I expected that I would need a cardigan or jacket in late September. This fabric is called “Lana Bolito” and content is 65% viscose and 35% wool. The weight is 340 g/m2
I have several cardigan patterns but was ready for a change, and I also knew that this fabric would work best with a pattern that has some structure.
The Style Arc Coral Cardigan is a relatively basic cardie but what makes it different is the front band that ends at about the waist, giving a bit of definition and also showing the structure of the jacket. There is also a seam at the front with inseam pockets, providing a chance for the fabric to shine.
I’ve only sewed Style Arc one other time and know that their instructions are often rather minimal but in this case, it didn’t matter because this is a very simple garment that went together in record time. My skills are also much better than they were last time I sewed Style Arc.
This fabric doesn’t ravel so the seams don’t need to be finished and in fact, I could have gotten away without hemming the jacket or sleeves but I’m not that much of a bohemian.
In the end, I made one small change to the pattern. As you see in the photo on the left, there is a cuff for the sleeve. This fabric was quite bulky and I didn’t like the idea of a cuff so instead, I made a 1.5 inch (3 cm) facing for the sleeve and that gave a nice, crisp line.
I love this cardigan. I think it’s one of my favourite makes this year. When I finished it and took it to my closet, I realised that it coordinates perfectly with several tops in my wardrobe. That means it will be worn and not just hang in the closet! I suspect that I should have washed it several times to pre-shrink and am a bit concerned about how it will react to water so this will be a ‘dry clean only’ cardigan.
The cardigan and dress made it to Edinburgh for Frocktails and they had a wonderful time! As it turned out, Scotland (like Alberta) had a warm autumn so the cardigan wasn’t needed for the event but it wandered up and down the cobblestone streets of Leith.
If you would like to hear more about the Frocktails event, please visit take a look at my YouTube video – Janine Sews Goes to Frocktails. I’ve included many pictures plus video of the fun.
I’m so very glad that I went to Frocktails! I have memories that will last a lifetime, and will be reminded of my lovely sewing friends every time I wear my dress or cardigan.
This project is part of my focus on Wardrobe Basics for Autumn 2022. I have a real dearth of basic garments in solid colours and so set about sewing things that will be reliable pieces for wearing to work or going out. These aren’t going to be trendy pieces but rather garments that can be worn over and over again and made interesting with the addition of scarves, jewellery, or interesting toppers.
You can learn more about these projects on my YouTube channel – Janine Sews – and the link to the video featuring this tunic is here.
The first garment is a tunic using Vogue 1568, a “Today’s Fit” pattern by Sandra Betzina from 2017.
The photos on the pattern envelope don’t do it justice. Think more JJill (like the tunic to the right) and less organza or netting. By the way, I used to wear a lot of JJill when I lived/worked in the U.S.A. I always liked the very clean lines that were more about comfortable elegance and less athleisure or coastal granny,
I looked at this pattern a dozen times before deciding to give it a try. Why the hesitation? It’s lined. Lined knit. I specifically wanted a tunic with either a V-neck or slash opening and after looking at other options, I decided to sew this since the line drawings represented what I wanted. I selected View B which is a pullover tunic with a V-neck and slits in the side.
Fabric
For this pattern I used a lovely mid-weight rayon Ponte de Roma that I purchased from Olga’s Fabric Lane here in Calgary. I bought enough to make a set of coordinates – top, pants and skirt. Those reviews will come at some point in the not-too-distant future.
The lining was purchased from Fabricland West. And it was almost a perfect match to the fashion fabric. The lining is sitting on top of the cut fabric in the top of the photo on the left.
Adjustments
There are no finished garment measurements on the tissue (although the instruction sheets refer to their existence) so I took a look at the few pattern reviews posted on websites and blogs and decided to go with what I normally sew. In the instructions it is stated that the shoulders are narrow which helped me to make the decision on sizing. I did, however do an FBA. Had there been finished garment measurements I would have definitely chosen a smaller size. In retrospect, had I taken the words ‘loose fitting’ seriously in the instructions, I would have had a clue 😅
The Process
Sewing a lined knit garment was quite a challenge! And the sewing steps did not make it any easier. For this garment, you sew the shoulder seams of the fashion fabric, then the shoulder seams of the lining, then the neckline. Then flip it wrong sides together and treat the fashion fabric and knit fabrics as one after basting them together with the machine. Ever tried basting knit to knit? It’s an exercise in patience!
Next steps are to sew the darts, side seams and sleeves. Because you treat the fashion fabric and lining as one, the seams for the bust darts and side seams are visible inside the garment, not hidden in between the lining and fashion fabric. Fortunately, my fabric and lining weren’t overly bulky but I was not enamoured with this treatment. If I’m going to take the time to line a garment, I hope to have a beautifully finished interior.
Once the garment was pretty much completed I realised that it fit well through the shoulders and chest but was too big and boxy from the bust down. As noted on the instructions, the shoulders are narrow so the sleeve cap sits nicely on my relatively narrow shoulders. Unfortunately, I wasn’t happy with the fit around the waist and hips. There was a two-hour long episode of unpicking followed by taking off about 3″ of diameter below the bust.
What Do I Love
The neckline finish. Going forward, a lined v-neck will be my first choice for both knits and wovens. (I’ve found a woven pattern that uses a lining instead of a facing and will be posting that review soon!)
The lining adds a rich quality to the garment so that it hangs beautifully and makes the top look more handmade and less homemade.
The general shape. This mimics what you would find in quality RTW.
Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?
Thumbs Up – definitely. I’ll use this again with two changes: cut the right size, and have the lining end just below the bust so there won’t be as much fiddling about with basting knit to knit and also to hide the bust darts within the lining.
I wouldn’t recommend this for a beginner because of the whole knit fabric and knit lining thing unless the beginner is willing to just take their time and enjoy the process.
Edit on September 30, 2022: I wore this top plus the pants made of the same fabric on an overnight flight to the U.K. and the fabric looked as good when I landed as it did in the morning. This Ponte would be wonderful for a travel wardrobe. I like it so much that I just bought another piece in plum 💜
This blog post was originally published on Fabric Mart Fabric’s Fabricista blog on May 12, 2021. I’ve included a bit of extra info and more photos here.
Last year I decided to take up golf again after playing only a handful of times over the past two decades. When I think back to what we were wore for golf when I was playing in the 90s it was basically regular street clothes – 100% cotton pants and knit or woven tops with practically no stretch. Times have changed! Golf wear is now truly athletic wear and those constricting fabrics have been replaced by technical fabrics. But RTW golf clothes are expensive, in boring colors, and the sizing isn’t always inclusive. Time to make my own.
I spent some time going through my patterns and found that I had everything I needed to make a full outfit comprised of a top, jacket, skirt, and little shorts to be worn under the skirt.
Fabrics
If you sew you know that it can be quite difficult to find technical fabric for athletic wear. A couple of months ago I discovered that Fabric Mart has an entire section of fabric suitable for athletic wear! My jacket and top patterns both have side panels/princess seams so I picked out two fabrics that would look good together.
French Wine Pink Polyester/Lycra Techno Knit is a beefy athletic wear fabric in gorgeous cherry pink. There is plenty of stretch and it’s suitable for a top, jacket, leggings or even a dress.
Powder White Nylon/Lycra Tricot Activewear Knit is lighter in weight than the Techno Knit. It drapes nicely and is almost opaque. This fabric feels like many of my summer RTW athletic tops. It would be excellent for tops and lightweight jackets, and depending on your style, for leggings or skirts.
When I received my activewear fabrics from Fabric Mart, I discovered in my stash a piece of Stretch Bengaline (purchased from Fabric Mart/Julie’s Picks last summer) and it had that same cherry pink in the print. Best of all, the bengaline has almost 50% stretch along the length of the fabric. There’s lots of bending in golf so stretch is good! I now had everything I needed for my golf wardrobe.
Patterns
I selected four patterns:
Top: Butterick 6494 – close-fitting top with raglan sleeves, front and back princess seams and a small stand collar. The pattern has long sleeves, so I cut them short to make the top suitable for summery weather. (In 2017, I made this top in French terry .)
Shorts: Kwik Sew 4044 – elastic waist capris cut to short length.
Jacket: Kwik Sew 3452 (out of print) – quarter-zip jacket with raglan sleeves, side panels and stand up collar.
I was a bit concerned about the sizing of both the top and the jacket. I had made the top before so knew that it fit but wanted to ensure that any pandemic-related spread was covered so cut generous seam allowances along the side seams. For the jacket, I read several reviews that said it was ‘close-fitting’ and even the pattern envelope notes that. The seam allowances for the jacket are just 1/4″ so I doubled those and cut 1/2″ seam allowances everywhere except at the shoulders, neck and hem. As it turned out, I didn’t need the added ease on either piece. Both are generously sized. In fact, I took off all of the excess on the front of the top. It’s easier to take away than add.
The top, jacket and shorts were all cut at the same time. All three of these patterns are easy to sew and a beginner could make them with a bit of understanding of how to sew knits. The neck opening on the top is a bit fussy but not horribly so.
For the jacket and the top, I basted the side seams together to check for fit and then used my serger to stitch the seams. There is a bit of hand sewing on the collars for both of these garments.
The jacket has excellent instructions for adding a zipper. I was a bit concerned about sewing a zipper onto stretch fabric but I needn’t have been. The pink Techno Knit is very stable. As always, every project has to have one UGH moment and this one involved the zipper. I bought a decorative zipper pull, had difficulty taking off the original pull and broke it off. So I had to unpick the zipper – topstitching and all. Through all of that, the fabric didn’t stretch and I was careful enough that there were no pulls. Like all of my mistakes, this one counts as practice. 🙄😏
The shorts are a super-fast make: left piece, right piece, elastic. I first traced the pattern onto tracing paper and checked the fit before cutting the fabric. I am still learning about sewing bottoms with legs (i.e., not skirts) and I found that this is a good pattern to play with because there are so few pieces so adjustments to the crotch seams are visually easier to work with. Even with this step the shorts were finished in record time.
The only piece that required design adjustments was the skirt. You don’t usually think of a pencil skirt for golf, however I have sewn this pattern a couple of times and felt confident that it was a great place to start. A note that the bengaline stretched along the length of the fabric. I was careful to layout the pattern so the stretch would be around the width of my body. The fabric print is random so this worked out just fine.
To make the skirt suitable for golf I made a few simple adjustments:
Created an A-line shape by adding 3″ on each side seam at the hem, then drew a line tapering out from the hip to the hem.
When stitching down the side seam I stopped 4 1/2″ from the lower edge to allow for side slits. The hem is 1 ½” which means the slits open 3”.
The seam allowances on the side slits were then turned under and topstitched, and the skirt was hemmed as usual.
Two pockets were added: On the upper right side there is a small 4” square pocket big enough for tees, a ball repair tool and ball marker. On the left side a larger pleated pocket holds at least a couple of golf balls.
And just like that I have a great new golf outfit 🙂
I wore this outfit to play 18 holes while walking and pushing a cart and this outfit is definitely comfortable. It was coolish when we tee’d off (55F/12C) and by the time we came off the 18th green it was sunny and quite warm (80F/26C). The fabric wasn’t sweaty or uncomfortable, it’s designed to be worn outside when you’re moving around in all kinds of weather.
EARLY morning of golf!
The athletic knit fabrics were much easier to work with than I expected. I am now on the hunt for more patterns for golf clothes. If only it was as easy to improve my golf game as it is to sew the clothes!
P.S. I talk a bit about this project on my YouTube Channel, Janine Sews.
Lots of stretch in the skirt
No – I did not make the putt!
Tips:
If you cut more than one pattern at the same time, use Painter’s tape to mark the pieces so you don’t get them mixed up. I also use Painter’s tape to mark the wrong side of the fabric when necessary.
A fresh rotary cutter blade makes for beautiful clean cuts on athletic knits.
Use a fresh needle in your machine. I used a ballpoint needle for all parts of the project.
If you have a serger, use it!
If you do not have a serger, these fabrics can be sewn with a narrow zig zag (I use a .5mm wide x 1.6mm long stitch)
When working with unfamiliar fabrics, test all seams and stitches on scraps before sewing. While it’s possible to pick out stitches on knit fabrics, there is always the risk of causing a pull.
Like many people with curves, I struggle to find button-down shirts that work for my body. If the placket doesn’t gape then it’s a shapeless sack. If it has any shape then the placket gapes.
My last experience with Cashmerette convinced me that I need to take a closer look at their patterns so I decided to give the Harrison shirt a try.
“Finally, the answer to your prayers: a fitted button-down shirt that doesn’t gape over curves! The Harrison Shirt is designed with double princess seams for a uniquely curve-friendly fit and all the features of a classic shirt, including a two-piece collar, yoke, and placket, separate button bands, and buttoned cuffs. “
Sewing Bee
I was thrilled to make it to round 3 of the Pattern Review 2021 Sewing Bee and this shirt was my entry. The challenge was to make a garment in a print fabric and have the fabric pattern match across seamlines – to make it look ‘seamless.’ This pattern was not the best choice for this challenge because the double princess seams over the bust are basically impossible to pattern match (or I don’t yet have those skills). Ultimately, I went with this pattern because I wanted this shirt in my wardrobe and I have vowed to only spend time sewing things I will actually wear on a regular basis.
Fabric
The fabric I used is “Cotton Viscose Fabric Cashmere Blue Ivy Gingham’ from JoAnn. Fabric content is 60% cotton/40% viscose. It’s very soft and drapes really nicely. It also stretches just a bit on the cross grain. That wee bit of stretching meant a lot of pin basting, machine basting, hand basting and some Wonder Tape to align the fabric print over seams.
Toile
Before cutting into my fabric I did a quick toile. YES! I DID! I marked the grain lines and everything!
When I entered my measurements into Cashmerette’s website it was suggested that I sew a 14 G/H with a 2″ FBA, 18 waist and 16 hip. For the toile I went the lazy route and cut a straight 18. The thought of an FBA just was so unappealing. After messing around a bit with the toile, I settled on a 16 G/H with slight grading to an 18 for the waist and hip. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have more room over the hips if I’m going to always wear this over jeans or trousers.
Sleeve sizing: The sleeves don’t have a lot of ease below the elbows. My arms are not inordinately large – they are average sized. I would suggest anyone making this measure the sleeve width before cutting the fabric. Next time I use this pattern I will add 1/2″ ease between the elbow and the cuff.
Pattern Matching
Honestly, I don’t have much experience matching patterns. I knew that everyone else in this round of the Sewing Bee would be doing far more complicated projects (one entrant made a lined jacket, lined skirt, blouse and scarf in a WEEK – and it’s perfection) so I decided to focus on doing a very good job of practicing pattern matching on a relatively simple garment instead of trying to compete with those who sew at an advanced level. My goal was to match the main horizontal line around the bodice. There were a total of 11 seams to match around the bodice, then I also worked to have the sleeves match at the same point. The horizontal line I chose was at my waist.
First, I penciled in all of the seam allowances on the pattern pieces so I could fold them back and see where seams would intersect. I used Frixion pens to mark the fabric design. A couple of pieces were impossible to match because there were no markings (the sleeve plackets). There were also no markings on the sleeves so I did not cut those until after the bodice was completely assembled and then I marked the pattern tissue and cut.
One thing I have learned this year is the value of careful pressing and a good ham
I had one piece in the back that I was never able to align properly so it’s totally wacky at the yoke BUT it matches on the horizontal at the middle!
Sewing
Once everything is cut out and interfaced, this is a very straightforward pattern. Things that seemed complicated, like doing the button band, would be easy if it was not for the print.
Many times the pattern match was off by just a few threads.
Only one section was very confusing and that was the two piece sleeve placket. In the end, the pieces went in well and it’s very nice looking but I think the instructions could be a bit clearer (or perhaps more detailed).
Never got the plackets to match the sleeves!
The methods to attach the cuffs and button bands are very good. For the button bands, the shirt is hemmed first, then the button band is added. So if your finished hem is not precisely 3/4″, you can make the button band the length you need. The collar goes on next and, again, things fit together really nicely. It probably helped that I was being so careful to matching everything but if that’s what attention gets you then I guess I should be sew without distractions more often!
For the buttons, I used Prym self-covered button kits. I used 1/2″ covered buttons and matched the fabric to the button placket as best I could. Lesson learned: the shank portion has to be aligned perfectly with your fabric print if you want to easily match button to button band. I knew I should have bought more button kits than I needed!
Think I will need to replace that button that will not line up straight!
Conclusion
For the first time since about the year 2000, I have a button down shirt that fits well! I give a lot of credit to the crew at Cashmerette for designing a great pattern.
In looking at the gallery contest entries for the Sewing Bee I know that I won’t be moving forward and that’s okay because I am really excited to put this shirt into rotation in my wardrobe.
Sewing as an activity in my life right now …
In the last couple of months I have had a lot of success with my sewing. It’s a stupid and clichéd understatement to say that this is a ‘stressful time.’ Although I am ‘okay’, there is massive uncertainty and I would be lying if I said that there aren’t worries that keep pushing their way to the front of my mind.
One of my ways of dealing with stress is to be very present and focus on the task at hand. My earliest memory of this coping mechanism is of when I was 6 and I bonked my head very hard on a porcelain water fountain. While I waited in the classroom for a parent to pick me up, I worked on a colouring book. I recall focusing VERY hard on staying within the lines – and that kept me from freaking out over the massive goose egg that was growing on my forehead. These days I am focusing very hard on whatever it is I’m doing. It’s helping me to get through this time until we get the all clear, and also helping my sewing!
Janine Sews 