Finito!
It took a couple of weeks, because I had some technical difficulties and then was REALLY chicken to put in buttonholes, but the shirt is done.
I learned a lot of things while making this shirt:
- Right side of fabric vs. wrong side (this came into play when I realized I had sewn 2 of the same sleeve, not one and a mirror image)
- What a continuous lap is and how to sew one on.
- What exactly those notches are for and how to use them
- Taking your time enables you to sew straight(er) lines
- How to make friends with your seam ripper
I am very, very happy with this shirt. Yes, there are things wrong with it, like the one of the front edges is slightly longer than the other, and the buttonholes on the cuffs were sewn vertically instead of horizontally, but overall, it is a damn good first try on a buttondown shirt. The pattern is a Butterick pattern, and while not it was not always clear as to what to do, it was a pretty good pattern that I would definitely do again.
Next sewing venture: dress pants. I may have already purchased a pattern and fabric…..
Posted: January 17th, 2010 under fabric, finished object, sewing.
Comments: 10
Comments
Comment from LaBean
Time: January 17, 2010, 10:28 pm
Wear the shirt tucked in: uneven shirt fronts solved! It looks great!! I love the color too. I am slowly working on my own first button down. Luckily I haven’t needed the seam ripper.
Comment from Helen (of troy)
Time: January 17, 2010, 11:04 pm
get some inexpensive cotton, and make a trial pair.
Pants are much harder to fit–better to do it with simple cotton and have a pair of pants for beach/summer lounge wear that fit so-so and a perfect pair of dress pants in nice fabric.
I love the Vogue sewing book.. its a great help –
(pants have 2 parts to fit, waist, hips and depth (of crotch to waist)
Oh and the in-seam is the easiest (so long as you make it long enough to start!)
the depth (crotch/(aka rise) is the hardest.
Comment from bezzie
Time: January 18, 2010, 6:25 am
Very nice!!! I love the collar–I can see why you went slow there!
Comment from Dawn
Time: January 18, 2010, 8:48 am
it looks great on you! another achievement checked off for karen!
Comment from Laura
Time: January 18, 2010, 3:46 pm
You did a great job on this shirt. I don’t feel ready for such an undertaking, but you have lit a spark of inspiration…again! 
Comment from Christina
Time: January 18, 2010, 7:44 pm
The shirt looks fantastic! I’m really impressed that you tackled such a scary project and had such awesome results the first go round.
That color is great on you too.
Pingback from Adrift In Crafts » Blog Archive » Sew it’s come to this…
Time: January 20, 2010, 12:46 pm
[...] by Karen to brave the wilds of garment-making, I set out to sew my first button-down shirt. I’ve had [...]
Comment from Zonda
Time: January 20, 2010, 8:56 pm
WTG!! Looks great on you! Butterick, urgh…they so assume a sewer knows everything, I don’t like to use them at all. Go you on dress pants too!
Comment from Gina
Time: January 22, 2010, 9:22 am
It looks fantastic!
Comment from Batty
Time: January 24, 2010, 8:45 pm
That’s such a great dress shirt. I have bought several in similar styles, for a lot of money, but none of them fit as well as the one you made for yourself. The perks of custom tailoring, I guess. Great job.
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