Tag Archives: Archer

Blaire Shirt (I have a shirt-making problem!)

I’m pretty sure I kinda said I was done making shirts a while ago (though I think I acknowledged that I had 2 more planned…..this is one of the 2. And then I’m really going to stop, honest!

I’d kinda forgotten about the Blaire pattern (as I was on a Kalle- and Archer-making kick most recently) but I really like it! I’ve made it once before, in peachskin, which is really quite a sweaty fabric so I don’t wear it as much as I could. But I think this one will get loads of wear (once the weather is warm enough for short sleeves (with or without a cardigan).

I again made the size 8 without any fitting changes, though I did leave off the underneath panel which I added last time (I’m still not entirely sure whether the different bottom panels are interchangeable or meant to be used together, and Style Arc’s instructions have to be the sparsest in the business, even more so than the big 4). I did this because my fabric was very limited – I bought I think 3 separate remnants of it from Guthrie and Ghani at the Sewing Bee Live. I knew I would be pushing it to be able to make much but I’m glad I managed to squeeze out all the pieces for this shirt, though I obviously couldn’t fully pattern match but I don’t think it’s too obvious.

I love the little peek of skin on the side from the shape of the side seam – and wearing it with my high-waisted black dawn jeans, the peek isn’t too much for what I’m comfortable with!

As I mentioned before, although the instructions are very limited, this is a slightly simpler shirt pattern than, say, the Archer or Kalle as there is no back yoke – so you don’t have to wrestle with a burrito! And there are no cuffs/ sleeve plackets. So if you’re looking for an easier shirt to try for your first one this could be a good choice. Though I would also really recommend the Archer as the instructions are excellent and there’s a full sewalong on the Grainline blog, including some videos for the trickier parts.

I used plain black buttons which I had in my stash, and I’m amazed how well they seem to blend in in these photos!

Do you have a particular garment that you can’t stop making? I don’t know why I’ve made so many shirts! I’ve got a white Melilot made (I just need to photograph it) and then I really am don’t for a while! I think I might love shirts because often the kinds of fabrics I’m drawn to, I think ‘that would make a great shirt’ if it’s a woven – because I don’t really wear dresses that much and making a plain tee would be less interesting somehow (though I’ve also got loads of those thanks to my Inari binge over the Summer).

October Makes and November Plans

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October was a fairly productive month for me, mostly because I had last week off work and used most of my time off as a sew-cation, with a couple of days doing fun stuff for The Boyfriend’s and my birthdays (which are 8 days apart).

My first finished make was my coral Sew Over It Anderson Blouse. I think the fabric might have been a little on the thick side for the pattern, but I do like it and I love the colour – I need more coral clothes in my life.

I also managed to finish 2 of the dresses I had planned to make – my yellow geometric patterned Marianne Dress and my black and white striped In The Folds Jersey Dress. They took one afternoon each – I love sewing with jersey!

My biggest project of the month, however, was my suit refashion for The Refashioners challenge. I juuust got it finished in time for the deadline, though I doubt turning a suit into a suit will be imaginative enough to win the amazing prize package! If you follow me on Instagram you will have already seen some photos of my refashion, and there will be a full post coming on Friday explaining all the changes I made so sorry if you get bored of seeing it over and over again! I’m pretty please with how it/they turned out, if I say so myself.

So now onto my plans for November. Are you getting as sick of me saying I’m going to make jeans as I am? It’s been a whole year! Maybe November will finally be the month!?

The Sew Over It Nancy Dress I planned last month is already partly made, so this is a little cheaty, but I hope to get it finished this month.

I’ve also cut out a couple more shirts as I find myself wanting to wear shirt more and more, so hopefully I’ll get my white Archer and my spotty Melilot finished too.

I think this should be enough to keep me going!

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Flowery Archer

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I made another Grainline Archer shirt and I love it! (Have you noticed I love basically everything I make – sorry not sorry).

The fabric is some thin flowery stuff I had in my stash – it’s almost certainly synthetic. I have absolutely no idea where it came from, but it’s been in my stash for a while. It’s a little see-through, but I think it looks okay.

I’m not usually a super-flowery person. Possibly controversially I don’t really like Liberty prints for instance. But I quite like this fabric – I like pink, and I picked out the tiny blue flowers by using blue top-stitching thread. If I’d made a more feminine silhouette of shirt – like the Colette Violet – then I think this would have been pushed over the edge into too girly and chintzy for me, but since it’s a kind of masculine silhouette, I think it works.

I made the size 4, like last time, and the only change I made was to take 1 1/2 inch off the lengths of the pockets. Looking at the pictures, I should maybe have lowered the placement as they are a bit booby maybe.

I definitely found making the Archer easier the second time – it helps to be familiar with how the pieces come together. I still have to use the sewalong to help me with the collar, though.

It does occur to me, however, that both times I’ve made this, I’ve done the pleat at the back the wrong way around – what do you think?

Looking at mens’ shirts, the pleat is on the outside, if that makes sense? Should this shirt be like that too? But look at that beautiful top-stitching!

The buttons were also from my stash, so this was a super thrifty make – I already had the pattern, fabric, buttons and thread! I decided to sew the buttons on with the thread in a cross – I normally sew them in a square and I’m not really sure why. I like the cross style 🙂 I’ve seen this photo on Pinterest and I’d like to experiment with other stitching styles.

Sorry I don’t have much else to say about this shirt – it came together well and is basically the same as the other one I made. I really like this pattern and I think I’ll be making more in the future – maybe in a classic plaid? Do you have patterns you return to over and over?

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Blue Spotty Archer Button Up

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I made a shirt! With a collar and cuffs and sleeve plackets and a yoke and pockets and everything! Can you tell I’m pleased with myself!?

This is, of course, the Grainline Archer Button Up Shirt. I bought the pattern a while back from Raystitch and the fabric at (are you getting sick of this yet) Rolls and Rems. It’s a nice soft cotton, and it’s spotty, though you can’t really tell! I bought it in this shade and in navy blue. I intended it for something else when I first bought it (I can’t remember what that was now), but then I thought it would be perfect for my first Archer.

I can definitely see more Archers in my future! It’s still fairly casual to wear a button down with skinny jeans, but it can easily be dressed up to look a bit smarter for work. I don’t own a plain white shirt, so I think a white one will be next. And then maybe some in plaid for weekends – I (uncharacteristically) popped into New Look today and they had a bunch of quite nice plaid and stripey shirts, so I now feel inspired to make about 10!

I had never sewn any of the special things that make a shirt a shirt – namely the collar, cuffs and sleeve plackets. All I can say is thank god for the sewalong! I’m sure the next time I make this the instructions included with the pattern will be sufficient, but some of the parts definitely needed more explanation the first time.

I made the straight size 4 and am pretty happy with the fit. It’s a bit gapey at the back, as everything is, so I think I may finally actually tackle a swayback adjustment the next time I make it to try to make it pool a bit less than this one does, though it doesn’t bother me particularly. But part of the point of making your own clothes is to make ones that fit you perfectly, so I should really fit it a bit.

I wonder if the pockets are a little big on me – what do you think? I wonder if making them a little less long might make them look more in proportion?

This was meant to be a close-up of the details on the back and my amazingly neat top-stitching, but The Boyfriend didn’t really under stand. But at least here you can see that the fabric is spotty! It also does look a bit wide on me across the shoulders at the back, boo!

The only other change I might make would be to slightly shorten the sleeves as they are a little long on me. I think I’ll wear them rolled up most of the time – I tend to wear all my sleeves rolled up most of the time – but it would be nice for them to be a little shorter for wearing under jumpers.

Apparently this is the way to demonstrate that the sleeves are too long…….

Also, I thought you might enjoy this outtake photo – it’s fairly subtle but I definitely look a bit drunk or something!

Have you made the Archer? If not, are you tempted to give it a go? I found I really enjoyed working steadily through all the new techniques and details like top-stitching. I tried to enjoy the process of making it instead of racing for the finish line, as I sometimes do (and then I get frustrated because things always take longer to make than I think!). I made this in little chunks over 3 different weekends, having cut it out the weekend before I started it, which is pretty slow for me. Do you enjoy the process or focus on the finished product?