{"id":322,"date":"2020-05-11T06:11:53","date_gmt":"2020-05-11T06:11:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/miriamposner.com\/classes\/sewing\/?p=322"},"modified":"2020-05-11T06:11:56","modified_gmt":"2020-05-11T06:11:56","slug":"the-fairfield-button-up-and-a-scout-tee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/miriamposner.com\/classes\/sewing\/2020\/05\/11\/the-fairfield-button-up-and-a-scout-tee\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fairfield Button-Up and a Scout tee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Happy Mother’s Day! I celebrated in the traditional way, by kicking my beloved family out of the house so I could get a little rest. Thank you, family!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I don’t sew for my husband a ton\u2014I think this latest garment brings the grand total up to three. Honestly, I’m a bit selfish when it comes to making clothes, and there are just so many things I want to make for myself! I make a lot of kids’ clothes, but those are pretty easily knocked out. Men’s clothes, by contrast, seem to show mistakes quite easily, since they tend to have fewer details than women’s clothes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

However, I have wanted to make him a button-up shirt for awhile now, since he wears them quite often and could use some more. I stalled out, though, in trying to identify a suitable fabric for him. I could have done a solid color, but I wanted something a bit more interesting. I’m not super-familiar with men’s clothes, and I had trouble finding a patterned fabric that was something he’d actually wear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Some months ago, the Japanese site Miss Matatabi<\/a> had a significant sale, and I ended up with this orangey-yellowy-browny cotton lawn. I’d had the idea I’d make something for myself with it, but to my surprise, Andy was really enthusiastic about the fabric and asked whether I’d make something for him with it. Of course I said I would!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I own the Colette Negroni<\/a> shirt pattern, and even have it printed out, but upon giving it a second look, I felt it was a bit more Western-looking than my husband’s usual style. Andy usually prefers slimmer cuts, and isn’t much of a retro dresser. The Fairfield Button-Up<\/a>, by Thread Theory, seemed more his style. He chose the pleated, rather than the darted version, and his measurements put him pretty squarely in a large.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Making the shirt was fiddly and detailed \u2014 it’s my first real button-up shirt \u2014 but the instructions are quite good, and when I couldn’t quite grasp something, I referred to the very helpful sewalong<\/a>, which offers another view of each step. I appreciated that the pattern includes all the bells and whistles of a RTW button-up shirt. The most difficult part, really, was marking the dark fabric; I have yet to find a good way to do that! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tower plackets, cuff, collar, and buttons all went in fairly smoothly, EXCEPT! I put the buttons on the wrong side, like a dunce. I realized my mistake after I’d sewn the buttonholes but before I cut them. I offered to redo them on the other side, but my husband assured me he didn’t care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Overall, I enjoyed making this, even though it was quite time-consuming. It was fun to learn how a “real” shirt is constructed, and I feel sure that any subsequent version will go a lot faster. I’d like to learn more about shirt construction and have been eyeing David Page Coffin’s books on the subject. The shirt is far from perfect \u2014 the buttonholes are a bit wonky and the collar could be sharper \u2014 but in general, I think it looks just fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would, however, make a bunch of alterations, were I to make it again. The shirt could be a couple of inches longer. (I should have remembered that whenever my husband’s family gets together, the talk turns to the difficulty of finding shirts that are long and narrow enough for their torsos!) The neck is too small, the arms could use maybe another half-inch, and in general I wonder if it might be a good idea to go up a full size. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In any case, I think he looks great in the shirt, imperfect though it is, and I’m looking forward to making version 2.0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After such an involved project, I felt it was time for something relatively simple. I’ve been wanting a white linen top, and decided, after some back-and-forth, to go with a Scout tee, in a white cotton-linen blend from Robert Kaufman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My postpartum weight is still fluctuating wildly (literally pounds in either direction every day!). I’m not sure why that is; perhaps it has to do with breast-feeding? The Scout tees I’ve made previously now feel a little constricting around the bust and arms, so I wanted a little more room in this one. I was not feeling ambitious enough to re-print and recut the pattern, so I simply added an inch to the straight foldlines of both the front and the back of the pattern I’d already cut. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The resulting shirt fits OK. Maybe it’s a little baggy, or maybe it’s too long. I don’t know, it’s not something I immediately feel thrilled about. But the only real problem I had in constructing it is that the bias binding around the neck tips forward a bit for some reason, despite my best efforts at pressing. I wonder if the neckline is now just too wide, after my cheater pattern alteration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part of the reason I’d wanted a white blouse was to wear with the skirts I have queued up to make next. I’m working now on a Fiore skirt in yellow linen, and I’ll have more to say with that in the next post. (What is up<\/em> with the directions for the pocket in View B? I am struggling<\/em>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also took advantage of a three-for-two Cashmerette sale to get a copy of the Rivermont and Holyoke dresses, plus the new Calder pants. So watch this space; who knows what’s next to come!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hope you are warm, safe, and loved during these strange and worrisome times. May sewing (or whatever you do) bring us all a little bit of peace. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Happy Mother’s Day! I celebrated in the traditional way, by kicking my beloved family out of the house so I could get a little rest. Thank you, family! I don’t … <\/p>\n

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