Finally Finshed! Shirt with Wrap-Over Angled Yoke

Designing and drafting the pattern for this shirt was so much fun, 

and stitching it was even better!

In the post below this one, you will see the pattern and the "muslin" (test garment) for this style.  I only needed to make some very small changes to arrive at the finished shirt, involving the shape of the sleeve cap. It just needed to be a little flatter and a bit longer.

 Balancing details is important when designing menswear that differs from the norm. I did not want this shirt to veer into "western" territory, and of course I did not want it to look like a "blouse".  So I added a traditionally shaped pocket, and carried the piped accents of the yoke to the sleeve and pocket. The addition of a white band collar cut straight at center front (rather than rounded) and traditional white shirt buttons "marching" down the the front placket finish the look.

SEWING NOTES--  Shirting fabric from www.GorgeousFabrics.com, Collar interfaced with Pro-Woven Shirt Crisp Fusible Interfacing from www.FashionSewingSupply.com  Buttons are from the Light Assortment of "Buttons-by-the-Scoop" from www.FashionSewingSupply.com.

What I'm working on...Shirt with Angled Yoke

I started this design last week, but have been very busy since my blog-interview with the lovely Gertie!

When finished (sometime next week, I hope)...this will be a Man's Shirt with a one-piece *angled* wrap-over Yoke. Excuse the poor sketch (I cannot draw) and blurry pic of the "working pattern".  

This first muslin was pretty good and I've made some minor changes to the final pattern.  Right side of shirt is shown...

When drafting a shirt for a man where the yoke wraps over the shoulder and ends at a deep angle in the front, shape needs to be "built-into" the yoke so that the shirt  lays smoothly along the shoulder.  While you will sometimes see a design like this for women or children...there are very few angled (one piece) yoke styles found among commercial patterns for men.  In menswear this look is usually accomplished by a separate piece that is stitched to the shirt fronts (like western shirts, for example).

How to Iron a Shirt....the professional way.

 Recently in comments, Cissie complimented me about how well pressed my shirts are, and asked me for some tips.  So I have chosen to show you this video from T.M.Lewin, makers of fine men's shirts and other haberdashery, in business since 1898 located on Jermyn Street, London.  (Worthy of mentioning--they have been making fine shirts for well over 100 years, and now even they use fusible interfacing in many styles of their  shirts!)

I was taught to iron my finished shirts in this manner during my shirtmaking/tailoring training, and have been doing it this way for 30 years.  ...and yes, this is "ironing".

Please note the following--

• Iron one "cuff and sleeve" and the associated half of the  yoke...then iron the other "cuff and sleeve", and the remaining half of the yoke (only one sleeve side is demonstrated in this video).
• Note how only the CB of the collar is ironed when folded.
• Remember to fasten the top button before ironing the body of the shirt...it makes a huge difference.
• Perhaps the most useful tip in this process that will make the most difference in how your pressed shirt looks is this-- Use the heel (back wide end of the sole plate) of your iron to do the "work" when ironing places like the cuff and collar. This is fully demonstrated in the video, and really does make a difference!