Shirtmaking

In case you are thinking of sewing yourself a blouse, I would highly recommend Kwik Sew 2849.  This is the finished blouse from my class with Juliet Kimes that I mentioned here.  I know that I still need to tweak the pattern a little bit more.  For instance, I'm not really happy with the button placement or the buttons for that matter.  But, overall, I love it.  Perfect for an imperfect body that's no longer in its 20's.

I do love the sleeves on this blouse.  I can make long sleeves, 3/4 sleeves, or these short, cuffed sleeves.  I used a cotton voile (can you see a pattern) that I bought at Joann's from their Lisette line.  I wanted something light that I could wear when the temperatures begin to soar.  Also, I think this fabric will hide the sweat.

If you've never sewn a blouse before in your life, this pattern may be a challenge; but, I would still suggest you try it.  The version with the 3/4 sleeves avoids the whole cuff thing.  You don't have to be scared off by the the buttonholes.  There are tons of YouTube videos on buttonhole making.  And, the pattern has a covered button placket in case they aren't so perfect.  One day, I will do a post with greater details on this process. 


Now for the best part.  We did not follow the directions.  I am working on a two-part blog post that will cover a few of the methods we used.  For the most part we tossed out Kwik Sew's (and most other pattern company's) method for making and attaching a collar/collar stand.   If I were new to sewing and tried the pattern industry method, I would quit right there and never go back to sewing again.  Luckily, a few who have gone before us did not do this and saw the hill and conquered the (collar/collar stand) hill.  Look for the deets in the next few days!

After that, I think I will wrap up the whole shirt-sewing theme and move onto something simple and easy like skirts or pants...