A New Favorite Fall Shirt–Simplicity 1538 in Robert Kaufman Mammoth Flannel

It will come as no surprise when I tell you that I’m really excited about my latest creation.  For so many sewers, the last thing they’ve made is their favorite and this is pretty much along those lines.  It is hard for me to top last week’s pants, so maybe this isn’t my absolute favorite, but it’s a pretty close second.

I present to you my new favorite fall flannel shirt:  Simplicity 1538 made in Scarlet Robert Kaufman Mammoth Flannel.

I am IN LOVE with this shirt (at least as much as you can be with clothing).  Like the time I made my husband Thread Theory’s Jutland pants, I feel that the value of this shirt far exceeds what I paid for the fabric.  What I think really clinches it for me, though, is the feel of this flannel.

When I felt it initially, I was actually somewhat disappointed.  It seemed much thinner than I remembered this line of fabric feeling.  Still, I had wanted to sew with it, so I bought my yardage, took it home, and washed and dried it.

And that’s when the magic began.

Once it had been washed and dried, it fluffed up into a beefy, cozy, heavenly bit of fabric.  I loved sewing with it, and I love wearing it even more.

This shirt also marked my first real foray into plaid matching.  I had sort of done a bit of it when I made a shirt in Cotton + Steel’s Paper Bandana print, but this time I got serious.  I looked around at advice on the internet and in some of my trusty sewing books and tried to pick some reference points I could use to match things up.  My goal was to try to do a good job without letting myself slide down the slippery slope of perfectionism.  And I think I achieved my goal.  Not perfect, but really, really good.  And, (dare I say it?) it was kind of fun!

I see now, from experience, why you really want to have some extra yardage when you are matching plaids.  I really like setting my cuffs, yoke, and button bands on the bias, but there just wasn’t enough extra fabric to do that anywhere except the yoke; however this gave me the chance to work on some pattern matching across the front.

 

I used my current favorite buttons from Jo-ann’s.  They look like pearl snaps.  Real pearl snaps are on my list of things to try, and a little birdie told me that Pintuck & Purl just got those in along with some Robert Kaufman flannel (plus a bunch of other great stuff), so I think there’s a pretty good chance that another flannel shirt will make an appearance on this blog in the future.  Actually, I love this flannel so much that I want to MAKE ALL THE THINGS IN FLANNEL!  But I’m going to try to hold myself back…a little.  Once winter hits, I’ll feel the same about fleece so, you know…

The adjustments on this pattern are as follows:  major broad back adjustment and lowered darts (as discussed here) and for this version, I also added two inches to the length.  I knew I wanted to add 2-4 inches so the shirt tail would cover my backside for wearing with leggings and 2 inches was a good amount.  It doesn’t cover completely, but it almost does.  I’m happy with it.

Additional Note: I completely forgot to add this when I first published this post until Monique brought it up in the comments–all my seams that aren’t automatically finished/covered (like in the collar) are flat-felled.  I wasn’t sure I could manage to get the sleeve seams done on my machine, but after reading a few posts on other blogs, I became convinced I could do it.  In order to make it work, I put my sleeves in flat.  Rather than sewing up the side seams and then setting the sleeve as my instructions directed, I sewed the sleeve on with my flat-felled seams first and then sewed up the sides and sleeves in one fell swoop, flat-felling those seams as well for a nice clean finish inside.  It’s a bit tricky to do, but if you go slowly and have patience, it’s completely possible, and the end result is strong and beautiful.

And that’s it.  If you know me in real life and notice me wearing this shirt and last week’s pants every time we see each other for the next month, don’t be surprised.  I think I’ve finally found my tried ‘n true button up shirt pattern and a much loved fabric company.  I highly recommend both.

Recommendations

• First on my list is a long-time favorite of mine:  Harney & Sons Bangkok Green Tea.  It has a subtle coconut flavor that I really like.
• Polartec fleece from Malden Mills.  When the temperatures dip, this fabric can’t be beat.  It’s great for outdoorsmen and it’s great for the everyday.  It also has some pretty amazing science behind it.
• Along the lines of the last recommendation, if you live in West Michigan or plan to visit, Field’s Fabrics is a great place to find Polartec in various forms along with all sorts of other great fabrics.  I love going to Field’s and always try to visit if we are in Michigan.
• You guys know I like to watch surfing, especially in the winter since it reminds me that it won’t be freezing and snowy forever and, as we head into the cold season in this part of the world, I’m keeping an eye open for good surf videos.  I can’t vouch for the whole movie (since I haven’t seen it), but the trailer of View from a Blue Moon about surfer John John Florence, is stunningly beautiful.