Tag Archives: Cotton Shirt

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).

Faces Kalle shirt

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Since we’ve been in lockdown in the UK, I’ve been sewing up a storm and getting through all those projects I had planned in my head for years! The first of these is this Kalle shirt made from this gorgeous faces fabric. I feel like this fabric went slightly viral in the sewing community when it was first released and I think I snapped some up from Fabric Godmother. Since then it has been released in different colours and on different fabrics!

As with my other 2 Kalles (cropped and Hawaiian) I made the size 6 with no fitting adjustments, but this time I used the sleeve expansion pack to make it more trans-seasonal, given that I live in the UK which is cold a lot more than it is warm!

A slight word of warning about the sleeves if you’re planning on making a Kalle with sleeves – they are really only just long enough on me. I’m 5’3″ so I don’t think I have the longest arms (though maybe they’re long proportional to my body, I don’t know!?) and the sleeves are really only just long enough on me. They look fine with my arms down by my side, but if I put them forwards the sleeves do creep up my arms. But maybe they’re supposed to do that and all the other shirt patterns I’ve used have really long sleeves? I don’t know!

I also made the tunic length for the first time, and I really like how it dips down so low at the back!

I also still really love the huge pleat on the back of this pattern! It adds a nice amount of fullness with still being as fitted as you kinda want a shirt to be across the shoulders.

I cut out and made 3 Kalles at the same time as I was making this one (though I actually made them one at a time) and this was by far the easiest to sew because it’s such a nice stable cotton! The other 2 were not quite as easy to wrangle! If you’re thinking of having a go at shirt making for the first time, I would highly recommend a nice stable cotton which presses well for your first one. This fabric was a dream to sew with!

I still really love making shirts but I might take a break from making any more as I think my wardrobe definitely has enough shirts to last me quite a while! Now I need more jeans……

Are you sewing up a storm in this weird time we’re living through or are you taking a break from sewing to recharge your batteries? Whatever you’re doing I hope you’re save and well xx

Greyish-Blueish Melilot Shirt

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This shirt is sort of one of my makes for June, but I finished it in July as I was scared to sew the button holes because my machine does not like them! But they’re never as bad as I think they’re going to be, they’re just not totally straight sometimes.

Anyway, here is the shirt:

The fabric is some blueish-greyish cotton I bought from Barry’s fabrics in Birmingham when I went shopping with some Bristol lovelies. As with my other Melilot, I made the size 38 with no changes, though this is the other view, with sort sleeves.

This version was definitely easier to make because the fabric is much more stable – and I cut it out much more accurately! One of the main things I really like about this pattern is the shape of the hem, and especially how it dips down lower at the back. BTW it’s really hard to take a photo of a hem from the side without your arm getting in the way, or looking weird and folding your arms or something!

I don’t really have a huge amount to say about this make, except to say I really like it. I like how it’s sort of between 2 colours, and I like the 2 pockets. The only slight problem is when I wore it with my Simplicity trousers, it did look a bit like a crappy uniform. It was especially bad when I tucked it in for some reason!

The only thing I did ‘wrong’ was to not use any interfacing…….because I didn’t have any and I’m impatient and wanted to just sew it already! I thought it was a thick enough cotton (though not as thick as quilting cotton) to cope without, and I think it will hold up.

I really like my long-sleeved version, but for these warm-ish months, I’m really liking kimono-style sleeves, especially if they have little cuffs, like these. I think this would be a great version to make (again) with a drapier fabric, so the sleeves sit better.

It’s funny how sometimes you make something you really like and you know you will wear it a lot, but you don’t really have anything to say about it! Do you ever feel that? Or is it just me?!