Self-explanatory, really. #endblogpost 😉
Pattern; Vogue 1384. It’s a vintage pattern, hailing from 1984, sorry. Yeah, it’s annoying when people make things in vintage patterns that you can’t get a hold of anymore. But I’m sure this is not particularly aspirational actually, it’s a little weird in that 80’s way. That high, slightly floppy collar combined with a billowing pirate-y blousiness is giving me serious Duran Duran vibes. That’s sort of a good thing btw HUGE Duran Duran fan, once upon a time… only you know, dating myself here #woops On a side note; watching that clip again, wow I think I’ve suddenly identified the genesis of my lifelong white shirt obsession… Also, haha, I totally dance just exactly like that, to this day still, lol.
I’d actually vaguely planned to make this shirt for quite a while, then Anna of blogless Anna proposed an IG #sewjapaneseinjanuary sewing challenge; prompting a jump to the top of my queue… sewing challenges are such fun!
I’ve previously made the skirt from this pattern too; here. That now resides in Cassie’s wardrobe. Thing is; the pretty floaty pink-ness, while lovely, I’ve decided is just not really ME. Not to mention that she put it on one day and obviously it looked only like about 999999 times better on her than it ever did me (sob) I’ve got to stop giving her my clothes to try on!! Just kidding; I wore it a few times but tired of it quite quickly and I don’t miss it, not one little bit. Though I do still really like that design and am thinking of making it up again, just in a more me-friendly fabric and colour.
Fabric; a thin, sparsely-dotted swiss cotton voile with ever so faint and equally sparse paisley embroidery on it in bits. Very very subtle. I bought it in Potters Textiles a few years ago, when it was in its other location.
The top looks at its best when it’s either tucked in or belted-n-blousy, and while I have a small collection of self-made belts… like, four maybe? none of them looked very right with this sheer-ish white top, so I quickly whipped up a thin white one in the same fabric to wear with it. Kt-chaaaaaaa!! *whip-crack sound effect* Sorry, I simply cannot read “whipped something up” with regards to sewing without hearing a crack o’ the whip sound in my head. Craaa-aack that whip! * (Devo, and a warning, do not click that link unless you WANT to be subjected to some really random and classic 80’s, madness. Yep, I was a fan of that too, *blush*)
The belt is basically just a waistband really. A poor, bereft and lonely little waistband, with no skirt to call home… *sad violins* It’s exactly the same deal as the one I made for my tartan dress. Just two buttonholes, and one button, and you wear it so the button is on the inside.
Also, interesting pocket tab/flap detail. You can’t really see it on the outside, which defeats the purpose a bit really, but oh well. It’s kinda cute when you notice it!
I flat-felled all seams throughout, as usual. Btw, you CAN flat-fell all sleeve and armscye seams too… my tutorial for flat felling the armscye seam is here… and the sleeve seam itself can be flat felled by starting from the middle of the seam and stitching OUT. Be sure to have the sleeve RIGHT SIDE OUT, so that you are sewing inside the sleeve… this will ensure that you are in no danger of stitching down the other side of the sleeve underneath…
In the case of this shirt; I stitched the sleeves to the shirt, and flat-felled that armscye seam before stitching up the sleeve and side seams…
First, stitch the sleeve and side seams in one fell swoop. Press seam open and trim one side. If you are flat-felling the seam towards the back of the garment, trim the back edge of the seam.
Press the front edge back over the back edge, turn under the raw edge, and press in a neat even width.
Turn sleeve RIGHT SIDE OUT (v. important) and from the wrist end of the sleeve; bundle the tube of the sleeve up to locate a point roughly midway up the sleeve. Position the bundled up sleeve tube behind your machine and pull the wrist end of the tube through until this midway point is under the needle. Take it nice and slow, and stitch the flat-felled seam from here out to the wrist.
To complete the seam; just repeat the same process as above only bundling up the sleeve from the armscye side… locate that same midway point of the sleeve, and stitch the seam from there, to the underarm, and keep going in one long continuous seam down the side seams to the bottom hem of the shirt.
Done!
Details:
Blouse; Vogue 1384, white swiss voile
Skirt; Vogue 1247, striped stuff, details here and my original review of this pattern here
Sandals (above): my own design, made by me, all details here
Denim shoes (below); my own design, made by me, all details here
location at top: Preston St overpass, Como, Western Australia
Replicating the 80’s pattern envelope pose, just because…. the 80’s.
So this is the lovely white voile made up. Perfect shirt, and really, this look is back in fashion again. Can’t beat flat fell seams on a sheer fabric = just so nice looking. Better than french seams. Although they are nice too, of course. But this finish works with this shirt.
I just made an 80’s Butterick shirt pattern for myself. Nice and roomy and so comfortable. I prepped the arm seam / side seam for flat felling but then couldn’t figure out how to actually sew it so I ended up hand-stitching it. It looks nice and works but I’m glad now to know how to do it by machine – Thanks!
thank you Sara, I’m glad you found it helpful! 🙂
Thanks for the tutorial, I’m certainly gonna use it!
So much 80’s drama! Such pretty pretty seams!
What a gorgeous white shirt! I think it is quite modern with your high belt (what a good idea)! The fabric looks like a dream and your flat felled seams are so immaculate! Thank you for sharing how to sew the sleeve seam with the so important and easy to follow tips. 🙂
It is a beautiful blouse.
thank you Kay 🙂
Ooooh, I love this outfit! Looks like something I would see in a store window. I have got to make me more of those skirts. I’ve made it once and every time I see a different version of yours, I think to myself “I need to make that skirt again!” My waist changed size 🙁 and I had cut on the pattern, so now it will require a little work to change it. Argh. I don’t know what is more frustrating….when something no longer fits that you’ve bought or something you’ve made because it represents money plus time. The blouse is fabulous. I was a teenager in the 80s…I didn’t sew much, but it didn’t stop me from chopping into them to make them more interesting. LOL.
I just finished my first practice run at a shirt that I wanted to flat fell throughout (including the sleeves) but after stitching the one line down the right side and pressing and turning the seam, heading back to the sewing machine, I burst out laughing. Now how on earth am I going to sew this seam down? I never considered starting at the halfway point but to be honest I don’t think it would have worked anyway. You need a fairly large sleeve to do this trick and although I might have been able to navigate it from the armscye side it would have been too tight to do from the wrist side. I am going to flat fell as much of the shirt as I can though because I just love that seam! Your blouse is gorgeous! So nice and cool in a hot summer sun. Looks beautiful with your nautical looking skirt 🙂
thank you Kathleen! It can get a bit tight to flat fell the sleeve seams, but it’s amazing how much you can squeeze up behind the machine arm if you try! I have to admit though that yes, it’s a lot easier to sew them with a blouse-y loose top like this one, also in the mens’ shirts that I’m used to with their wide sleeves and the sleeve placket slit gives even more access 🙂
great combo with that skirt. very sharp. I have quite a few 80’s patterns as well – from my initial career days. Mostly too “shoulder-pad-y” but some gems, you have inspired me to pull that box off the shelf and take a peek at them 🙂
Definitely a good side of the ’80s! I remember seeing a few photoshoots from 1980s Vogue somewhere online, and they definitely revealed a forgotten side of that decade’s style. The fashions were dramatic but aside from all the kitsch (and, yeah, there was so much of that!) there was also some truly interesting experimentation with silhouettes. Your makes from the Miyake patterns show that unfortunately forgotten side. Both the skirt and the shirt are striking and really cool. When you liberate designs like those from the company of big perms and overdone eyeshadow, they really get a new lease of life.
thank you so much Kalimak! yes there was a lot of craziness and trendiness in the 80s that doesn’t translate so well to today, that’s for sure. I personally think that Issey Miyake has stood the test of time better than most 🙂
The fabric looks lovely, and perfect for a billlowy shirt like this.
PS – I had to click the Duran Duran link to relive my youth (and I made the ruffled shirt in the video!)
You do such great work, those seams are impeccable! I love the top too, especially with that skirt. I wouldn’t have given that pattern a fair chance!
I must swoop in here and swoon over those flat-felled seams! I’m still wondering why I never bought that pattern. I must have been insane or too broke at the time.
An interesting white top and those flat felled seams are amazing.
I completely flat felled a shirt for Mark for Christmas, and do love the neat inside, but don’t always do it for myself, strangely. This shirt is really interesting. That pocket is covetable, and I can imagine the whole outfit being in constant rotation.
I love the look of this shirt, I also love how detailed your posts always are with so many great construction details. Oh also, Devo aren’t anything to blush over, they were great! I went to see them about 8 or 9 years ago & it was such a good gig!