3 Shirts in 3 Days

For me to sew 3 shirts in 3 days is not an unusual thing. Usually I can sew at least 3 shirts in a day, but with all the business duties on my agenda these days,  it's extraordinary that I had the time to squeeze these into my schedule at all!  However, DH Roger needed a few more shirts, the fabric was there, so now there are 3 new shirts in his closet...

^ CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE and see Details ^

ALL OF THESE SHIRTS ARE OF MY ORIGINAL DESIGN, 

THE PATTERNS DRAFTED BY HAND.

Shirt #1 is made from Plaid Cotton Shirting fabric, and features bias details and a "Cigar Pocket".

Shirt #2 is made from very average quality Cotton Oxford Cloth fabric, in a traditional design.

Shirt #3 is made from Cotton Chambray fabric, and features a right front "Prince" seam, and a buttoned "Cigar Pocket"

Click HERE for a FREE PATTERN DIAGRAM for the "Cigar Pocket" 

Sewing notes-- Fabrics from my shirt-making stash, PRO-WOVEN Fusible INTERFACING and BUTTONS from FASHION SEWING SUPPLY.

I recently had a question via my Facebook page asking about shirt patterns that I would recommend.

These are the pattern companies with good mens shirt patterns, in my opinion. I've tried them all in the past, and have gotten good results. Not as good as a custom draft, but compared to most commercial mens shirt patterns, the menswear patterns from these companies are quite good..again, in my opinion--

• Jalie
• Kwik Sew 
• Islander Sewing Systems

The styles and design features vary, but all the patterns are well drafted and each company provides good instructions.

A Linen Shirt....a little rough around the edges

Made for a client, this menswear shirt is an original design.
It is made from a beautiful linen from Gorgeous Fabrics that I distressed heavily.

"Roughing up" fabrics is one of my favorite things to do. Usually I distress fabric before it is cut and sewn. This time I pre-washed the fabric just once in hot water and tossed it into a hot dryer to get the "shrink" out. Then I pressed the yardage lightly leaving some fine wrinkles, and cut and sewed the shirt. After it was complete, it went into the wash again, along with several tennis balls....going through several cycles in hot water. Then the shirt was dried in a hot dryer and the result was a soft linen shirt with lots of drape.

The edges of the shirt, its design features, and felled seams are now slightly faded, highlighting them nicely. What looks like white lines on the shirt are actually tiny 16th-inch pin tucks...one on the bias near the right shoulder, another down the front of the shirt to the right of CF, and another pin tuck on the pocket, again on bias.

The hem is straight :) The distressed linen is draping in soft folds.

SEWING NOTES: Hand Drafted Pattern, interfaced with PRO-WEFT Fusible Interfacing from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~, Buttons from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~, Fabric from Gorgeous Fabrics.

Popular Pockets...Free Patterns for you!

Some of my most popular shirts have featured my "Cigar Pocket"
and the "Angle Edge Pocket".

I get many questions about them, so while I had these pocket patterns out on the cutting table, I snapped this pic to share them with you. As you can see below, the dimensions are shown on a grid. The pocket hems are meant to have a double turn of 1", and are drafted with a 3/8" seam allowance. On the "Cigar Pocket", a one-inch slot is made by topstitching the pocket on the straight side, after the pocket is sewn to the shirt.

(CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE)

Prince Seam Shirt with Bias Details

(Click photo to enlarge and see detail, click browser "back-button" to return to blog)

This "Prince Seam" shirt is made from an unusual corded rayon/cotton blend shirting. The fabric has a slight sheen and was a delight to cut and sew. An Original design, the side panel and sleeve plackets were cut on the bias to highlight the characteristics of the fabric.

Men's Hemp Shirt With Vintage Styling

I was recently commissioned by a client to design a shirt based on a circa 1940's pattern that he found at an estate sale. A fan of my "prince seam", he asked that it be incorporated into the design. My client also requested his favorite pocket, my "cigar" pocket that features one straight side and one curved side. This tobacco-brown hemp shirt is the result of my slight redesign of the vintage pattern draft.

Vintage details to notice include the high set and wide spread of the collar and the long, almost elbow-length sleeve plackets.

The Islander Shirt

Having been a longtime devotee of Islander Sewing Systems , I was anxious to try the new shirt designed by Janet Pray. My version is shown here in heavily distressed silk dupioni. I made it to the exact pattern specs, with the exception of adding my "Cigar Pocket" at the request of a client.

Since I usually draft my own patterns for my shirt designs, I am very picky about printed patterns. The Islander Shirt far exceeded my expectations.

The pattern is perfectly drafted, with clever details like the subtle curved hemline
that makes this style a cut above other "camp shirt" silhouettes. The instructions are precise and include the famous Islander "Burrito" technique, and well as a technique to set sleeves that every sewist should learn. The shirt is oversized without being sloppy, and the cut lends itself to many fabrics...though soft drapey fabrics will enhance the clever way this pattern is designed. It's definitely a winning style that I will make again and again!