It was Sam’s birthday a few days back and I made a shirt for him.
Buttons; a light bone colour, also from Spotlight. Y’know, Spotlight gets a lot of flack for the hit and miss nature of their stuff. And then every now and again, just when you’re about to throw up your hands in despair, you find some gems. So I’m eating my words right now. These buttons, and this fabric? Awesome-sauce!
So, do I have any new revelations about tailoring a man’s shirt? No. Am I being mind-numbingly repetitive. Um, probably! I used the same ol’ pattern too. I reeeeeeally should get some new patterns, honestly. And no; it wasn’t really a huge birthday surprise, since for one, he did actually request it. But I still wrapped it up so he could unwrap it on the day!
It’s made to his fit preference; loose and boxy enough to wear open over Tshirts and hoodies, if he so desires, which he frequently does.
Features… Epaulettes.
There are one or two bias details, for some visual interest. Pocket on the bias, with a pen compartment. Sleeve plackets cut on the bias, and I loooove how this looks! Plus, it was heaps easier having no stripe matching to worry about here 😉
Straight hem, with split side seams.
ETA: at right, showing the inside view where the flat-felled seam allowance meets the split side seam… (I will do a small tute on how I do my take on this, if anyone is interested?)
The collar is cut with much smaller, less pointy wings than the pattern piece.
I’ve been accustomed lately to flat-felling the armscye seam allowances, and French-seaming the sleeve and side seams. Then I read an opinion somewhere that French seams were “feminine” and not suitable for a men’s shirt at all… that flat-felled seaming throughout is the only acceptable finish to a man’s shirt. O rly?? Well, that burst my bubble.
So I felt sufficiently shamed into going with flat felled seams throughout. Doing this up inside the sleeves of a shirt is not exactly easy. I got a pretty nice finish, but it was fiddly business.
The yoke.
Drastic fabric shortages an inspired creative decision dictated that I cut it as two halves on the bias. The yoke facing is a regular, on-grain, single piece of fabric for stability, cut from plain white cotton.
Shirt; Burda 7767 modified, navy and cream striped cotton twill. My review of this pattern is here, and my previous Burda 7767 makes are here and here.
lovely looking shirt – however the chevron effect makes my eyes go funny ha ha.
Hope he had a nice birthday.
very sharp looking shirt and i really like those touches of bias.
That is a great looking shirt. I'd like to make one for my dad – the only thing I'm worried about – how do you get your buttonholes straight on the placket? Is there a tip you can suggest? Thanks!
The only tip I have is to MEASURE and MARK as accurately as is humanly possible! Each one must be centred on the placket topstitching and equidistant from the edge of the shirt front, plus being the exact same length as each other. Measure and mark, eyeball to check that they all have the same dimensions and distances apart, then sew and re-check and re-eyeball BEFORE cutting them. Every now and then I've sewn one that looks a bit off because it might be 1-2mm out from the others, it's best to unpick it and re-sew it or it will bother me forever.
Nice shirt, wonderful details.
Great looking, manly shirt.
I love the stripes, kind of like ticking.
I like the epaulets too, nice touch.
You really don't have a lot of patterns to chose from for mens wear, its stripes, plaids or paisley and he doesn't seem like a paisley kind of guy.
This is such a nice looking shirt! All those details really make it special.
It is awesome. I love the fabric. It kind of reminds me of bed ticking in an awesome way!
thank you! you are right, it is very like mattress ticking!
Regarding buying shirt fabric. Not sure how you would feel about ordering fabric from the UK, but Acorn fabrics do a good range of shirt fabrics. I recently got some samples sent to me and the quality looks great. I haven't got round to ordering as yet, because I am in the middle of so many projects (yes, I know -a bad habit) that I need to hold back on starting something new.
thank you Sheree, I will check that out 🙂
Fantastic Shirt! I M Going To Embark IntoShirtmaking For The Hubby Soon As I M Done With My Current Project… 🙂 FirSt Would Be A Wearable Muslin Of Course…
Love this shirt! I would love to see some details of how you transitioned the flat-felled side seam into the bottom slit. I have been trying to figure this out, and hope you have tips. Your bias sleeve placket is inspired!
thank you! I am writing a short description for a future post 🙂
Love the diagonal pocket. The neatness and finish is something I can only dream of, it is amazing work-woman-ship. Jo x
http://joeveryday19.blogspot.co.uk/
Excellent looking shirt (yet again!). It's inspiring to see your fine men's shirts. And why not use the pattern that works? Plus, it's not as if you are following the pattern to the letter every time. I have a small pile of nice shirting fabrics begging to be made, but girl sewing seems to always get in the way!
Your son looks lovely in his new shirt. I like the bias sleeve plackets particularly. I think it's great that you use the same pattern many times. If it ain't broken….
Great shirt. The bias cut features are great thinking. I found matching the placket hard on the one shirt I msde! As for the flat felled seam up the sleeves – yep agreed – you and you machine need to be contortionists 🙂 Might check out spotlight though…
so many great details! i'm working up the geist to make a shirt for my boyfriend, this is great inspiration…
Loving it as usual. A real shirt of the button down type is probably next on my list of clothing pieces to learn to sew. In the meantime, you've been inspiring me!
http://reasonsnottoblog.blogspot.nl/2013/06/growing-making-learning-smiling.html
Thank you so much!
This is lovely! you are such a good mum – my boys are begging me to make them things and I never seem to get around to it 🙂
I pity Sam's future wife. She will have to live up to the amazing standard you've set. Suggest you teach him to sew immediately for the sake of his future happiness!!! PS great shirt.
That's an awesome shirt, and your son wears it well!
Excellent job, Carolyn! This is an awesome shirt, indeed. Every single detail of it shines like diamonds. Wow!
I love this shirt. Given that I make shirts for my menfolk, I find the ones that you make really inspiring. The creative decision with the back yoke looks wonderful!
Amazing shirt and love the bias details. I did try and find some suitable linen for a shirt for DH this week, but it came home as a shirtdress for me 🙂
Love the bias details. Your men's shirts are so inspiring. It makes me want to give it a try.
Very nice! I'll echo Marie Coffin; I'd love to see "how you transitioned the flat-felled side seam into the bottom slit".
Great post as I am in the middle of making my first men's shirt (yes out of pretty average fabric). Looks like I'll be giving flat felled seams a go! Oh and learnt a new word – epaulettes.
Beautifully made. If I am not mistaken, you are close to having made 30 men's shirts!
yes, pretty close!
Fantastic shirt Carolyn. I love the little details on this one. Is Rianna right? 30 shirts? Yikes.
Lady, you do wicked-wonderful (I can still say that at 57, right?)things with stripes. I'll be dead amazed if people don't stop your son on the street to ask where he got that spectacular shirt! Given the garbage that fast fashion vomits out these days, I don't think you should sweat French vs flat-felled seams unless you just want to. Most of the world hasn't a clue as to the difference and anyhow they'll be too mesmerized by those bias cut bits to notice. Well done you!
Love the bias yoke and pocket and of course the whole shirt with all the details and great finishes. I wish my husband would wear shirts like this!
Fantastic shirt, Carolyn. Loving the bias details!
What a lucky boy to have a mum sew for him! Poor woman who becomes his wife. She can never live up to you!! I have no sons, just daughters, who love to shop. I wonder where they got that from…..hmm..
It's really an awesome men's shirt all around. I love all the bias details.
You did a wonderful sewing job on this shirt. I love to sew for my husband using unique fabrics for his shirts. He is an engineer so he feels more creative the more "creative" his shirts are. He is well known for them.
Have you ever looked at Annikki Karvinen's clothes. She is based out of Helsinki, Finland. When we were being tourists we discovered her shop and I was very impressed, especially with her classics. I just happened to pull out the book I bought of her clothes and thought it would be something you would like. Similar in a way to Shape Shape type designs except with color and geometric designs. Here is her English website. http://www.annikkikarvinen.fi/english/the-classics Let me know what you think.
thank you for the link! Her designs look very interesting 🙂
Happy belated greetings. I love stripes, and a lot easier to work with than checks. I like how you reinvent the pattern, be it fabrics or additions this time with Epaulettes. Why buy more patterns if they work for you.
You did a fantastic work on sewing a men's shirt. Happy belated birthday for your son.
love the bias details! doing those flat felled seams down the arms are quite finicky, but well worth the effort. and no need to try new shirt patterns (i'm sure you would be disappointed in them anyways!) you do such a great job of making each shirt different by changing up the details.
This is so impressive and ingenious. I love the back yoke. Seriously beautiful and inspiring. 🙂 May I just say, however, that if you want to use French seams for a man's shirt, you should do it and feel no shame about it!!
Great shirt! I know exactly what you mean about poor old Spottie! Some visits you love roaming around the floor and manage to pick up everything to keep you behind the sewing machine, while other times – yuk! A real 'love-em-hate-em'store…but a definite 'need-em' store never the less … J
Your "inspired creative decision" was fantastic! Love it, your work always looks so professional!
It looks great! Nice fabric and great execution + creative decisions!
A terrific shirt. Lucky Sam! I disagree firmly with whatever source that said French seams are too feminine for men's clothing. How silly and amusing! I wonder if overlocking is more manly…..;) David Page Coffin's shirtmaking book says some rather silly things too, such as that any flat felled seam over 1/8inch wide is a dismal failure (I am paraphrasing here) and should make a shirtmaker hang her head in shame (implied, not stated, in the book), whereas really any fellow who has a shirt custom made for him should be expressing eternal gratitude and not getting out his ruler to check the seams. Improving ones' sewing technique is one thing, but sewing rules like that are pure pretentiousness!
I greatly admire your flat felling junction with the hem slit, and your plackets are beautifully precise. You make awesome shirts.
1/8inch?? that's a tall order! my fabric would have to VERY lightweight to come anywhere near those standards! Perhaps we should start a rumour that overlocking is the manliest of all manly things and maybe it'll catch on 😉
Another awesome shirt. Great job (as always)
WoW WoW WoW….. What a fantastic job!! I was gifted a Craftsy class the tailored shirt Pam Howard Can't wait to get started!! So inspired by your work!! 🙂
What a fantastic shirt, Carolyn. I love all the details with the stripes. Gorgeous, but then, no surprise, because your work is always so wonderfully inspiring.
I like the chevrons on the yoke … good idea. I am thoroughly in awe of your flat-fell seams throughout … I've just serged and been done with it with shirts for my boys, but yours are so… professional! My hubby is in flux with size right now so I will have to redraft a perfect shirt for him and then invest in nice shirting and try some of your fun details. There's a boatload of inspiration in your work…