Blue Linen Shirt

The same linen sale that led me to make pillowcases also saw me going home with 2.333 yards of nice hankie-weight linen in blue (60" wide).  I knew right away what it would be: another camp shirt for my brother!  You may recall my previous work for him.  Well, I have the same pattern and it still fits, so I'm off to the races! 

PATTERN WORK

Last time I made this shirt, I wondered why the front was hanging shorter than the back when it was on a hanger.  My brother assured me that it fit fine, but it still bugged me, so this time, I started by adding a sliver to the bottom of the pattern, making the front hemline mirror the back. 

The rayon batik shirt with the front hanging short.

Here the pattern pieces show the discrepancy. To fix it, I sew a bit of muslin to the bottom of the front piece, then trace and cut the new line.

EMBELLISHMENT

I cut out the pattern pieces.  The linen is a joy to work with: light and airy, but crisp and stable.  Since the pattern is so simple to make, I am looking forward to embellishing the pieces.  I start with the pocket.  I interface the foldover flap at the top, and fold it to the front.  I intend to cover the raw edge with some Guatemalan woven trim. 

But first, a little embroidery!  I thread my machine with three different colors and bring them down to a triple-needle.  Then I just doodle on the fabric, making big swirls.  Because there is only one thread in the bobbin, this triple stitch has a right side (the one you see while sewing) and a wrong side (the bobbin thread side).  The right side has three parallel lines in the three thread colors. 

After this machine embroidery, I applique the woven trim on the bottom of the turnover flap, and then iron the seam allowances inward.  The pocket is ready to be sewn on the shirt!

using the pattern piece to guide my pressing

pocket BACK

pocket FRONT

While I have the machine triple-threaded, I do the same doodling on the collar and the yoke pieces.  I think it looks really neat! 

putting the trim on the yoke

CONSTRUCTION NOTES

I've made this shirt three times, now, so there's not much to say about construction, except that I can do it faster!  I cut out and construct it in one evening, and finish it the next.  Attaching the collar to the neck is still the most time-consuming part. 

The biggest difference between this shirt and the previous ones is the lightness of the fabric.  The previous makes used medium weight shirting fabric, so I interfaced the whole fold-over facings.  This linen is like wearing a breeze, and I want to keep it that way!  So I only use a little interfacing inside the front, just enough to support the buttonholes and buttons.

I use my serger a bunch in this project, rather than felling and french seams like before. 

In the side seams, I decide to add vents.  I do that with pulled-to-the-front facings, with machine embroidery on top.  It's Becky-Home-Ecky, but I am owning it!  I like it! 

And... I have become dissatisfied with the pointy wee tip of the foldover facing.  I think I'll change that part of the pattern soon, to make it go all the way up and into the shoulder seam.  That'll look better, more finished, on the inside. 

GLAMOR SHOTS

Here is the shirt on the hanger!  (Yes, that sentence deserved an exclamation point.)  I thought the pocket trim was making the shirt look lopsided, so I balanced it with some trim on the other side of the shirt. 

Front. I love the trim placement.

The sun was bright for these pics!

And some close-ups of the yoke and collar.  Do you like the joke I put in the pocket?  It's a pocket square!  :D 

Left, below, shows the subtle "pocket square".  It's nearly invisible from three paces back, but visible for my brother when he wears it.  I think he'll get a kick out of it.  Right, below, is a close-up of the side-vent. 

COST

2.333 yards of fabric at $8.99/yard: $20.97
Round buttons:  $2.00
Turtle Button: $3.89
SUB-TOTAL = $26.86
(less 35%)
TOTAL = $17.46

FINISHED!