UFO, one down, one to go, Vogue 8096 men's shirt

I have trouble with UFOs. They lurk, balefully, in my sewing room creating a nasty sense of guilt whenever I start something else. At the beginning of the week, I had two of them, and could hardly see through the gloom in there. Something had to be done.



This is the failed birthday shirt - the one that had flat felled 1/8 inch armscye seams with backward sleeves, placket completed. Nasty behaviour, wasn't it? It has been looking at me since mid July.

A few weeks ago I gave up on the unpicking and sliced off the seam. This was disturbingly satisfying.

Naturally this created a fitting issue, so the partial shirt had to sit on Genevieve the dressform for a few weeks whilst I worked out what to do (and started some other sewing). I decided to slice off the body seams as well, making the shirt a little more narrow in the body as well as the shoulders. I would like to show you that this was fortuitous, as the shirt now fits better than the previous versions, but my model was not willing to have a second photo shoot after the first one at work turned out rather blurry and crumpled - looking.
This shirt was made to order, nearly. Carolyn posted a few months ago about the problem with wearing out very useful basics - do you make the same thing, or make your wardrobe more varied? As far as my husband is concerned, the answer to this is that you replace the item exactly. He wore out the first shirt that I made him, and asked for its twin.
However, I could not cope with this. I need variation in my sewing. I cheated. This is the same fabric (chambray colour oxford cloth cotton shirting fabric) and the same pattern, but I changed a few details.


I used a Greek key embroidery stitch to reinforce the back pleat, and across the top of the chest pocket. The undercollar uses contrast fabric.

I used the constrast fabric to make offset partial plackets. I am fond of the buttons, but as they are an unusual colour, stitched the left over one close to the hem.


The inner cuff and the plackets are contrast too.

The other UFO has been stopped by the requirement for 2 lightweight fawn seperating zips, which are not available locally, and must be ordered. I think this need for ordering should stop the gloomy emmations. I am sure I have some very cheerful and tasteless fabric somewhere that could fix the mood in the sewing room!