Still working toward making this year's Halloween Patchwork Project, and I decided I do not want to make darts in this potential shirt, especially not the extremely deep darts of the proper...well...modified Burda7831 that I usually use. So! Time for more modification!
I traced the front pattern piece and swung the dart roughly closed, then used the side of the back piece to flatten out the front of the side a little. I decided to also modify the front edge to allow for no exposed band (because I learned from the mistake I made in that direction), as well as leaving marks on the center edge of the pattern so I could still fold it appropriately if I do want to make "band: yes; darts: no" versions in the future.
I started laying out the patchwork pieces, then had the thought that I really should test these changes before committing to cutting into the not-yet-constructed patchwork. I poked into my fabric stash and found a small amount of a print that I had, for years, thought would make a nice shirt, but the colors in it always had me passing over it for other prints. Well! Now would be its time.
I easily cut everything from the limited yardage, including re-cutting a sleeve because the first one had a small stain and the way the print was going to repeat around the shoulder seam did not make me happy, especially after I took the time to pattern match across the front opening. Construction was fast and easy and lengthily interrupted by my period and 'going someplace' and the weather turning abruptly cool, which did not encourage the idea of a short sleeve cotton shirt, so it took a while to actually make. But, made it is!
The pattern matching may be betrayed, during wear, by the button placement, which is kinda all over the place, in relation to the tops and bottoms of each button hole. I've started using a plastic cutlery knife (with a ghost on the handle!) to mark through the buttonholes to where buttons should go--think of it as a no-budget hera marker. I'm still learning how to place the marks and interpret what the marks mean for button location.
I'm thinkin' they could've been a bit higher.
The front edge reinforcement comes from interfaced folded bands--cut with the same pattern piece as the exposed bands for this pattern--stitched to the right sides of the fronts, then pressed to the back. I probably could have skipped the edge stitching, but that's not a decision I'm going to make very often. I did consider edge stitching the folded sides of the bands, but thought that might clutter the front. Subtly.
I feel like the buttonholes and button stitches should be enough to hold the bands inside, although they'll probably need some quick pressing to lay flat after laundering.
I handled the lower edge of the bands by sewing along the opening edge, then pivoting at the hem fold line (which I'd already pressed, as is my standard procedure for button up shirts) and stitching across the bottom. I trimmed all the seam allowances, cut around the corner, then turned right-side-out, using a small flat-head screwdriver to coax the corners into being square (enough.)
I remembered to trim away the top of the bands and shirt fabric that would be inside the collar stand, after stitching the first edge of the collar stand to the inside of the neck opening, so the top button can be easily fastened. It took me a few shirts to figure that out, so I have several shirts that will never have that top button buttoned.
I know I could have chosen to make a one-piece collar, but I'm not sure, at this point, if I'll ever give up two-piece collars. I just think they're neat.
The collar band was my only instance of "press one edge first, sew the other edge to the inside, flip it to the outside, and edge stitch that pressed edge" in this project,
I obviously was not at all paying attention to the print on the collar, but, of all the possible instances of "print almost matching, but not actually matching," this is relatively less egregious than others.
Speaking, of, this is the sleeve I re-cut to keep that orange-leaved tree from repeating so close to the sleeve seam. I didn't have a lot of fabric left to cut that third sleeve, and I was very amused that the area that was big enough was also along the same strip of trees as not only the other sleeve, but also the shirt front...and, as it happened, the back. All I paid attention to was the center front--everything else fell into place.
This project also finally got me to change the serger thread from dark green back to white, which I'd been trying to convince myself to do for a while.
Yes, the back is shorter than the front. All the 7831 shirts are, but not this much. Given the way I'm shaped, this is not actually a problem.
I'd say this pattern alteration was a success, and not only will it work for the patchwork shirt, but it will also offer an ever quicker and easier button-up shirt option for the future.
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