Vintage Vogue Men's Batik Shirt

(please note--the sleeves are the same length..I took the photo at a slight angle...oops!)

Roger is taking a trip soon because his daughter is graduating from Florida Gulf Coast University...and he needs a few new comfortable shirts.  I think This batik fabric and vintage Vogue Pattern #9366, make a very fashionable match! 

Washable wood buttons from Fashion Sewing Supply finish the casual look of this shirt, as does the Pro-Sheer Elegance Fusible Interfacing that has the perfect hand for this smooth lightweight cotton batik.

In case you are wondering...no...I will not be making him a pair of short-shorts as shown on the pattern envelope, LOL !  Something for which I am sure his daughter will be grateful ;)

However,  I will be writing a tutorial soon about how to professionally handle sleeve cap ease specifically on shirt sleeves after they have been set (sewn)...so stay tuned.

Vintage Pattern Enabler Alert !

I have kept quiet about this new Etsy Vintage Pattern store long enough to scope out several pattern that I wanted for myself...so now I'll share ;)   CoudreMode Vintage Patterns!

Phyllis, the shop owner, is a third generation sewist, (and one of the original Sewing Divas)  now selling many of the patterns from her own personal collection and those of her mother and Grandmother. There are patterns in her shop dating from the 30's to the 80's....really lovely styles!
(NAYY...though I do "know" Phyllis as a 'sewing friend'..and am a big fan of her sewing and fashion blog, CoudreMODE ).

Vintage Shirt - Felled Seam Technique

Progress on the Vintage Mens Shirt continues!



Now the sleeves are sewn...and I thought you might be interested in seeing how these sleeves are drafted and set. It is done differently than most methods seen in modern printed patterns.








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Take a look at these pattern pieces. I've marked the stitching lines so that you can see that the sleeve seam allowance is twice as wide as the corresponding seam on the shirt back (and front, not shown). The seam allowance of the sleeve is 1", and the armscye seam allowance is 1/2".

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As you can see in the photo below, when the stitching line of the sleeve and armscye are matched (right sides together), the sleeve cap allowance extends beyond that of the shirt. The sleeve is set by stitching along the stitching line of the armscye. It's much easier to do if you first mark the 1/2" seam allowance as you can see by the blue lines. When you've set sleeves this way several times, you can just do it by sight. In fact, when I hand-draft shirts, I almost always draft the sleeve allowance at twice the width of the armscye allowance.

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Here is the sleeve set into the armscye, from the wrong side. Because the sleeve seam allowance is wider, it is "auto-magically" ready to be felled...with no trimming needed!

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To begin felling the seam, just fold and press the larger sleeve seam allowance over the smaller one, enclosing it. In the photo below, the allowance is pressed at the bottom of the photo, and still open near the top of the photo.

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When the sleeve allowance is completely pressed over the armscyce allowance, next press BOTH allowances towards the shirt. Look...an "instant" felled seam !

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All that remains to finish setting the sleeves is to topstitch a scant 1/2" away from the well of the seam from the RIGHT SIDE, through all layers....as shown below.

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And this is how the felled sleeve seam looks from the wrong side, after the topstitching is complete. Nice and smooth, neat and easy...with no raw edges.

Now I just have to choose buttons, sew the side seams and hem, and talk Roger into modeling the shirt...along with the 100 other things I have to do today. But the laundry can wait, can't it? :)

Vintage Shirt....So Far, So Good!

I am very pleased with the way the vintage mens shirt pattern I chose to make for part of DH Roger's Birthday present is coming along. Although his birthday was yesterday....age is just a number, right? :)

So..here is what I have completed so far: Pockets attached, Back Yoke and Shoulder seams sewn, Collar made and attached and the Facings attached.

Below are 2 "looks". The collar is laid flat in the first photo, and in the second photo, the collar is "rolled". Please bear in mind as you look at these photos, that this is a "work in progress" and hasn't yet had a final press. Yes, the collar is the same length on both sides...it appears longer on one side because the point of the collar is right against the black of the print fabric.

So which look do like the most? The flat collar, or the one with a roll?


SEWING NOTES : Pockets cut on Bias, Collar and Facings interfaced with PRO-SHEER ELEGANCE Fusible Interfacing from ~Fashion Sewing Supply~

Amy asked an interesting question:

"...I like both collars, but I think I favor the rolled. Is there a difference in the way they will be sewn or can he choose which way he wants to wear it?"

If he decides he likes the rolled look, all it will take is a few stitches. But not at the place you might expect. :) Unlike a "button down shirt" where small buttons hold the collar roll, this type of collar is secured at center back to "hold the roll".

Here's why and how: When a convertible collar like this one lays flat, it sits slightly below the seam that attaches it to the neckline of the shirt-back. To hold a roll in a convertible collar, a ShirtMaker (this time little ole me, lol) matches the bottom edge of the collar to the stitching line EXACTLY where the "well" of the seam that attaches the collar to the back neck is located (at center back). Then from the wrong side of the shirt, a few stitches are taken to hold it there. And that's all it takes to "hold the roll."

Karla also asked a thoughtful question:

"...if one were to conceal a tiny snap at the CB of the collar, with the other side of the snap at the seamline on the shirt, would that have the same effect as taking those few stitches? Another possibility - thread loop concealed in the collar seam and a tiny hook on the underside of the collar? The advantages (IMO) would be leaving the collar style up to the wearer and allowing the collar to be ironed while it was flattened - and I am all about making ironing easier."

Sure Karla...that can be done. I'd probably go with a very small snap, rather than a thread loop/hook/eye...I think it would be more stable. Of course, care would have to be taken when pressing the shirt and collar so that an imprint of the snap would not be transferred to the collar.
If Roger decides he likes the roll collar...I'll make sure to take it out of the dryer as soon as it's dry. Then I'll put the shirt on a hangar, button the top button, and shoot some steam into the rolled collar and immediately smooth it with my hands.

The BETTER Pattern...and Why

This is the pattern I chose for Roger's shirt.

And here's why....

It is the most "elegant" draft among the group of patterns shown in yesterday's post (below). What do I mean by "elegant" ? It has to do with the shape of the pattern pieces.

The separate facing piece gives me the option of using a contrast fabric.

The yoke is curved enough to flow smoothly against the body, but not so much to "ripple" when it is joined to the back.

Now take a close look at the yoke piece (#5). Do you see the very subtle curve of the shoulder line? When joined to the straight front shoulder, it will raise the back of the shirt ever-so-slightly, allowing it to flow smoothly over the body's shoulder-blades.

Next, the sleeves...those beautifully drafted sleeves! A nice slope down in front, and just enough of a rounded shape along the back 2/3 of the cap. Why does this matter? For the short sleeve shirt I plan to make, this higher cap will mitigate a short sleeve's tendency to "wing out". With the coarse cotton fabric I've chosen to use for this shirt, this is very important because I cannot count on the drape of the fabric to help the sleeves fall in soft folds.

Finally, the collar. Notice its delicious curves! It will lay smoothly against the body's neck and collar-bone...and eliminate the tendency that some shirt collars have to "stack" (ride up on the neck).

Contrast the "elegant" draft above to this draft,
which is OK...but just OK.

The main reason this shirt pattern was not chosen, is because it is "flat".
Flat yoke, flat sleeve cap, flat collar. In my opinion, the first shirt pattern is superior. While there is nothing really "wrong" with this pattern, the first one shown is just more "elegantly" drafted.
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I was asked, "Pam, If we take a "flat" pattern and add the little refinements you mentioned - curved front yoke seam, curved shirt back, more sleeve cap height - will we improve an ordinary pattern, or just make a serious mess of it?"

While you can make changes to a pattern that is already drafted, you need to be careful. "LESS IS MORE." Small changes, like very gently curving the back seam (where it joins the yoke) can be done successfully. Bear in mind that this particular change will lengthen that part of the seam, and you will need to ease it to the yoke, or take up a bit more in the back pleat so that it fits the yoke. Adding height to the sleeve cap is possible, again if done with restraint. If drastic changes are made to the shape of the sleeve cap, changes need to be made to the armscye...and that's where making refinements to patterns can quickly get out of hand. Lastly, curving in the shoulder seam of the back yoke can be done, again, with restraint....it needs to be a very shallow (no more than 3/16") "scoop"...otherwise the back will pull up oddly from the underarm point to the shoulder after the shirt is completely sewn.

Vintage Patterns, circa 1945-1955

Favorites from my collection of vintage patterns.

Vintage Pattern Drafts

These are vintage shirt patterns drafted circa 1940-1959. Notice the subtle shaping of the pattern pieces.