i picked up some plaid shirting from fabric.com and used mccalls 6044, which i picked up for $1 at joanns. i mentioned in my last post that i had a laundry list of gripes about this pattern, but upon further reflection i'll just call these "changes" and QUIT COMPLAINING.
overall, this is a decent pattern. the fit for my husband is an unaltered, straight out of the envelope size small, and it's basically perfect. (to all of us who do extensive alterations on patterns to get a decent fit... I KNOW! so not fair.) and it's not that he doesn't fit a standard RTW size, but he's small-framed and those sizes aren't heavily stocked. ultimately i want this pattern to serve as a business shirt that i can make over and over whenever he needs a new one. right now he needs about ten. i went to his closet, checked out all the details on his RTW, and here is is what i changed.
i drafted a back yoke piece that was straight across the back (instead of the western style—though i love me a good western shirt) and did the whole two piece yoke sandwich thingie (or "burrito" as described by peter at MPB).
then i added 1" in width to the back piece so i could add pleats. his casual shirts have two pleats out toward the shoulder and that's what i did here. his dress shirts have a single larger pleat in the middle, so i can easily change where i pleat the back piece as needed.
for the long sleeve version in this pattern, there are two pieces to the sleeve. typically there is a button placket at the cuff, but to get around doing a regulation placket, you are instructed to turn the SA's in and topstitch. eh. not gonna cut it for me. all i had to do was lay the sleeve pieces together along the seam line and cut it as one. but, then i had to figure out and draft the button placket. i had instructions on how to sew it in a book, and after a bit of puzzling i worked out the dimensions and drafted my own. if anyone is interested in having this pattern piece, i plan to create a .pdf with instructions at some point. i measured the plackets of his existing shirts so what i have is a pretty standard size, though it could be customized according to preference.
i didn't flat-fell the seams on this one, though i plan to for future makes. i did serge and topstitch for a faux flat-fell. i set the sleeves in flat, so topstitching the side seam and down the arm was something of a challenge. it was like sewing in a tunnel. not sure if i'll be skilled enough to flat-fell it this way... if anyone has tips for me on how to do this, please speak up! i'm a complete newbie on this one.
i bought a 1/4" piecing foot for quilt making (i have grand plans to use up my leftover fabric scraps and turn them into my very first quilt), but i found it came very much in handy as a guide for topstitching, fancy that.
the only thing i plan to change for future shirts will be how the front button placket is done. it's fine as writ, but it requires a bit of lining up so that the inside and outside edges line up perfectly when topstitched. there's an easier way that minimizes both bulk and room for error. next time i make a shirt (and i'll be fabric shopping for white shirting this week—wish me luck!) i'll elaborate and show how it's done.
so what did i learn? the button down men's shirt is not to be feared ladies! it took a little more of my attention since the process was not my normal autopilot dress or tee shirt, but difficult? not really. okay, the collar can go very wrong very fast, but other than that, not difficult. you will see more of these from me. and maybe even one for me if i ever get around to it.
so there.
i did it.
I SEWED MENSWEAR!!!
—lisa g.
UPDATE: click here for the sleeve placket template
