A Classic Shirt...with Color Contrast Details
This menswear shirt is of my original design, and was so much fun to sew because of its mix of design elements. This shirt's main design feature are the contrasting front button plackets. As you can see, the left placket is cut on the bias and the right placket is made from solid white fabric. To complete the 'contrast' design theme of this shirt, the inner yoke, inner cuffs, and collar stand were also cut from the same solid white fabric used on the right placket. Other design features include Curved Edge Cuffs, Bias Sleeve Plackets, and a Rounded Pocket.Before I get to the sewing notes, let me apologize for the rather poor quality of the photograph. I only had few minutes to pin the shirt to my photo-wall, snap the pic, then press the shirt again before packing it and getting to the Post Office before it closed :)
SEWING NOTES: Fabric is Swiss Cotton from my personal shirt-making stash, PRO-WOVEN FUSIBLE INTERFACING and Buttons
from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~
Oh...just one more thing. If you enjoy my blog, would you please vote for it ?
Just look to the left, and you will see a small black and red box with a place to "click to vote". Thanks in advance for your vote...it will help rank my blog a little higher at Seamingly.com...Thanks again :)
Labels: Shirt Designs
17 Comments:
I picked up a couple of Kwik Sew patterns because I feel it's about time to start sewing for the husband. You will definitely be a resource for shirtmaking. I love how you arranged the stripes! That shirt is just fabulous.
What a great shirt. I love it! Very inspiring.
U've got my vote. Love your blog and the shirt is gorgeous!
Lisa in Sonora
so pretty!
You must stay awake nights thinking of new, innovative ways to make a man's shirt unusual and elegant. This one is just amazing.
Pam
In order to have the contrast in the plackets, how do you figure that when dealing with the pattern. Do you cut the front about a half of an inch from either side of the center front? In other words what kind of patterns adjustments are made to achieve this. The shirt is excellent.
Thank You
Marie
First, thank-you all for your nice comments...and your votes!
Marie, what you describe is an "extended placket", but no, I did not do that with this shirt. I just cut the *right sewn-on placket* in a different color ;) I made no adjustments to the pattern at all.
Smashing idea and tutorial. I voted.
Lydia
Using contrast plackets, collars and cuffs is also a good way to stretch the dreaded "not enough fabric" dilemma and the "I hate to toss this wonderfully funky print" dilemma. It's wonderful to make a plain vanilla chambray or denim shirt and put the last of my electric blue poisonous frog print inside the cuff and neckband and under the collar. Nice careful layout on the stripes.
Pam when drafting shirts for a new client, do you make a muslin from your draft for each client before you cut into the shirt fabric, or do you make up the shirts based on the measurement?
Marie
Pam~
I also picked up a Kwik Sew to start my hand at making some casual shirts for DH, thanks SO much for all the tutorials, it will help me as I re learn things as I had not sewn for quite a few years now~
What is the most difficult for me is re entering the world of sewing with all the new lycra fabrics but the linens, cottons etc thank goodness has remained the same! ( I Hope!)
Great details - the contrast and bias sections!
Marie... I have a few different ways that I work with my clients.
For new clients who are not local, I ask them how tall they are and what size shirt they wear off the rack. Then I make a very simple shirt in that size in my lowest price range for them. I apply my style and design ease to the basic measurements for that size shirt, and also ask them if their off-the-rack shirts seem to need a little longer sleeve, and some other questions to guide me. If we get an good fit on that first shirt (based on a photograph they send back to me), and we usually do, then I can use that basic pattern for other shirts with more details or other style features when they order their next shirt.
My local clients get much more personalized service. They either come to my studio or I meet them in their office to get a complete set of measurements. After working as a tailor for such a long time, that process goes very quickly. I then make a quick, very plain "fitting garment" for our next appt. If changes need to be made, I mark them on this "fitting garment". Then the client and I decide on fabric, style, and design details for the final shirt.
I then have a basic pattern for each of my clients, all ready to customize with design details.
At this time I am not accepting any new clients because of the state of my health and the growth of my other business,
Fashion Sewing Supply
My current clients keep me (with a little help from 2 cutters I employ) quite busy. On *average* I sew up to 8-10 shirts a week depending on the season.
Love your bog - have no idea about seamingly.com - think that is a strange thing to vote in a place for an internet site that no-one really folows or does not come up in a search for sewing blogs??? Don't get why you are asking for that???
Just went to look at seamingly.com and read their "About" section. If I had a business such as Pam's, I'd want my blog to be at least in the first page since seamingly.com lists them in order of popularity. Off the Cuff is the first listed. Way to go, Pam!
You are such an inspiration. I voted for you!
You are just fabulous and very inspirational...You got my vote already
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