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