I can’t quite believe it has taken me so long to make a Helen’s Closet Gilbert Shirt/Top! Because a) I love her patterns and b) I love making (and wearing shirts). She had the pattern on sale last month (I think) and I finally bought it and I’m so glad I did! I’ve made 2 so far and will probably be on the lookout for good summery cottony fabrics to make more for next Summer (or this year, you never know!?).

I made the size 8, which is 2 sizes bigger than my measurements put me on the size chart because I wanted a loose, slouchy fit. I maybe could have narrowed the shoulders slightly, but I think it’s just because this fabric is such a stiff cotton they stand a little proud of my actual shoulders!

I also removed the darts because I didn’t want it to have a ‘feminine’ fit. Helen has 2 different methods for doing this on her blog or instagram (I can’t remember which, sorry!). I did the easy method of making the size seam straight and taking the depth of the dart off the hem. I made sure the 2 side seams matched and fiddled around until it worked. I’m sure the ‘proper’ method would have had better, more accurate results but I wanted to make one asap!

The fabric is some very thick, quite stiff cotton, which my ex brother and sister in law bought me years ago. I always kept it in my stash, thinking ‘I’m sure the right project will come along eventually’ and I’m so glad I kept hold of it now as I’m not sure there’s a more perfect pattern than the Gilbert!

I’m not sure how much fabric there was – maybe 2 metres but it was very narrow so once I’d cut everything out, there were pretty much only some big-ish scraps. But I did have enough to cut out a matching, disguised pocket! I’m not by any means a pattern matching expert (understatement of the century!) but I do enjoy an invisible pocket when I have an obvious print going on!

As with all of Helen’s Closet’s patterns, the instructions (and drafting) are second to none. It’s my first time making a new pattern in a while and I had no problems. I’ve made a few pairs of Carolyn Pyjamas in my time and I think the construction for the Gilbert is better – though it does have the advantage of yokes, which help to enclose all the seams. I would definitely recommend this pattern if you’re looking for a foray into shirt making, but without some of the tricky details like cuffs and the collar/collar stand kind of collar. This would be a good way to build up your confidence, if you’re scared of full on shirt-making – though I think everyone can make a shirt. As with everything, it’s just one step after another. Straight lines and the occasional curved line. Easy!

Do you have any recommendations of anywhere to get some fun cotton prints? Or I also think this would look great in a slightly more drapey fabric even! I also think it would look great worn open over a vest/tee! The possibilities are endless!