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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Thread Theory Belvedere Waistcoat in Duck Canvas and Broadcloth

This is a case of unselfish sewing, surprising though it may be.  😉  Today’s project is the Belvedere Waistcoat (vest) from Thread Theory Designs.

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I made this vest for my husband before Christmas, and we were both very happy with how it turned out.  In buying this pattern, I broke one of my norms, and bought a PDF pattern, which is not my preference, but after looking around at the available patterns, and even buying a Vogue pattern, we realized that this was the one my husband really wanted.  At this point, it is only available as a PDF.  This is a great pattern because there are two options:  an easy waistcoat, and a tailored waistcoat, so if you are a beginner or are looking for a quick vest pattern, you’re covered.  If you want to delve deeper and try your hand at something involving tailoring, welt pockets, etc., you’re also covered.

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We were inspired to use canvas by a friend’s vest, purchased from Historical Emporium, which is also made of canvas.  My husband isn’t very formal, so he liked the idea of a vest that was both detailed and sturdy.  I had leftover brown duck canvas from the first pair of cargo pants I made him (Thread Theory’s Jutland Pants), and so rather than making a muslin, we decided on a wearable muslin in this fabric.  I found an inexpensive poly/cotton broadcloth at JoAnn Fabrics to use as a lining as well as the buttons I needed.  We were ready!

Luckily the fit was great, and the only things we would do differently next time are to lengthen the torso by two inches since he is tall with a long torso, and take a small wedge (about 5/8″) out of the center back seam, tapering it to nothing 5″ up from the bottom.  Luckily the wedge adjustment was something we were able to do while this version was in progress, and it really improved the fit for him.  Now that I’m thinking about it, some higher quality interfacing would also be a good idea next time.

Like any time I sew for someone else, I usually procrastinate a bit.  I think I’m worried about the garment fitting and, in this case, I wasn’t sure how complex this pattern would be.  I was happy to see that when I finally got into it, if I just followed the directions step by step, I made it through just fine.

One part where I ran into a little bit of trouble (which was completely my own fault) was when I was clipping the seams where the front of the vest and the facing join. On one side I wasn’t very careful and I clipped through not only the seam allowance, but also the facing.

It took me a few deep breaths and some thought to figure out how to fix that one, since I didn’t want it to unravel.  I settled on sewing some bias tape over it, and it was fine.  (Thank goodness!)

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Next time I’ll be more careful.

I found it helpful when making the welt pockets (which went just fine, thankfully) to use a zipper foot when sewing over the little triangle tabs at the side.  This helped me get as close as possible to the base of the triangle.  I haven’t made many welt pockets before, so I was happy with how these turned out.

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We also decided to add in the optional side vents, which turned out well.

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We decided to leave the last (non-functioning) buttonhole off the bottom of the waistcoat.  It was his preference to only have functional buttonholes, and since this is for him, I wanted to make it just how he wanted it.

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I’m so happy to report that he loves it and it looks terrific on him!  When it was finished, and I saw it on him, I really felt it was something I could be proud of.  That’s a great feeling.

While I did get him to agree to let me snap a few pictures of him wearing it, I know it’s not his favorite thing to do, and I’m anxious to blog this project before I forget the details.  If I end up getting a good picture of him wearing it, I’ll update the post.  At some point, I hope to make him another version with the modifications we noted for next time using higher quality materials.

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Thread Theory Jutland Pants for Pattern Review’s Menswear Contest

Have you ever admired the complexity or ingenuity in a piece of clothing in a store?  I certainly do when I look at workwear and outdoor clothing.  There’s so much thought that goes into each piece, not to mention interesting design lines and cool fabric.  That always seemed like a fairly unachievable level of sewing, until the first time I made the Thread Theory Jutland Pants.

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After sewing my first pair (Variation 2) toward the beginning of this year, I began planning another in better fabric.  I knew it would be awhile before I started, but I wanted to make these again.  In July, I found just the right fabric at Pintuck & Purl in Exeter, NH, a cotton brown/green English canvas that was a lovely 61″ wide.  It was heavy, but nice.  Once my husband approved the color, I bought the fabric, but still wasn’t ready to cut into it.

And then, like so many projects that get left in the dust when we chase after the new, it became a “someday” project.  The fabric sat in my stash all summer until one day, as I was reading Thread Theory’s blog, I saw that Pattern Review was running a Menswear contest with a tempting prize–a gift card to Thread Theory’s online shop.  This was it.  It was time to make the pants.

Having made that first version, I had a pretty good idea of what tweaks I needed to make on this version, and there were only a few.  He asked me to raise the side cargo pockets, raise the knee patches, and lengthen the belt loops–all doable.

In addition to the three yards of the canvas that I bought, I used 1.25 yards of Cotton + Steel’s cotton lawn solid in Fedora for the waistband facing, pockets, and the insides of the top of the cargo pocket flaps.  Other than that, there was some midweight interfacing, bias binding, Gutterman polyester thread for construction and Gutterman topstitching thread.  I used a jeans button for the front, a jeans zipper, and Velcro that was sticky on the back for the cargo pockets.

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Hem reinforcement detail

As far as materials go, I loved the canvas.  That turned out to be a great choice.  It’s heavy and nice, but not so heavy my machine couldn’t handle it (although I have ordered a “Hump Jumper” since making these in order to prevent skipped stitches when going over multiple layers of fabric for the next time I make something like this).  The lawn feels great, but was too light for the waistband facing, I think.  Before fully trimming my zipper, I managed to create a hole in the facing where the zipper teeth rubbed on it.  😦  I’ll try a quilting cotton next time, at least for the waistband facing (but honestly, I’ll probably use a quilting cotton for all those little bits).  The interfacing, jeans button, bias tape, and zipper were fine, as was the construction thread, which I really like.  I’m done with Gutterman topstitching thread, however.  After making two pairs of pants with it (these and my olive green pair), I just don’t like it.  I get a lot of “thread nests” on the underside of my garments, despite using a jeans needle and making sure my tension and presser foot pressure were appropriate.  Maggie at Pintuck & Purl has given me a few other kinds of topstitching thread to try out (a rainbow one and Coats brand), so we’ll see how those go on future projects.  The jeans needle I used was a good choice, and the only time I had trouble with it was when I applied my Velcro.  I think it was because the back of the Velcro was sticky, and it gummed up my needle.  There were a lot of skipped stitches there, so I think I’ll try some without the adhesive next time.  Live and learn, right?

After making this pattern twice, I have to say I still really love it.  It is definitely a more complex pattern than most of the others that I make, as each step is often composed of several smaller steps, and there are a few points that had me scratching my head a bit, even the second time around.  Luckily I wrote myself notes, so this time was much easier than my first attempt.  I also had to remind myself not to question the directions or think I knew better.  The one time I tried to go “off book” and do things my own way, I managed to sew the fly shut!  Ha!  It’s a good reminder to be humble and follow the directions.  When I make these pants, I feel really proud of myself because they just look so good!  I also think all the details and possibilities of this pattern keep it interesting, even though I’m not sewing for myself.  😉

On that front, though….I realized that this size fits me!  I think one style I aspire to in the fall and winter is a girl version of outdoorsy and rugged, so I would love a pair of pants like this in my wardrobe, especially flannel-lined, which is an option with this pattern.  What if I could make the flannel lining REMOVABLE?!  We’ll see what happens with that!  I did spend several hours on Wednesday wearing the pants around so I could see if they truly were comfortable on me.  I think the outlook is positive!  To that end, I bought up the last of the grey English canvas at Pintuck & Purl last time I was there…

As far as the contest goes, voting runs from the 18th-24th.  If you’ve been a Pattern Review member for at least 90 days, you can vote, and I’d love your vote if you think my project deserves it.  You can vote in the contest here.  You can also read my review of the pattern if you want more/different information than I’ve got here.  Fingers crossed!

And thanks to my husband for posing for pictures.  That’s not something he likes doing, plus it was really cold that day, so I appreciate it.  I suppose it doesn’t hurt that he gets a new pair of bespoke pants for Christmas out of the deal.  😉

Update:  Thanks for your votes, everyone!  I didn’t win the contest, but I had the second highest number of votes.  So, no gift card for me, although my husband definitely won since he finally got his pants!  Congratulations to the winner, who made an amazing blazer for her husband.

Recommendations

• The WAWAK Sewing catalogue!  I saw on Instagram that @peterlappin had ordered one, so I got one myself and, I have to say, it’s pretty awesome.  I even placed my first order for the previously mentioned “Hump Jumper” (Isn’t that the weirdest name?), jeans buttons, and Zipper Ease for stuck zippers.  They have some cool stuff at great prices.
• I really like sewing round-ups where bloggers highlight new patterns and cool sewing projects on the web.  My two current favorites are from Closet Case Files and Helen’s Closet.  If you have other favorites, I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
• Simplicity 1538.  This has really become my favorite button up shirt pattern, as evidenced by my first try from a vintage sheet, tiger shirt, and flannel shirt.  It’s similar to the Grainline Archer in style.  On Wednesday I cut out my fourth version of this shirt.  I love it.
• Droste Dutch process cocoa powder.  I had some left from a few recipes, so I made hot chocolate with it (plus sugar, milk, salt, and heavy cream), and it was AMAZING.

I Made PANTS! Unselfishly, Even…

Is it still unselfish sewing when you get the knowledge, even if you don’t keep the garment?  Of course it is!

Finishing this project kept me on a serious sewing high for a good week.  I made real, true pants!

Let me introduce you to the Jutland Pants, Variation 2 (cargo pants) by Thread Theory Designs, Inc.

I made these for my husband, and I think they are a success!  I don’t measure success by perfection.  In this case, success meant finishing the project and producing a wearable garment that fit well enough to be worn.  I’ve made leggings before, but I’ve never successfully made fitted pants.  I dimly remember an unwearable pair that I attempted for myself before I really got into sewing and an unfortunate craft fail, but this is my first finished pair of fitted pants that…fit.

So, let’s talk details.  What I really wanted to create was an awesome pair of pants like these ones from Duluth Trading Company.  The inspiration pants have all sorts of special features and although I didn’t include all the possible options in this first home sewn pair (like lining, knee pads, or a crotch gusset), between the pattern and the Thread Theory website, you can learn how to put all these cool extras into your pants.  When I saw this pattern at Pintuck & Purl in Exeter, NH, I knew it was one that I wanted.  Thread Theory patterns are not cheap, but in making these pants, I felt that, more than any other independent pattern I have tried, this one offers great value for my money.  This is something I couldn’t make up on my own, print for free off the internet, or easily find from another company.  There probably are other cargo pant patterns out there and while I make many “Big 4” patterns, I was really glad to have the more individualized support that Thread Theory offers.  They have a sew-along on their blog and in the two instances when I got tripped up and e-mailed Morgan (one of the owners), she got back to me and answered my questions.

As far as all the fabric and notions went, I bought duck canvas on sale from Joann’s for my main fabric.  My original plan had been to get some really nice canvas, but then I thought that I ought to start with something cheaper for my first try.  The lady cutting my fabric looked really doubtful when I told her I was going to use it for pants.  She told me it was the kind of canvas you used to make bags like you might get at L.L. Bean.  It really shook my confidence, but I got the duck canvas anyway.  In the end, it worked out great!  Encouragement, people!  That really would have been preferable!  I also got a metal zipper that was as close as possible to the size called for, but a little longer because I couldn’t find the exact size.  I bought medium weight fusible interfacing and a jeans button from Joann’s.  I had Velcro, bias tape, and something that I hoped was broadcloth or another suitable pocket material in my stash.  I didn’t line the pants.

Unlike nearly every sewing project I’ve ever done, I actually made a muslin for this one.  I had an old sheet that came in handy for this.  I took all my husband’s measurements and then made up a sample without the extras like the cargo pockets, knee patches, and hem reinforcements.  The added benefit of the muslin, besides checking the sizing, was that I could practice a few areas like the fly and the main pockets.  It turned out that the muslin was mostly right, but after evaluation, we shortened the pants by about an inch and made a straight size instead of grading between two sizes.

This is definitely a complex pattern and I thought more than once that I was glad I hadn’t been the one who had to design it and then figure out how to communicate the directions for sewing it.  You can tell that a lot of work went into creating this pattern.  There were times when I wasn’t exactly sure what I was doing, so I had to turn the questioning part of my brain off and just follow the directions.  Luckily, they didn’t lead me wrong.

Here are some “in progress” shots:

The two questions I wrote to Morgan about had to do with how to shorten a metal zipper (Could I really just use the waistband as the top stop rather than trying to remove teeth with pliers?  Yes, thank goodness!) and if I was supposed to do a second line of stitching on the seat seam as pictured (You can, but you don’t have to and it complicates things if you are doing a lining.).  For the zipper, she recommended leaving at least one metal tooth above the seamline and letting the zipper tape extend into the seam allowance by about a centimeter.  At that point, you can cut off the excess.  I hand-cranked my machine when I went over the teeth just to be safe and avoid breaking needles.  This was a billion times easier than trying to take out teeth with pliers!

Concerning the second question, here is what Morgan said (I hope it’s ok to quote her–it will be more accurate and less confusing than if I paraphrase):  “I didn’t end up including this in the instructions due to how it might complicate things when sewing the lining.  I usually stitch the seat seam by clipping the seam allowance at the base of the fly just as you describe.  I stitch rather than pressing the seat seam so that the seam allowances stay to one side.  Depending on the fabric I am using, the seam just under the fly can look a little bit ‘warbled’.  If this is the case, I clip one seam allowance a couple of inches below the fly so that they can sit pressed open rather than both pressed to one side.”  I did the extra line of stitching before she was able to get back to me (because I was impatient) and while it was mostly ok, it did turn out a little funny, like she mentioned.  After being worn a few times, though, it’s not noticeable any more.

When I finished, the most amazing thing happened.  I was proud.  I was so excited.  But mostly…I was grateful.

I feel grateful.

I’m grateful that I get to sew.  I know it’s a privilege that I have the time to improve my skills in something besides cooking for my family (let’s just leave housework out of this).  We may not have a ton of extra money (we don’t), but we have been blessed enough that we have been able to make it, somehow, even though I have been home, and thanks to God’s blessing and the public school system that my kids are able to attend, I can do this.  I don’t get all the housework done and, alternately, I don’t get to sew all day every day, but for this time in my life, I have been able to sew enough and have had the support and friendships to enable me to get my skills up to the point that I made my husband a complicated pair of pants.  Maybe I won’t be able to sew forever or even want to, but for now, I’m really, really grateful to God, my family and friends, and now to Thread Theory that I made a pair of pants that my husband likes and wears.

I promise nothing about the length of my blog post when I finally make myself jeans.  😉

The icing on the cake is that sometimes, my husband wears this:

I made his shirt and pants!  I’m so proud.  Now to get over my fear of making myself pants…and to conquer bathing suits…and sew all the things!!!!

And don’t you think these need a clever leather tag on the back?  I’m taking suggestions for what it should say!  Leave yours in the comments!

Recommendations:

• Just when you think you’re an INDIVIDUAL something like these awesome, AWESOME biker-style jeans comes along…and you just want to copy them.  I want these jeans.
• Double Chocolate Banana Bread (recipe from Smitten Kitchen).  I was skeptical, but it’s so good!  If it’s from Smitten Kitchen, that will probably always be the case.
• More Christopher Walken.  More Jimmy Fallon.  More Will Farrell.  More Cowbell!

UNSELFISH SEWING??!!! Yes, Aliens Have Taken Over my Body. I Made My Husband a Thread Theory Strathcona Henley.

Well, that about says it all.  Either aliens really can and do take over our minds and bodies, or I just had a rare bout of unselfish sewing under my own power.  Hard to judge sometimes.  😉

Before we get into this, I will say that this little bit of unselfish sewing (plus a shirt I sewed for my daughter AND pants for my husband…yes–MORE THAN ONE UNSELFISH PROJECT!) got me thinking.  Why do I make most of my clothing for myself?  Well, besides the fact that it’s fun and I like clothes, there is the reality that when you sew for someone else (or make anything for someone else), you have to work in a different way.  If I’m making a garment for myself and I make a mistake, I can decide if I care enough to fix it.  Sometimes I do, often I don’t.  I prefer to finish things over having them remain a perfect but unfinished project forever.  Making something for someone else (especially if there is money involved) means I have to work to a different standard.  I still have to finish the project AND it has to be at a higher level.  If picky people are involved, it goes to a whole new level, which is why I try to avoid sewing for those who are hard to please.  Even when sewing for someone who is not super picky, if the fit is off or they weren’t honest about what they really wanted, all your hard work ends up in a closet.

I guess it depends on who you are making it for and what they care about in a garment.  Luckily, in this case, my husband has seen enough of what goes into a garment and what it takes to finish it, that he isn’t going to get crazy about the details, but I’ve also been married to him long enough to know that it has to be finished to a certain level of wearability for it to be a true success.  But then, I guess that’s the case even when sewing for myself…

In the garment I’m going to show you, there are some mistakes, but I think my husband, being the awesome encourager that he is and actually wanting a finished garment, went with “imperfectly finished is better than perfectly unfinished forever”.

Let’s talk about the Strathcona Henley by Thread Theory!

I LOVE Henleys for both men and women.  A Henley, as I understand it, is sort of like a t-shirt, but with a partial button placket down the front.  This type of shirt is made from a knit and has a certain “woodsman” vibe.  Thread Theory really has that vibe down, making it possible for me to make L.L. Bean style clothes to my own preferences.  Also, these guys get a gold star for coolest packaging ever, even including a Thread Theory tag so you can sew it into your finished projects.

This year my one Black Friday purchase was a cool, double layer knit fabric from Cali Fabrics.  The outside is a grey rib knit and the inside is a soft off-white jersey.  The two layers are tacked together every so often making them work as one.  (I don’t see it on their site anymore, so I’m guessing it’s sold out.)  The garment pattern came from Pintuck & Purl in Exeter, NH.

I made Scott Variation 1 of the Strathcona Henley.  His measurements put him at a size Large, but since this is designed to be slim-fitting and he likes more ease in his clothing, I sized up to an extra-large.

I’ve never sewn a Henley before, so I was hoping this wouldn’t be too tricky.  There is a lot of helpful information in the pattern booklet, including width and length suggestions for your zig-zag stitch.  I ended up using a height of 2.5 and a length of 1 with a jersey needle and a walking foot on a standard sewing machine.  I found the button placket a little bit tricky (and frustrating) to do.  Since I’ve never done this type of thing before, I chalk that up to my own inexperience.  Perseverance paid off in the end, though.  If you make this yourself, you should definitely hand-baste the placket in place as suggested.  Just hand-baste everything!

The square at the bottom of my placket came out crooked, but that was one of those mistakes that you look at and move on.  My husband actually didn’t notice it until I mentioned it.  (Oops!)  I also think that my fabric, which was bulkier than a single layer would be, made things more difficult.  If I make a billion of these, I’ll have to report back on if this gets easier.  If you haven’t done this before, don’t be put off.  If I can do it, so can you!  You can’t expect your first time going through a technique to be perfect.  If it turns out perfect, great, but expect it to be imperfect.  You’re learning.

One really great thing about Thread Theory is that they have a lot of tutorials and sew-alongs online.  Morgan, one of the owners, is also very willing to answer questions.  I didn’t email her about this project, but I did about another pattern (still to be blogged), and she was really helpful.

Final analysis:  I like this pattern, and it looks GOOD on my husband!  You may not be able to tell from the pictures, since he rarely smiles in pictures, but he really likes it, too, and has worn it a lot.  😀  I LOVE how it turned out.  I’ve even thought of adapting it to fit me, but that is for another sewing season.  Cold weather sewing ended for me on Wednesday when I finished my last winter project.

And look!  I even got Scott to smile.  Ha ha!  Triumph!

And now for this week’s recommendations!  (Maybe “recommendations” can be my working title.  I still want a better title.  Suggestions?)

• Smoothies!  Here is our general recipe, adapted from one we found in a magazine ages ago:  1/4c. flavored low-fat yogurt (like peach or strawberry), a splash of milk, 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter, some strawberries (maybe 2 c.?), a banana, a handful of ice, and maybe a handful of spinach (optional).  Top with cinnamon and whipped cream (and sprinkles aren’t a bad idea, either!).  Enjoy!  This makes enough for one tall glass.  I can usually triple it in my blender.
• Looking for an interesting source of fashion inspiration?  If you are on Instagram, check out @artgarments to see fashion details found in paintings.
• If you have kids in your life and like cooperative games, try Outfoxed! by Gamewright.  To beat the game, you all have to work together to uncover clues and reveal suspects until you have an idea of which fox stole the pot pie.  If the fox escapes before you guess correctly, you lose!
• Have you ever watched “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”?  It’s so cute!