Folkwear Patterns Victorian shirt – take 3

 

About time I crawled out from under my rock, stopped just lurking on the internet and got back to actually posting on this blog.  We’ll skip the explanations of why I’ve only been lurking and how it’s (for some crazy reason) embarrassing to get back to actually documenting what I’ve been sewing.  I know that I have to improve my photography.  (Haven’t I mentioned this more than once before?)  Bear with me.  And for starters, we’ll go with something that I already have pictures of – no matter how bad.  The shirt was a Christmas present, so no chance of retakes on the pictures – it’s at the other end of the country.

Son’s favourite pattern happens to be the Victorian Shirt from Folkwear Patterns.  This time I thought I’d introduce him to the joy of wearing linen, which also meant that I could order from a site that I’d been drooling over for a while – Pure Linen Envy.  Sent a link to D – he chose a colour.  (And yes, I just happened to order a few more pieces than what was needed for D’s shirt.  Had to have “samples” of the 3 different weights of linen that Pure Linen Envy carries.  Further linen projects yet to be sewn – hopefully in the next few months.)

This is their mid-weight fabric called “Summer Breeze Linen”.  Sorry – can’t remember which particular green this is – not that you can even tell it’s green from my pictures.  Perfect for this shirt.

Nothing new here.  I’ve made this at least twice before.  Although, every time I have to scratch my head at the way the front placket is finished at the bottom.  I really should make some notes on the pattern instructions for my way of doing it.  (Keep me from scratching my head.)

And … drumroll, please … I was actually sent a photo of real person wearing shirt (that would be my son)!  And … you can actually see that it is a green shirt.  Now … I happen to think that the sleeves should be a bit shorter, and the whole shirt could be a bit shorter. (We had this discussion while I was on a visit to the wilds of B.C., and I was poking my nose into my son’s closet.)  According to my son – he likes the pattern as is, and I’m not to change a thing.  I won’t argue.

Whenever I send a shirt (or some other article of clothing), I always include a little card with extra thread and extra button. 

Whether they are ever needed or used, I don’t know, but at least I’ve done my duty to make sure that the shirt doesn’t have to bear the ignominy of sporting a mismatched button.

Victorian shirt

My son is a real problem when it comes to dreaming up presents for him.  He doesn’t want to accumulate “stuff” because he pulls stakes and moves quite often, and all his belongings have to fit into the back of his truck.  He’s at the other end of the country, and sending “stuff” very often costs far more than the “stuff” is worth.  There’s not a whole lot I can get for him that he actually needs.  And so – there are clothes… made by Mum.  Come to think of it, he probably doesn’t need much in the way of clothes, either, because he mostly wears whatever goes for a uniform of whatever kitchen he’s presently working in.  This explanation is really getting far too long.  Suffice it to say, I put out “feelers” before Christmas, and this year (or is would it now be considered last year?? – whatever!) there was a hint of enthusiasm over another Victorian shirt.  

I made one about some two years ago.  That was a sort of trial run.  This version is a fine cream cotton.   

(Probably will never meet up with an iron again in its life, but here it is nicely pressed – ready to be folded up into a box and get crushed, and then I wonder why I spent so much time steaming and pressing.)  According to the pattern, the “slit”/vent is actually the underarm seam.  This puts the button on the cuff on the underside of the wrist.  Not very comfortable if you’re leaning your wrist on a table to write, or (more probably) on a laptop to type.  So, shirt No. 2 also got an actual vent at the side of the sleeve.  This time I did not spend a lot of time toiling over an actual placket, but took the easy way out as you can see.  

Apparently, this is a comfortable style. (Certainly is roomy with all those pleats!)  I sort of like the front details of this shirt – wouldn’t mind one for myself, though I’ll probably have to graft the details I want onto one of my shirt patterns.  Even at the smallest size of this pattern, I think I’d get tangled up and lost in too much fabric.  The construction of the front is a little confusing, or may-be I just don’t get something.  It was confusing the first time around, and I obviously didn’t remember a thing a year later, because it was confusing all over again this time.  At the end, I did have a clean finish on the inside of the button placket as well as the outside.  I keep telling myself that it doesn’t matter how you get there, just so long as the end result looks good.

The Granville

I had shirts on the brain for a while, and I thought to try out the Granville from Sewaholic.  Lately I am of the opinion that one really needs two shirt patterns to fall back on:  one that is well fitted for use with sturdier and crisper fabrics, as well as a looser fitting pattern for softer fabrics.  (That’s my thinking to-day.  Tomorrow I might be of a totally different opinion.)  The Granville definitely falls into the “well fitted” category.

The pattern had been lying around here for some time, and in January I finally decided to start a muslin (in muslin, of course). 

muslin front

Before I got anywhere near finishing that, I realized that I needed to sew a shirt sample for my shirt class.  Muslin got thrown aside, and a white shirt was zipped up without too much thought on how it would fit me.  (I’ll deal with any “issues” when the shirt comes home from the store.)  

white front

Once class samples were ensconced in the store, it was back to tweaking the pattern. 

muslin back

First and foremost – the sleeves were far too long.  I’d already sewn the vent and cuff on the muslin (I did intend for it to be a wearable piece), so the only option for shortening was to do it from the top.  Secondly, there was too much sticking out at the hip (the Jetson’s look, my daughter calls it – if you recall how clothes look on Mrs. Jetson in the cartoon by that name).  That was an easy fix.  Thirdly, there was some weird “pouf” across the front.  I seem to have no problem slashing and mangling other people’s patterns to get them a good fit, but when it comes to my own …  I decided to be brave and do what my gut instinct (and all sorts of fitting books and instructions tell me) – I took an inch out of the centre of the front piece.  The bust dart disappears.  (Yeah!  No darts to sew!)  And … problem solved – no more weird pouf.  So, that makes two shirts with darts that are perfectly wearable, just not so perfectly fitted.  Onward.

Japanese print front

A new shipment of fabric at Joyce’s brought a Japanese calligraphy print.  Don’t know why, but I just had to have it.  For a shirt. 

Japanese print back

I added some coordinating black print to take this out of the boring zone. 

By this point, I was also looking at tweaking other bits on this pattern, so I squared off the collar.  So much easier to turn a perfect point when it’s a 45° angle!  And I didn’t add the sewn-on front band. 

I widened the sleeve at the bottom, which added a few pleats so that it would fit into the cuff.  I just happen to like my shirt sleeves a tad wider than what the pattern gives me.

polka dot front

Finally I decided to use a white with black dot mystery fabric, more for the sake of finally using up the fabric, than actually needing yet another shirt. 

polka dot back

This one got front bands on both front pieces.  And heaven forbid that this one should be plain and boring, hence the black piping. 

I actually googled images of “piping on shirts” before I could make a decision of where to use the piping.  Sad, I know.  You’d think that something like that shouldn’t stop production and waste time.  But sometimes you just have to reassure yourself that you’re heading in the right direction.  (By the way – there are so many variations of where to place piping and where not to place piping, it’s rather mind boggling.)

After 4 shirts in under 3 months (I finished the 4^th in March, I believe), I’m quite over shirts with collar bands for the time being.  I’m still not 100% happy with my tweaks.  The cuffs are a bit large for my wrists.  I was focusing on other issues, and quite overlooked that fact until I actually started wearing the shirts.  Something to deal with the next time I use this pattern.

Men's Shirts

Let's try this yet again.  I never did manage to keep journals, write diaries, and obviously that reflects in my abilities to keep blogging.  I am determined, however, to try again, and perhaps this time I will actually manage to keep going and to post at fairly regular intervals.  How difficult is it to write something, say, once a week?
I do apologize for not having responded to comments, and at this point, I'm sure, that any reply would not make any sense any more, so I'm starting over - clean slate.  I will attempt to be a much more interactive blogger.

Men's shirts.  In the fall I had a class on simple men's shirts.  (I am now getting quite a few men in beginner's classes!  Only fair to gear the topics for their interests.)  Obvious recipient of class samples would be my son.  Unfortunately, he's at the other end of the country, so sizing becomes somewhat of a guessing game.
Here's the shirt and the pattern.  Blue linen with grey buttons.

 I actually followed directions - just because I have to set an example for students!  Well, except for the finishing of the bottom of the collar inside...

Instead of tucking the raw edges into the bottom of the collar, I sewed straight across, then finished with a strip of bias.  Much easier.  Much more secure, especially on such a loose weave.

The next shirt was to be a birthday present.  Birthday is in February.  Shirt(s) were sent just recently.  What's a few months?

My son likes the look of steampunk clothing, but he's not too keen on wearing a "costume".  Perfect shirt would be...

This one I made from muslin - literally.  It's was very wide muslin with a very silky feel.  I had purchased it with thoughts of a shirt or blouse for myself, but it seemed perfect for this shirt.  Buttons are shell.  I was a little concerned about the size - it is a rather voluminous shirt, but then there's the pleat in the front, and pleats in the back...

The package arrived today, so I'm sure I'll be given a verdict soon enough.
I did stick to directions.  (The front "bib" with the pleat wasn't difficult, but it certainly helped to follow the directions.)
My son's request was to change the sleeve opening at the cuff.  I made him another Folkwear shirt years ago (the Russian one).  The cuff buttoned at the sleeve seam, which put the button right at the underside of the wrist.  Not very comfortable when, for example, one is writing.  This pattern had the same "problem", but I fixed that.

This shirt got regular 21st century sleeve vents.
Now that wasn't so difficult.  I actually managed to write a post and add pictures.  It did not take me all night.  I do apologize for the very choppy writing.  I tend to be very wordy, and here I try to keep things short, and then it all seems wrong.  If I keep mulling this over much longer I won't hit the "publish" button, and then there will be no post!