Hello my dear readers!
I’m sorry I haven’t posted in months, please forgive me. I have, in fact, been sewing but it takes time and so does work, and my studies in Graphic Design, and housework and a million other things. Unfortunately, when it comes to what I can skip this week to keep my full schedule rolling, I usually choose sewing and blogging to sacrifice. Luckily, I make zero money on this blog and I’m not a professional or attempting to be internet famous.
Thank goodness for that, I’m busy enough.
However, as I mentioned, I am sewing a little, just not as much right now. I’ve actually completed four sewing projects this winter, which sounds a bit pathetic, but they were almost all very involved. The most complicated of these was a button-down shirt.
The breakdown:
Pattern: The Bruyere Shirt, by Deer and Doe Patterns
Fabric: Mid-weight Cotton Flannel
Needle: 80
Skill level: Intermediate
Can I just say, I love this shirt. I wear it weekly, and not just because my workplace has opted for “Flannel Fridays” in an attempt to break away from the uniforms. (It’s like casual Friday, but far fewer options.) This pattern is a gem. Lots of pieces, yes, and fussy matching using a plaid fabric, but wow! The fit is so nice in the finished product, and it’s super flattering. I love this pattern. I will likely make it again in a lightweight sleeveless version, and wow, I can’t wait to make the other one I bought, the Bluet, a shirtdress with princess seams and cap sleeves.
I did make a few mistakes on this one, most of which I will repair at some point. I think my sleeves are a smidge to long, and the cuffs are a bit too wide, they stick out weirdly from my wrists like little wings. I also should close up the slash above the cuff somewhat, it’s too wide and too long. I have tiny little elven wrists, so this happens all the time when I do sleeves with cuffs. I have some wandering plaid on the waistband. Also, the hem is slightly uneven at the button placket bottom, which I blame the plaid for entirely. It led me astray, thinking all was even as I hemmed. That’s right. It’s the fabric’s fault, not mine!
Ahem. Where were we?
The plaid matches. Oh, yes it does.
Oh, right, fabric. This darling fabric was purchased expressly for this project. I know, I told myself I was going to burn a hole in my stash this past year. I have been diligently using up fabrics, trying to get the pile to shrink, finishing my UFO drawers, and generally being a good girl. When the “Flannel Fridays” thing came out at work, though…I have exactly two plaid shirts, and neither is flannel. To be honest, I doubt most of my coworkers understand the difference between a plaid shirt and a flannel shirt, but the picture on the poster shows a plaid shirt, so most of us just go for plaid and forget the flannel part. However, this is Ohio, and winter is a definite season here, so I opted for purchasing actual plaid flannel to be stylish and warm. I layer a chunky cardigan over the shirt and wear my denim leggings underneath with my cute boots and I’m ready for work, sans uniform.
(I know, people call them ‘jeggings’ but I flatly refuse to on general principle. I don’t like smooshing words together. It’s just…wrong. Spellcheck agrees with me.)
CUTE BUTTONS!
I also was going to use stash buttons for this project, I had some steel filigree type all picked out from the button box…and they just didn’t work. I ended up in the button aisle at JoAnn’s, splurging on these amazingly cute (and expensive) black and white little guys. They are perfect, so no regrets there, and I had a coupon anyway.
One suggestion I would make is perhaps to make a few extra pieces from the waistband and maybe put some lightweight interfacing in there to help it stiffen up a little. Perhaps a bit of interfacing int he collar too, it’s kind of wrinkle prone when I wear it. But there are wonderful facings inside on the back yoke. I finished my main seams with some bias tape to keep them from unraveling as flannel enjoys doing. I also loved having directions in both English and French, though my command of that language is not so great that I understood them all, but I appreciated them all the same
I really appreciate how this shirt is on the long side, giving me some coverage over my derriere to wear leggings (because I just can’t wear them without coverage. I feel like it isn’t a look that would work for me.) The curved hem is quite lovely as well. There are some wonderful box pleats at the waistband that gives a vaguely skirt-like shape to the bottom pieces. I think this one would work with contrast fabrics, or a lace yoke. Such pretty possibilities! I definitely would endorse this one as figure-flattering and feminine and worth the time it took to get all these pieces together.
Planet Trish 