A Long Overdue Gift: Men’s Simplicity 1544 in Flannel

I am so happy to report that this flannel shirt, which was supposed to be a Christmas present in 2017, is finally finished!  It took awhile, but I’m really happy with the final result.

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My husband picked out this buffalo plaid Mammoth Flannel by Robert Kaufman Fabrics in 2017, and we decided to pair it with the Thread Theory Fairfield Button-up Shirt.  The Fairfield is a slim-fitting dress shirt, which should have been a clue about how my initial tests would go.  What my husband wanted was a loose-fitting, casual flannel shirt.  We really like Thread Theory Patterns, which is why we tried the Fairfield, but after two muslins (test garments), it just wasn’t working out.  I made muslin #1 too big.  Muslin #2 was a great fit…for a slim-fitting dress shirt, which is exactly what that pattern is for.  What it is not is a loose and boxy casual button up.  After two muslins, I put the pattern away for a year.  I needed a break.

This past fall/winter, I decided to try again.  I bought Simplicity 1544, which is the men’s version of my own favorite button up pattern, Simplicity 1538.  I took my husband’s measurements, which put him in a size 44.  I cut out a straight 44 for him (View A without the back tab), and decided to throw caution to the wind and skip the muslin.  I really hate making muslins despite the fact that I’m always glad when I do.  After two, I just decided I was going for it and if it didn’t work out, we could find someone else to give it to.  It was time.

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I took a lot of time and care in cutting this shirt out.  The blocks of color in this plaid are more rectangular than square, so there are some areas that I couldn’t make symmetrical, specifically the back yoke, which I put on the bias, but overall, it worked out great.

I love contrast, so I used the bias as my contrast, in a sense, putting it on the yoke, the front placket, the pocket, cuffs, and cuff placket.

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I tried to match the plaid horizontally across the front of the shirt, the back, and across the sleeves.

I was even careful to have the shirt’s hemmed edge fall at the bottom of a repeat (this was mostly successful).

And tried to have a dividing line of the plaid down the back center of the collar and collar stand.

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Some parts of the insides are not finished as well as I would like.  I zigzagged any seam allowances (sides and sleeves) that weren’t encased like the yoke and cuffs.  French seams would have been bulky, and I really didn’t think ahead enough to do flat-felled seams.  Luckily, my husband doesn’t care, which means I don’t either!  (Mostly.)

The yoke, placket, and cuffs, however, are satisfyingly finished.

And the topstitching is a really nice detail.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed sewing this pattern.  I shouldn’t have been–I really like making button up shirts, but after taking such a long time to get to the sewing part of this project, I wasn’t really thinking about how I would feel while sewing.  Happily, I loved it.  The directions for this pattern are clear and well-written, and I loved seeing all my careful cutting come together is a beautifully matched shirt.  The icing on the cake was that this was exactly the fit my husband was looking for.  It’s the perfect casual flannel shirt for him.  This pattern is going to be my go-to if I make him any other casual shirts.

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As far as the fabric, my love of Robert Kaufman’s Mammoth Flannel is pretty well documented (here’s my Mammoth flannel version of Simplicity 1538), and this is no exception.  When you buy it, it feels a little on the thin side, but as soon as you wash it, it fluffs up to be nice and substantial, with no real right or wrong side.  I like Robert Kaufman fabrics in general because there is a huge variety of substrates and styles, lots of shops carry Robert Kaufman fabric, and it’s both good quality and affordable.  This fabric and the Fairfield Shirt pattern came from Pintuck & Purl (of course) and the Simplicity pattern came from Joann’s, as did interfacing and thread.  The buttons were given to me by a friend.  They are basic black buttons, but are a perfect match.  I made sure to put a few on the inside of the placket in case any of the main ones fall off.

So that’s it!  Despite being finished toward the end of winter, this shirt has gotten a lot of wear.  I love how it looks on my husband, and I think he likes it too.  🙂

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An Oversized Simplicity 1538 in Cotton and Steel Raindrop Print

If I haven’t declared it before, I’m doing it now:  Simplicity 1538 is my Tried ‘N’ True (TNT) button up shirt.

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I have made this so many times, and I love it.  I’m sure it’s not substantially different from many other button up shirts, but I know how to modify it to fit ME, and that’s what makes it special.  I’ve discovered that although they take awhile, I really like making button up shirts.  They are a great canvas for a number of different fabric substrates and fun prints, or you can make them very subdued.  I also really like all of the options for details that you can put into each shirt.  I definitely get into finding just the right topstitching thread, locating the perfect buttons, and deciding what fabric I want to use for yokes, collar stands, and cuffs.

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Now when I see someone wearing a button up shirt, I look at it to see if there are any details I might want to incorporate into a future shirt.

All this shirt love, however, has given me a closet with several great shirts, and as I’m not really one for dressing in a “uniform” (meaning the same type of clothing every day), I wanted a button up shirt that was at least slightly different.  So, for this shirt, I sized up and lengthened the shirt by a total of four inches.  The shirts I already have made from this pattern fit fine, but my measurements have changed slightly, so according to the size chart, I should be making a size larger.  I decided to try that out for this version.  I have also wanted a shirt or two that covers my butt and, while I have lengthened this pattern by two inches previously, it wasn’t quite as long as I wanted.  I worried that these changes might not work, but I decided to go for them anyway.  What I got was a wonderful, oversized shirt.

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As far as classic markers for fit go, this shirt doesn’t fit well.  The shoulder seam extends beyond the end of my shoulder, and when I put my hands on my hips, I get drag lines.  I think the darts are also somewhat low.  However, when combined with the longer length, it gives an overall relaxed vibe that I really like.  I was worried that this shirt would just turn into a sea of raindrops with the added length and be way too much, but the length is perfect and the print is great.  Because this fits the way I want it to, the fit is perfect!  I have worn this both with jeans (as pictured) and with nicer pants (these gray pants), and it’s easy to dress up and down.  I’m also excited that it will be a great slouchy fit should I decide to make another flannel sometime in the future.  AND I’m happy to have a chance to use this fun fabric in colors that I love.

Speaking of this fabric, which is a Cotton + Steel quilting cotton called “Drops Yellow” that I got at Pintuck & Purl…I have to point something out that I really love.  Normally the selvage of a quilting cotton is fine.  It has the name of the designer(s) and the collection and fabric company.  It might have a little picture or two, maybe.  When Cotton + Steel does selvages, though, they sometimes put cute little sayings on them, and I love using them as tags.  The first time I did this was on this apple print skirt.  And the next time?  Yep!  On this very shirt!  Check it out.

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Some of my favorite art is the kind that makes you look at things in new (positive) ways, and this definitely qualifies.  They turned a ho-hum part of the fabric yardage into a focal point that creates even more opportunity for creative expression.  Brilliant.

Before I wrap this up, here are a few other little details I incorporated into this shirt.  Extra buttons just in case I lose one or two:

And some sweet French seams.  The armhole seam allowances are wider than the side seam allowances because I forgot that you usually sew your wider seam allowance on the first pass and trim down before sewing your narrower seam allowance, but oh well!  I’m here to get things done, not necessarily to make them perfect!

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Also, look how much thread I have left of each color!  It was so close!  I can’t believe I finished before running out!

So, all in all, this one is a win.  And while I definitely recommend this pattern because of my own personal love for it, I really think the best button up pattern is the one that you like that you have customized to fit you.

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The many iterations of Simplicity 1538

In case you are interested, here are the various versions of this pattern that I’ve made:

• Version one:  a wearable muslin made in a cute vintage sheet.  This version helped me realize that I needed a major broad back adjustment.  I also didn’t realize that shirts are only “button down” shirts if they have buttons on the collar that help you button the collar down.  What I was making was a button up.
• Version two: one of my favorite versions in a tiger print by Cotton + Steel.  I still wear this shirt often.  This post shows how to do a major broad back adjustment on a shirt with a set-in sleeve like this.  I also began making a box pleat in the back on this version, rather than the gathers the pattern calls for.
• Version three:  my best plaid matching ever and still my favorite flannel shirt that I have made.  This is the first time I tried lengthening this pattern.  I added two inches to this version.
• Version four:  in a non-plaid flannel with pearl snaps!  If you need help installing pearl snaps, I have a tutorial for that here.
• Version five: in red and white gingham in which I discover the beauty of good quality fabric.  I love this version for summer.
• Version six:  this one!

Wow!  I think this wins my “most sewn pattern” award!

And now that I have finished this shirt, I have one more dress to finish up, and then it’s on to summer sewing!!!!  Yay!  I can’t wait.  Do you have any patterns you’re really excited to sew for summer?  I’d love to hear about them in the comments.  Send me some sewing inspiration!

Simplicity 1538 in Red and White Gingham, or… A New Shirt for Spring!

It can now be officially established (if it wasn’t before) that Simplicity 1538 is a Tried-N-True (TNT) pattern for me.  I think this is my fifth one (see previous versions here: wearable muslin, pink tiger quilting cotton, flannel, flannel with pearl snaps).  I love this pattern.

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Today’s iteration is made in a high-quality red and white gingham from Pintuck & Purl with quilting cotton accents (one of the Cotton & Steel Sprinkle fabrics) from the same store.

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Buttons are from Jo-ann Fabrics.

I was inspired to add these fun blue accents after I saw a shirt by another sewing blogger (unfortunately, I can’t find my inspiration picture anywhere!).

I love those little details whether they are hidden and only something I know about or if they peek out and add to the look of the garment as a whole.

This project in particular really brought home how much fun those little details can be and make me love shirt-making even more.  Shirts and jeans are great canvases for these kinds of creative touches.

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I didn’t do anything new to the pattern fitting-wise.  You may or may not remember from previous posts that this shirt is a 16 at the bust, graded out to an 18 for the waist and hips.  I also lowered the dart and did a major broad back adjustment (more about that here).  Those things are pretty standard for me when making woven tops, and it’s great to have a pattern where all that stuff is already done.  I used French seams on the arm and side seams.  I’m pretty happy about those.  They aren’t perfect, but they’re good, and they make me happy when I look at them.

Now let’s get to the fun details I built into this shirt.  For starters, I did not try to plaid match anything.  Once a gingham is this small (1/4″ squares), I officially let myself off the hook.  I just don’t care.  What I do care about is being able to contrast the straight horizontal and vertical lines of the gingham with some diagonal bias lines.  I put the outer back yoke, the front button placket, the cuff placket, and the outer cuffs on the bias.

I debated doing the same on the collar stand and collar, but left them on the straight of grain this time so they would contrast with the yoke.  I added blue accents to the insides of the cuffs, the inner yoke, the inner collar stand and the underside of the collar.

It took me awhile to find a blue that I liked with this gingham, but I’m really happy with this.  The buttons were also good finds–they have a subtle design, but when I saw them against the shirt, I knew they were right.

This is the second gingham shirt I have made (the first is here), and while I sort of thought that cotton gingham was pretty similar across the board, I should have known better.  My first gingham was a great deal at Hancock’s (RIP, Hancock’s!), but the quality isn’t great.  As soon as I made it, I was wondering how long it would hold up.  No regrets or anything, but I doubt it will last 10 years.  The feel of this is much better.  Maybe it’s just the difference between actual quality shirting fabric and run-of-the-mill gingham.  Lesson learned.  I think this red and white one will be around for a while.

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So, now it’s just a matter of celebrating spring in my preppy new shirt!  Hooray!  I love the fit.  I love the fabric.  I love the pattern.  This is a great shirt.  Bonus:  it’s one of my 2017 Make Nine projects.  One more done!

Recommendations

• After the crazy outfit in this post, maybe you’d like to read about how to successfully pair prints in this excellent article by Kenneth D. King for Threads Magazine.  Thanks to this article, I now know why this combination works (well, at least why I like it).
• Have you seen the yarn by Hedgehog Fibres?  That speckled and colorful awesomeness might just make me want to knit again.  Sewing has taken over my creative life, and I love that, but all those colors are mighty tempting…
• I’m not a big nail polish person, but I’ve been wearing hot pink covered with a big glitter clear coat, and it has been really fun.  Both came from Claire’s.  If you are looking for fun nail polish, check them out.
• And here’s a funny signs video to give you a few laughs. Have a great weekend!

Simplicity 1538 (Again!) in Robert Kaufman Shetland Flannel

Hey…I bet you guys are going to be super surprised…I made Simplicity 1538!  Again!

It’s good to know I finally have a TNT (Tried ‘N True) pattern.

This version is made from Robert Kaufman Shetland Flannel in the Peach colorway with pearl snaps from Pintuck & Purl.  Thread, pattern, and interfacing came from Jo-Ann Fabric.

This shirt has the same added length (two inches) that my last one had, but for this version, I also used the pockets and front yoke in View A.  I swapped out my favorite buttons that look like pearl snaps for actual pearl snaps, something I’d never worked with before.

Here are my notes.  This fabric has a very subtle right and wrong side.  It’s actually made up of red and ivory threads, and one side is a little lighter while the other side is a little redder.  I chose the lighter side as my right side.  Either would look great as long as you are consistent (or intentionally inconsistent, I suppose).  It also feels like a lighter weight flannel than the Mammoth Plaid I used for the last shirt, although it’s the same weight according to the Robert Kaufman website.  It also feels a little bit softer to me.  I did prewash and dry my fabric, but it may not be a bad idea to throw this one in twice, just to be safe.  When I finished the shirt, I noticed that the front near the bust is very slightly tighter than I would like.  You can see it in the picture at the top of the post.  It could also have been the addition of the front pockets and yokes or maybe, as Maggie at Pintuck & Purl pointed out, the difference between using pearl snaps and buttons.  Who knows?  It’s not something that will keep me from wearing the shirt, but it’s definitely interesting.

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During construction, I used flat-felled seams for my arm and side seams.  They definitely aren’t perfect, but I think topstitching and seams like these are just some of those things that take practice.  Overall I tried not to get too picky and only ended up redoing my topstitching in one or two places.

I also tried out the triple stitch on my machine.  I know Lauren of Lladybird has talked about loving that more than using topstitching thread, so I thought I would give it a try.  It really does create a beautiful stitch.

For another interesting detail, I used a coordinating quilting cotton for my cuff and collar stand facings as well as for the undercollar.  I wish I had more of these quilting cotton prints.  I won a few in a giveaway around the time I started to sew, and they coordinate with so many things.  Unfortunately, I don’t even know the company, designer, or line they are from.  Do any of you?

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By the time I took this picture, the snow was getting to be a little much, but it gives you the idea.  Below is a clearer picture.

Finally, pearl snaps.

I used size 16 ivory snaps for this project.  I was given the gift of my husband’s grandmother’s sewing things when she passed away, and I found two different kinds of snap setters among the bounty.  One is this blue plastic setter.  I looked around on youTube for a tutorial on how to use it (which was harder to find than I expected), and I gave that a try on some scrap fabric.  I also tried out this metal setter using directions on the back of some vintage snaps.  That was the tool I liked the best, and the instructions were excellent.  I got all of my snaps in without too much trouble with the exception of my first one, which cracked due to insufficient padding underneath it.  Lesson learned on that one!

So here’s my shirtmaking question for you.  When you are putting in your cuffs or collar, if you are instructed to pin the facing down from the outside and then topstitch from the right side, catching the outside and the facing in the topstitching, are you successful?  If you are, how do you do it?  I’ve given up and now I just hand-stitch those facings down and then topstitch on the outside because I could never catch the whole facing.  Thanks for any help you can give on that!

That’s it for this shirt!  I have some more Robert Kaufman flannel that I was going to use to make one more, but I’m trying to force myself branch out.  We’ll see what happens!  My latest thought is maybe Simplicity 8014.

Recommendations:

• Ticket to Ride.  Have you ever played this game?  You try to build trains to complete your goals (“tickets”).  The more tickets you complete, the more points you get!  It’s a lot of fun.
• Grandma’s House Patterns.  I can pass a lot of time looking through all the past and current sewing patterns on this website.  It’s also exciting to threaten to make some of the funnier styles of decades past for friends and family!  😉
• The Labyrinth is one of my favorite movies from childhood.  As soon as I saw this Labyrinth worm pin from The Foxy Hipster, I knew I wanted it for my growing collection, and one of my friends got it for me for my birthday!
• Lexi’s.  Fortunately (or unfortunately) there is one both next to where I work and within a relatively short distance of where I live.  The burgers, shakes, and fries are awesome.