shirt project

Hey All,

Thought I'd give an update on the ongoing project of making a dress shirt that will fit my DH. ;) Between his barrel chest and long torso, dress shirts are a pain to find that fit well. I started with Vogue 8096. Pretty straight forward dress shirt. I got the muslin done out of $1/yard fabric from W-M.

Here's what I found so far: The collar band is about 1/2" too short to fit well around the neck of the shirt. (this is a pattern thing not a sewing thing. But it's minor and I can deal with it on the next shirt.) Also pattern things, where they have the breast pocket placed, the pocket comes out almost in his armpit. Interesting design choice.... lol Also they do the yoke in 4 pieces. Two for the right side, two for the facing with a CB seam up the middle of the yoke. Neither of us liked how that looked. So next shirt, I will cut the yokes on the fold removing the seam allowance for that center seam I won't be doing. The shirt is also designed with 2 pleats on the back at the yoke. One above each shoulder blade. Himself doesn't like that. So the next shirt I will convert that to a centered box pleat. Easy enough.

Fitting things, the shirt fit very well through his shoulders and chest. I need to take the side seams in about 1" each. Also I will have to drop the armscye down a little and increase the sleeve head to match. Fits great across the top and back of the shoulders, but snug under the arm...floaty from about the breast pocket to the hem. Easy enough to fix. Then to fit his long torso, I am going to have to add about 3" to the length of the shirt. The muslin is not hemmed and it's about 2" too short. Again, an easy change.

I decided what I would do is just make this muslin with no changes to the pattern at all. I went by his chest measurement and whipped it out. That way I figured I would see Everything that needed altered to fit at once. Since he's traveling for work again, and I don't have his body here for fittings except on weekends (which tend to book up fast!!! lol) I wanted to do one major fitting and have done. So that's what we did. He was over all very pleased with the thing. And seeing how finicky he can be, that was a major accomplishment in itself. ;) (he is truly appreciative when I sew for him, and delighted with whatever I make him. He's just really Definite about what he likes to wear. lol)

The only other major change I will be making is the pattern doesn't call for flat felled seams at all. They say to top stitch around the yoke and the sleeveheads, so that part looks like FFs. But the sleeves, they just say stitch and leave. Ick! There's enough seam allowance (5/8") that I can do FF seams without too much trauma. The only cussing will happen about halfway up the sleeve. lol I think I can manage it though, will just take sewing with my tongue stuck out the corner of my mouth. ;)

Sharon

Reply to
mamahays
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I really like the look and description of that pattern, the biggest thing I see that I would change is the CB seam on the yoke, why do that???

Did they actually start the pocket the same distance from CF and increase the *size* of the pocket? Or ???

Yep, I would have made that alteration right off the bat.

That's a matter of personal preference, my DH liked the two side pleats, and as you say, easy to change.

And once you have the pattern altered to be a perfect fit, his body will change....

I used the same pattern for about 30 years for DH, just had to make small increases in the width. ;-} I also made small increases in the width of the sleeves as he "grew". and added a bit across the back shoulder area....

Kinda like doing FF seams in pants legs, just have to take it slowly and rearrange your tongue from time to time. ;-)

Beverly

Reply to
BEI Design

Also they do

When I made my ls striped shirt and felled the sleeve seam so it would look neat when the sleeves are rolled up, I stitched about half, then started again from the other end. Wasn't much trouble to knot and hide the two sets of thread ends, and for me it was a lot less frustrating than wrestling with the ever-narrowing and congested area in which to work. Prolly had my tongue stuck out, even then. :)

Doreen in Alabama

Reply to
Doreen

Dear Sharon,

Remove the center back seam from the yoke, and cut a whole pattern from paper. Then, cut the stand and yoke on the lengthwise grain. This make it easier sewing to get the collar and stand to fit the neck, and more important, makes it easier to iron after laundering. It makes it easier to cut, too, because you can cut both pieces at the same time.

I use french seams for the sleeve and side seam, as is done in bespoke shirts. I also use a faux FF seam for the sleeve head--easier, neater. That's done with a regular seam on the inside; serge or bind the seam, then turn the sleeve seam towards the torso and topstitch twice on the outside. Looks exactly like a FF seam, but without any hassle.

It takes me about 45 minutes to sew a complete shirt that rivals anything you'd see in RTW--if you could find the correct size. You'll get that speed up, too, once the "wrinkles" are ironed out of the pattern.

Teri

Reply to
gpjteri

It seems you may have given me to courage to try my hand at making DS a shirt. I will most likely have some of the same fitting problems as you, so I intend to save your note and enclose it inside the pattern envelope. Vogue patterns are on sale at Hancock's today, I think, and I'll get this one this afternoon. I have to pick up a few items needed for finishing DGD's birthday dress for December 1; can you believe she will be 9 already?, I'm using Simplicity 7349, which is a Daisy Kingdom pattern. Don't tell anyone, but the fabric is definitely not identical to what's shown on the front of the envelope, as I did with the two older DGDs. She has an 18" doll, not an AG, and she'll get the matching doll dress, too. Thanks for the info on the shirt. Emily

Reply to
Emily Bengston

On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:56:46 -0800 in alt.sewing, "BEI Design" wrote,

Well, did they do it to put the weave of the fabric at some angle to horizontal/vertical?

Reply to
David Harmon

Beats the heck out of me. I figure it has to be some weird grading thing, but I sure can't figure out how they did it. Least it's easy to remedy. lol

LOL Probably so. Either that or I'll quit feeding him. heh heh

Yep. The sleeve is wide enough, I should be able to do it from the top down without too much trouble. We'll see what we get. I'll post pix when I get the next one done.

Sharon

Reply to
mamahays

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's why. One view shows a stripe with a chevron at the yoke and the button placket is on the bias too for that one. Himself said that was a little too much for his taste. lol

LOL So glad to know I'm not the only one who knows the value of sticking her tongue out a tricky problems. lol

Sharon

Reply to
mamahays

That's a good suggestion. Thanks, Teri.

It actually won't be too bad to do the FF at the shoulder where the sleeve attaches. Because it's flat construction and the sleevehead itself is fairly flat compared to say a blouse sleevehead, the FF will be pretty easy there. (just did one today on a Civil War type undershirt for a client. lol) The only part of the FF that will be challenging is in the lower 1/3 of the actual sleeve, towards the cuff. And I may do one with French seams and run that past him. Thanks for that suggestion too. ;)

Sharon

Reply to
mamahays

When I want to sew a tube, I gather it up on the free arm, then stitch it off the free arm.

Which supposes that you have a free arm. I don't use any of the embroidery features that made my machine so expensive in 1965, but the free arm alone has been worth the price.

It needs to have the clutch loosened so that I can resume using the bobbin winder. I sure hope nothing is worn out, as they aren't making parts for the Necchi Lycia any more.

Joy Beeson

Reply to
Joy Beeson

5/8" is plenty for trimmed flat fells.

I use 1/2" seams for pre-graded felled seams, since they come out exactly as wide as the seam allowance. I press 1/4" to the right side of one piece and sew right sides together with the raw edges matching, then press to the side that covers the raw edges and top-stitch.

Both raw edges end up on the original stitching line, which runs down the middle of the finished seam, and the seam is only three layers thick.

I don't think I could flat-fell a set-in sleeve any other way. Before I learned the pre-graded seam from David Coffin's book, I set sleeves in with french seams, and pressed the allowance into the sleeve.

French seams are still good for polyester, which deeply resents top stitching, but my skin can no longer tolerate polyester, so I have no further use for the technique.

Joy Beeson

Reply to
Joy Beeson

Oh good!!! If I run into anything else strange with this pattern, I'll let you know. ;) I bet he'd love to have shirts made for him. You may even get him in there making them too. ;)

The babies do grow up so fast. She will LOVE her dress. I won't tell anyone you didn't use the suggested fabric. ;) Those dresses are so cute anyway and they look darling no matter what fabric you choose. It's fun to find other quilting cottons that coordinate and do them up that way. You can personalize the dress more I think. I did one for DD when she was little. She loved the full skirt and would twirl around with it. You're such a good grandma.

Sharon

Reply to
mamahays

Hi,

As someone who is new to sewing, but who would love to be able to make a dress shirt, I have to say that in reading your post, as well as all of the replies, that I am just astounded at the skills of all of you - this is really a group of accomplished ummm... sewists? sewers? - well, whatever the word!

In any event, I've learned a great deal just by browsing!

Reply to
Sparafucile

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Reply to
neelsen

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Reply to
BEI Design

Oh, he's from there, then? Well, I hope he likes mail... ;->

Reply to
Ursula Schrader

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Reply to
auredry

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