"Wrinkle Free" does not equal "Hassle Free"

Give me wonderfully fine Swiss Cotton Shirting any day....over shirting fabrics marked "Easy Care".

Ladies and gentlemen, it took me HOURS to sew this shirt...a design that should have taken 2 hours max.  Why?  It's made from "easy-care" aka "no wrinkle" fabric that I was foolish enough to buy during a sale when my regular shirting fabric suppliers were a little low on selection.

Can you even see that the contrast fabric is white with blue pinstripes?  Probably not, since the fabric has a strange sheen that made photography a challenge no matter what camera settings I used.

I hope my client likes it....because the only thing I didn't have to do twice on this shirt was match the checks and fuse the interfacing..those two things were easy.  The rest, like creasing folds and getting perfectly even topstitching, was a challenge.  And of course, I chose to add bias details, because gee whiz when the fabric is strange to sew with, you might as well frustrate yourself  further by placing crucial parts like the collar band and cuffs on bias, right?

Ah well..I will soothe myself today by working with some delicious Italian Shirting cotton..that's woven so finely it resists raveling. And so I will stay with "Ravel-resistant" and skip "Wrinkle Resistant" from now on.

Shirt with Cross-Cut Collar

 I just had a few moments to slap attempt to carefully pin this new shirt design onto my photo-wall and snap a pic before we needed to box it up for the mail-carrier who was very patiently waiting for us to get our act together ;)

So...please forgive the wrinkles ?

As crummy as the photograph is, I am very happy with this shirt. It is an original design for a very special client and features design details that I think work together nicely.  The collar is cut on the cross-grain, and is shaped so that the collar stripes intersect at a right-angle with the stripes on the shirt front.  The left front button placket is also cut on the cross-grain. I mirrored this detail on the extra-wide sleeve plackets and the banded pocket.

Now that this shirt is on its way to my client...it's on to the next.  But I think I'll finally take some time to sew for myself this weekend! I desperately need new pants and some tops. Client work can wait until Monday, don't you think?

SEWING NOTES:  Collar and Cuffs interfaced with "Pro-Woven Shirt Crisp Fusible", and "Latte" Color Designer Shirt Buttons both from www.FashionSewingSupply.com  Cotton Poplin shirt fabric is from my shirting stash.

Rush Order Shirts....4 down, 2 to go!

Here are a couple of quick pics of  2 of the 6 rush order shirts that need to be sent  to my clients by Saturday. I managed to get 4 of them shipped yesterday, and I have been given an extension until Monday for the others if I need it...and with my other business obligations, I probably will ;)  Anyway, please bear in mind that these pics were snapped in a hurry, right before they were due to be shipped....  Am I making excuses for crummy photos?  Yes, lol.

This shirt, hastily folded in half and "pin draped" on my photo wall, is made from light-weight textured cotton/linen gauze.  Please do not think I am losing my mind or skills... it's supposed to look rumpled and crumpled :)  I was going for the "Couture Limp Dishcloth" look, and I think I hit the mark with this one!  ;)

I had just enough time to get this batik shirt on my "man-form" and snap a pic before I needed to get it folded, packed and on its way. I just love the color of this one...don't you?  It reminds me of a tropical sea.

SEWING NOTES-- Patterns are original hand-drafted designs.  Pro-Sheer Elegance Interfacing used on the gauze shirt, Pro-Woven Shirt-Crisp Interfacing and Coconut Buttons used on the cotton batik shirt. 
Interfacing and Buttons are from  Fashion Sewing Supply.

Shirt with Chevron Pocket...and Bias Details

This shirt is one of my original designs, 

and is made from cotton seersucker fabric. 

Sometimes working with seersucker fabric sucks is not easy. This particular seersucker fabric was a challenge because it was quite loosely woven, and because I chose to add bias details to this design. So I needed a way to reinforce them properly. Luckily, I was able to stabilize the bias details on the front button placket and sleeve bands with one of the custom-milled Interfacings I developed...a very light and flexible interfacing that can be applied with lower heat settings, PRO-SHEER Elegance Fusible Interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply.  My client wanted a casual shirt that would look slightly "crushed" and that would be very lightweight and comfortable to wear. The unique features of PRO-SHEER Elegance Interfacing made it possible to control the bias without making it stiff.  If I had used  virtually any other interfacing, the bias bands would have prevented the sleeves from draping naturally, and the shirt would have lost the soft casual look I wanted for my client.

Here is a close-up of the Chevron Pocket, Bias Button Placket, and Bias Sleeve Bands. I apologize for the quality of the photos...I really need a new camera :)

CLICK PICTURES TO ENLARGE and see more detail.

Roger's turn !

  I took a break from boring business paperwork to sew this shirt for my wonderful husband Roger. He's been seeing shirt after shirt being sent to my clients,  so I thought he more than deserves a new shirt too !

The fabric is wonderfully unusual...a medium weight cotton shirting with highly textured stripes that vary in thickness. This shirt was a huge challenge to photograph, and the photo does not do justice to the beautiful fabric.

SEWING NOTES:   Collar, Cuffs, and Bias Plackets interfaced with PRO-WEFT Fusible Interfacing from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~, Buttons from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~, Fabric from my personal stock of shirting fabrics collected over the years ;)

 

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 Summer Shirt....Featuring a "seamless" Lined Pocket

Where did the summer go?

This is likely the last short sleeve shirt I'll make for a client this season!

Made from fine Swiss Cotton Shirting fabric,
This shirt features a lined bias pocket and a bias back yoke.

As you can see in the photo below, the client also requested a CB "Locker Loop" that I made a bit more interesting by tying a knot in the center.
By the way, these CB loops are making a comeback in fine RTW...

I found that I needed to line the pocket of this shirt. The fabric is very lightweight, and the vertical stripes of the shirt-front clearly showed though the bias stripes of the first unlined pocket I made. Since a seamed lining on a pocket crafted from fine cotton will show ugly ridges when pressed, I prefer to line a shirt pocket without seams.

Here's How:

• First, prepare the pocket by pressing all edges into their finished position, but do not stitch the pocket hem...yet.
  

• Then, cut a lining from lightweight fabric that is the exact size and shape of the finished pocket. I used Pro-Woven Standard Interfacing #1 Lightweight.

• Next, just tuck the pocket lining into (under) all the pressed folds of the pocket. The photo below shows all but one side of the lining inserted into the pocket.
  

• After all the edges of the pocket lining are tucked into the folds of the pocket, and the lining is flat and smooth, stitch the pocket hem as shown below.

• Now you are ready to stitch the pocket onto the shirt...where your top-stitching or edge-stitching will "auto-magically" secure the remaining edges of the lining.
  

A Classic Summer Shirt...of Light Textured Silk

I recently designed this Classic Summer Sport Shirt
for one of my favorite clients.

Made from the lightweight textured silk shirting pictured to the left, it features a pocket and sleeves accented with piping.

To give this 1950's inspired shirt a modern look, it also features a straight-edge collar stand and an angled "Spade Hem".

SEWING NOTES: Original design hand-drafted pattern, Fabric from my collection of shirting fabrics, Collar unit interfaced with PRO-SHEER ELEGANCE Fusible Interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply.

The Vintage Shirt....Completed

Here it is...my husband Roger's "Birthday" shirt,

made with a vintage Butterick pattern (#1481)

Here is Roger wearing his new shirt. He decided he liked the flat collar better than when it was folded with a "roll." Tee-hee...he looks so happy doesn't he ? He really is a nice guy and does love the shirt...really. Modeling? Not so much!

As I said in previous posts, I had high hopes for this pattern because of the way it is drafted. And the proof was in the sewing...it went together beautifully, each piece meeting its match perfectly. Further proof is the terrific fit...right out of the envelope. I really like the way the collar lays, the fit at the shoulders, and how the sleeves do not have that awful "wing-out".

I will definitely make this shirt again, and use it for clients. Even though Roger and I both like the funky retro vibe of this particular version of this shirt, for future versions I may change the collar (making it less pointed/ more narrow), to reflect current style trends.

SEWING NOTES: All seams are Flat Felled. Interfaced with PRO-SHEER ELEGANCE Interfacing from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~, Cotton fabrics from my stash.

Nancy K asked, "Did you do the flat fell seams in the body of the shirt the same way as you did the sleeves?"

Yes Nancy, I did....well almost the same way. When I was cutting out the shirt, I used 1" seam allowances on the side seams of the body and sleeves. Then I trimmed the back allowances to 1/2", and proceeded to fell them as I did the sleeve cap seams.

A Shirt for Me ! ...with Release Tucks

OK, I promise...
This is my last version of the Brensan Sew Simple Shirt...for a while.

On this shirt I added cuffs to the sleeves, and instead of sewing the vertical darts, I made "Release Tucks". Making release tucks is very easy to do...even on a shirt or blouse that does not have marked darts. And it can be done after the shirt is completely finished!

Just try the shirt on...inside out. Now pinch out about a 1/2-3/4 inch "tuck" near the waist area on each shirt front, and pin it vertically. Turn the shirt right side out and try it on, making adjustments if necessary. Next, from the wrong side stitch each tuck, with a simple straight line of stitching that is about 2-4 inches long.

Here's a quick photo of the shirt from the wrong side, showing one tuck sewn and pressed towards the center front.


SEWING NOTES: Collar, Cuffs, and Front Facing
interfaced with PRO-SHEER ELEGANCE Fusible Interfacing from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~, Italian Cotton Shirting Fabric from my stash, Buttons from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~.

Can you have too many white shirts ?

...I don't think so!

This is another version of the Brensan "Sew Simple Shirt"....this time with long sleeves, from a very soft, almost gauze-like novelty cotton fabric. The sleeves were made exactly per the pattern specifications, and are wide enough at the hemline to be able to roll up to elbow length. I plan to wear this blouse open over a white tank top, with jeans and white strappy sandals...for a breezy casual look.

I have yet another shirt cut from this pattern, a long sleeve version with sleeve cuffs from a beautiful Swiss cotton shirting. Then I will tear myself away from this pattern and move on to other things. Next up are 2 tailored linen jackets among the many sewing projects I have planned for June.

SEWING NOTES: I did make changes to this version of this blouse: I lengthened the collar by about 1/2" and did not sew the darts. Interfaced with ProSheer Elegance Fusible Interfacing from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~. Buttons from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~.

I've been asked some questions about this shirt--

When you say "lengthened the collar" - what do you mean?

On the first version of this shirt, the collar appeared a little short...it was wide enough, it just didn't appear long enough (just purely my perception). So this time I split the collar pattern at CB and added 1/2". Now it extends along the neckline a little further...1/4" on each side. It's really fine as drafted, I just wanted to make a little change.

Is the notch lower than it is on your first version?

I didn't change anything but the length of the collar. Although now the turnback facing ("lapel", "revers") is now shorter, because the collar is longer :) ....am I making sense? LOL

And when you plan to roll the sleeves, how do you do the seams -French seams? Flat-felled?

This time I did flat fell seams. Because the fabric is so light I was able to just turn both seam allowances and stitch them down, without first trimming one of them.

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.

A Distressed Silk Shirt...by client request

Made for a very special client, this shirt is an original design. Made from heavy silk dupioni, the fabric was washed once to pre-treat. The pattern pieces were laid on the cross-grain of the fabric and the shirt was cut and stitched. It was then washed several more times in hot water. After a hot cycle in the dryer, the shirt was gloriously soft and the slubs raised irregularly. This gave the gave the garment the soft, slouchy look I wanted it to have.

Design features include a vertical, flat felled Prince Seam (on the right side), banded Sleeves, double top Buttons, and a vertical flat-fell seamed Pocket with top band.

***For my method to make symmetrical pockets with a nice sharp point, check out my tutorial "Perfect Pockets Every Time"

Sewing Notes: Collar and Lapel interfaced with Pro-Weft Fusible Interfacing from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~,
Buttons from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~, Fabric from my stash.

No Pointed Collar and Rough Around the Edges

This original shirt design was made for one of my favorite clients...who lets me freely experiment with fabric and design. His only requests? "No pointed collar, black fabric, and make it look sort of rough."

Here's the result...
A supremely comfortable band collar shirt with a "Prince Seam"
made from a Medium-weight silk/hemp blend fabric.

Making it "rough" was fun! Usually I distress fabric before I cut and sew. This time I pre-washed the fabric very gently...just to get some of the "shrink" out of it. Then I took it out of the dryer and merely smoothed out the fabric...leaving some fine wrinkles....and cut and sewed the shirt. After it was complete, I tossed it into the washer along with several (clean) tennis balls, and ran it through 10 (yes ten!) cycles. Don't worry. I didn't waste water, I just kept re-setting the cycle. After a long tumble in the dryer (set on hot), the shirt was gloriously soft, the flat-fell seams nicely puckered and "worn looking", and the fabric slightly faded.

Here is the back view....showing the edge-stitched box pleat.

The best part? My client is thrilled with his new shirt...and that's what it's all about!

Sewing Notes: Hand-drafted Original Design, Buttons and Pro-Woven Shirt-crisp Fusible Interfacing from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~, Fabric from Hemp Traders.

A Favorite...Textured Silk/Hemp Prince Seam Shirt

This shirt style is a perennial favorite among many of my clients.

Made from a richly textured blend of silk and hemp, this original design features a "Prince Seam", a narrow band collar, pewter buttons, and angle edge cuffs and pocket.

SEWING NOTES: Fabric from Hemp Traders, Interfaced with PRO-WEFT Fusible Interfacing from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~

Men's Shirt with Straight Collar Stand

This is my newest original hand-drafted shirt design...

a classic dress shirt with some interesting design details.

This shirt, made from fine Swiss Cotton shirting features a bias cut front button placket and bias sleeve plackets.

Also, when you take a close look at the collar, you will see that its stand is not drafted with a curved front edge, rather it is straight...flush with the button placket.

Sewing Notes: Interfaced with ProWoven Fusible Interfacing from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~ Shirting Fabric from Gorgeous Fabrics

Hemp Shirt...by Client Request

Recently I was discussing a client's wardrobe needs. He told me about a favorite shirt that he has had for many years that is now nearly in shreds. He asked if I would design a similar style, this time from hemp. This shirt is the result...
...its slightly rumpled "distressed" look is entirely intentional.

I suggested buttons on the chest pockets,
but the client opted for open pockets.

Made from a cotton/hemp blend from Hemp Traders, the fabric was  distressed by washing it several times in hot water with a splash of vinegar.

After the shirt was sewn,
it was distressed further by "sanding" random areas.



SEWING NOTES:
Fabric from Hemp Traders. Interfaced with Pro-Weft Fusible Interfacing from
~Fashion Sewing Supply~

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.

BACHELOR PLEAT (TM)...Revisited

MORE ABOUT the BACHELOR PLEAT (TM)...

Recently I've had some additional questions about the shirt detail I call the "Bachelor Pleat".

"Is the name trademarked, or the actual pleat?"

...Just the name.

"Isn't this just an inverted box-pleat with an insert?"

...Well, not "just" a box pleat. What differentiates this pleat is how it is finessed. Please note the photograph below. The back of a Bachelor Pleat shirt is shown, along with a close-up of the area where the Back meets the Yoke (click on the photo to see detail, use "back button" to return).

First, note the pleat folds. Both the inner and outer folds are edge-stitched along their entire length before the pleat is stitched to the yoke. Now look closely at the area right where the pleat joins the yoke. See the slight overlap? It's very tiny, but one side of the pleat overlaps the other by a miniscule amount. Why? It helps the pleat lay smoothly when the shirt is worn, and strengthens the pleat where it meets the yoke.

"Why is it called a Bachelor Pleat?"

...I first introduced shirts with this pleat detail during the 1980's. One of my clients told me how convenient this design is for bachelors like himself, because he could just take the shirt out of the clothes-dryer and put it on....with no ironing! I've called this design detail The Bachelor Pleat (TM) ever since.

The Bachelor Pleat (tm)

The Bachelor Pleat (tm)
Originally uploaded by Pamela I. E..

Originally designed for a musician who needed both high style and comfortable ease of movement, THE BACHELOR PLEAT (tm) has become a favorite of many OTC clients...bankers, brokers, golfers, and musicians alike! Gosh, even engineers like it!

This carefully engineered back pleat can be added to any OTC design.

The BACHELOR PLEAT (tm) is perfect for the needs of the average bachelor: Throw it in the washer, take it out of the dryer, and wear it with style!