Letting you in on my secret!

So I've finished all my toiles and I'm all ready for my final fabrics! How exciting?!

I thought I'd let you in on how to make my favourite garment as I'm that chuffed for finishing my toiles!!!

MY SHIRT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ignore my friend Hanna!!!

Draw around blocks

Trace off sleeve and shorten to elbow length

Trace off front, pivot the block to eliminate top dart and draw new lines

Draw in new dart under the arm for shape

Do NOT draw in the bottom dart because I want it to be shapeless

Draw in button stand 1.5cm either side of the centre front

Add another 3cm and then another 3cm (BUTTONS WILL BE SMALL!!!)

Trace off back.

Draw box pleat on centre back (CB) by measuring the width (3cm) See diagram?

Take the top (back) dart out by taking it off the arm scye.

Just rub off the bottom dart so it is baggy/floaty/shapeless

Extend ALL hems by 6cm so I can turn it up by 3cm twice – BETTER FINISH- looks less cheap.

This is all my pattern pieces on top of the calico.

COLLAR (Draw upside down)

Measure front and back necklines (not button stand/box pleat)

Draw a line 8+11cm long

Create a 90 degree angle with 10cm. (insert diagram)

Draw curve up by 1cm (insert diagram)

Make top collar line parallel to the bottom. Curve all so it is all 10cm from the bottom line (insert diagram)

Extend top corner out to a point

Point is rather huge but I will sample it and make smaller when I fit it to the toile

(Shorten sleeve)

(Make sure my hems turn up properly)

Model on stand, take off seam allowance (SA, ) cut off point as it is too big. Make smaller and more square like.

Make amendments on my pattern

I cut out the original collar and it was a little too pointy.

... So I cut the corner off and made it more rectangular.

TOILING (cut out of calico)

Sew in front darts.

Sew button stand on front of shirt

Fold 3cm (at notches) and fold the same again

Sew VERY close to the edge, like a topstitch

Front darts and button stand.

Sewing the box pleat

Sew down the CB about 10cm and then fold the top of my box pleat, iron and sew the top down

Box pleat.

Sewing the sleeves in:

Pin the sleeve, pin the centre, shoulder, pin the two sides.

Fit the sleeve into the shoulder curve (even out and pin) Sew with the sleeve on top, making sure not to forget notches and folds

Re-sew the snapped threads

Pinning and evening out the bulk of the sleeve. 

Sew the back to the front on the shoulders, right side to right side

All sides sewn together and down the sleeve.

COLLAR

Bag out collar

Sew onto shirt, right to wrong sides

(It wasn’t quite right! I unpicked the collar.)

Bag out half of the button stand to clean up the edge

Pin one edge halfway (CF) and the other side

Pin CB shirt to the CB collar. Spread out the fabric (evenly) between the pins

Turn over and turn up the other side of the collar to cover the stitches

Sew TWO rows of stitching (slightly messy/uneven style) – this will be contrasting to my fabric and I will do all seams like this (all visible seams!)

Collar all sewn on, with two rows of stitching for added effect.

Mark where buttons go (only 6 buttons) 3cm apart

Side and the sleeve.

Back view.

Close up of the neck and the collar. 

COMPLETED!!!

What do you think?

Do we like?

Isn't HannaBanana beautiful? ;) 

XOXO