McCalls 7365, a man's tie

 My son has just graduated from high school and and we attended a formal graduation dinner. I am grateful that he is actually had a formal and a graduation, these both having been in doubt until last week, but to our great good fortune our state is now over 65 days without a case of local Coronavirus transmission and high school graduations are taking place. 

The last two times I had a family member graduating from High School, I got to sew a gorgeous frock for their formal. This time I got to buy a smart suit, because I am much more wise than I was when I tried to sew some tailored trousers for my husband. Tailoring is not my forte. We even bought a shirt. The suit is a normal day wear suit, apparently wearing black tie to a formal is overdoing it (according to my son and his male classmates)

Fortunately for me, my son could not find a tie that co-ordinated with his girl friend's frock. He searched through my excessive extensive silk fabric collection and pulled out a sari, which had 3 shades of blue in a jacquard like pattern.

Now we all know that sari silk is not silk twill and is far too thin and loosely woven for a proper tie. Even my son, feeling the fabric, said that it wouldn't work. Ha! Maternal super-sewing powers to the rescue. 

I block fused 1 metre of the least embellished section of the sari with black fusible woven interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply . Alas, they no longer ship outside the USA, and I am trying to eke out my remaining supplies, but surely a high school graduation is worthy of rare extravagance. This gave the fabric a pleasingly firm but not stiff hand, very similar to the one piece of silk twill that I have in my stash. Due to my inexperience in block fusing, and the silk insisting on sliding all over my ironing board, there are a few small pleats in the interfacing, but no bubbles, so I felt that I could deal with these imperfections through fussy cutting.

Next I went searching for a pattern. There are multiple internet instructions that have you draft a pattern, but I did not feel like making a practice tie to check the dimensions and instructions. I seemed to remember seeing some fabulous custom made ties on Miss Celie's Pants and in my usual fashion, beneifted greatly from other people's research.  Renee used a published pattern, and I just happened to have a published pattern from the same parent company. I think I bought it for the shirt.

 

McCall's 7365 was published in 1994, but the width of the tie was deemed okay by the recepient. The pattern is an op-shop find, and had previously been used, with the tie cut out to the shorter of the available lengths. Although my son is 6 feet tall, I thought I'd stick with the pattern as it presented itself to me, mainly because the 1 metre length of fused fabric was only just enough for the longest pattern piece, all the pieces being cut on the bias, and I knew that if I extended the tie in to the gold embroidered section of the sari fabric, none of the uber conservative men in my household would wear the finished product.

The pattern did not tell me to use special interfacing, but some internet research indicated that using wool interfacing or interlining is traditional and makes a more robust, yet soft tie. I gleefully cut into some very luxurious tropical wool weight suiting that had been nibbled by insects, and used this for interlining. It is probably nothing like wool interfacing, but using up some of the fabric was greatly satisfying to me. Take that insects ! The tiny pieces of lining fabric that show on the reverse of the tie are remnants of silk-cotton sari fabric that I just happened to have lying about after making my own frock to wear to the formal. This is subversive sentimental sewing that my son will not notice.

There was nothing particularly difficult about the tie construction, except  a little fiddling to get neat points, with the lining rolling nicely to the back of the tie. Renee has some very useful pictures of her technique, which off centres the mitres of the outer and lining fabric, but I was quite happy with my first attempt via the McCall's pattern instructions, which do not offset the mitres. I think my success with this less persnickety technique was due to the very light weight and non traditional fabric that I used for the lining.

The McCall's pattern instructions advise you to construct a pressing guide for the tie from oakboard. I did this, and hand sewed  back of the tie with the two pieces of the pressing guide in place, the tie laying flat on my coffee table whilst I watched a movie. I then lightly pressed the tie, and  only a small amount of fabric wriggling was required to remove the pressing guides afterwards. This is not a technique I have read in my internet reading, and probably isn't necessary if you've made dozens of ties, but I found it very helpful in maintaing the shape of the tie whilst hand sewing the slippery bias cut silk. I'm sorry that I forgot to take a photograph of this step in progress.

Overall this was a technically interesting sewing project and I enjoyed it thoroughly.  It is very pleasing to be able to sew something for my son other than pyjamas.

Burda Style 01-2014-127 (128) Man's shirt January Burda project

I have big ideas. Actually, other bloggers have big ideas, and I shamelessly copy them. Kristy of Lower Your Presser Foot sewed up something from every Burda issue last year, and is doing it again this year! I was very impressed, and put stickers all over my January issue with the full intention of making something every month in order to stretch my sewing with a side serving of getting real sewing value (rather than mere imaginary sewing value as I read it) from my subscription.
Wait, its April, how did that happen? Feel free to snigger in the privacy of your end of the internet. I might even catch up.

Here is my January Burda project, mostly shirt 128, but shirt 127 is not very different.

Images from http://www.burdafashion.com/image

I have a standing request from my husband for a new shirt, so this was a perfect opportunity to have a little break from boxy Vogue shirts and try a new pattern for this somewhat dutiful task. I had been wanting to try a slimmer cut for him, and thought this pattern had possibilities, with the darts in the back . I also fancied trying a french cuff. Unfortunately, my husband does not participate in fitting, so I had to wing it by his measurements and my trust in the reliability of Burda's fitting matching their size chart. I made a size 48 according to his chest measurement. Burda oddly gives the neck measurement for this shirt, then says equivalent to... their regular sizing - why not just use regular sizing???

By the measurement chart for size 48, I had to do quite a bit of lengthening - 5cm in both the body and in the sleeves. My husband is not particularly tall , but the Burda mens' sizes increase in height, not just girth, and his chest measurement apparently goes with a height of 174 cm, which is not the case for this individual.

 The fit is a bit loose at the waist, which would be correct according to the Burda measurement chart, where my husband is one size smaller than the standard 48. I should have trusted the chart a bit better ;(. 

So far, in fitting, I was pretty happy with the pattern.

I fancied trying a few more of the features of the pattern, but was restrained by my client. He did not want french cuffs.

 

These are the bottom half of the Burda cuff, with nice rounded edges, but paired with a long placket from David Page Coffin's shirtmaking book, as I could not make head or tail of Burda's placket insertion instructions, and the placket piece looked skimpy to me. My husband wears his shirtsleeves rolled up, so I  used a contrast placket. I also used contrast fabric for the small piece joining the bottom of the side seams at the hems, which I failed to finish neatly or evenly. I did not fix this, as the shirt is worn tucked in, and I am very lazy.

As the side seam is slightly shaped, and there is this addition at the bottom, I did not flat fell the side seams. Instead the seam allowances are turned under twice, and topstitched from the outside. The sleeve seams are flat felled as usual - David Page Coffin again - Burda doesn't mention seam finishing.

I used contrast fabric for the inner yoke and inner collar stand. I shaped the collar according to David Page Coffin again - it is such a useful book, and also used his instructions for collar and stand construction. Burda's instructions included a lot of hand basting.

The Burda collar stand has one rounded, and one straight edge. I thought this was another detail that would be vetoed, but it was allowed to proceed, and is not particularly noticeable, with the added advantage of not having to fuss with perfectly matching the two curves as in a regular shirt.

 

The chesterfield front, with concealed buttons, sits perfectly on this shirt, unlike on the Vogue one I made a few months ago, and does not need to be stitched down between the buttons, demonstrating to me that this is a much better fit. I hope my husband agrees.

For my own interest, I have again used a two part yoke so that I can chevron the stripes at centre back. I am pleased by small things when making a shirt.

Fabrics and Stashbusting wagon jumping confession -  2.5 metres New, ie 2014, and allegedly 100% cotton Tom Ford shirting fabric that appears to have some lycra. Shame!, with the contrast fabric being allegedly 100% cotton shirting with no branding that appears to be as advertised. Vendor Michael's Fabrics. Shipping has gone up a lot, which possibly serves me right for buying more fabric when I am on a fabric diet (6m, 3 for him, 3 for me - he picked his own.......is that an excuse?)

 

 

Birthday sewing shirt Vogue 8096 etc

Apparently, I bought my husband a plasma cutter for his birthday.
Although I have been assured that  this is a highly desirable birthday present, it was a somewhat unsatisfying gift giving process. This may have had something to do with supplying only the $. (I had to Google plasma cutting, looks nasty to me,  other peoples' hobbies can be incomprehensible...)
This has displayed to me that in my case, sewing a gift has selfish elements, mostly to do with giving myself warm fuzzies.
Being rather partial to thinking well of myself, I sewed my husband a proper birthday gift, being something handmade and one-of-a-kind.

See the nice shirt? It is my usual Vogue 8096 pattern, made according to David Page Coffin's Shirtmaking book, flatfelled to within and inch of its life, and with topstitching via my handcranked Singer circa 1933, which has a perfect straight stitch. I am so lucky.


It has lovely parallel stripes at the front yoke seam....

....leading to a satisfying stripe intersection at the back yoke.



I fiddled about to make fancy back pleats, which is a nice change for me.

I lined up the plackets so the stripes matched, a bit like jigsaw puzzles.I can almost see why patchwork is appealing.

Look! a contrast inner collar stand and amusing initial labelling ;)

He bought this fabric himself, at Global Fabrics in Wellington, New Zealand, whilst he was hanging about pretending he didn't mind me admiring every single thing in the shop- 2011. He is a very enabling sewing supporter.

Did you notice there is no man inside this shirt?
I have given up on photography torture of my husband.
Is it a bad thing that this makes me less inclined to sew for him? Blogging definitely influences my sewing.
 

Here is another thing I sewed for him, on special order, which is much more virtuous sewing. Just imagine that this on a man's head instead of charmingly applied to a paint tin. I know you all have excellent imaginations.

 I am patting myself on the back for this one. This strange object is a merino jersey under-cycling-helmet  head warmer and sun protector. He asked that I make it for cold morning rides  - to replace his anti-sunburn caps worn during summer cycling.I made it about 2 months ago, actually I made 2 of them, and he has been promising to model it ever since. Hmmmm.

We might as well get lots of dull sewing done in one post.
New ironing board cover

Elastic drawstring cord and old towel for padding, untrimmed because I had not got the overlocker set up.

It is prettier than the last one, but I'm glad I have some fun sewing coming up.



Stashbusting statistics
Various merino jersey scraps
2m of cotton quilting fabric about 2009
3m of cotton shirting 2011

The virtuous shirt, Vogue 8096

My husband is a big fan of my sewing. This may sound like a good thing, and of course, it is, but there is a side effect, which involves actually sewing garments for him, instead of myself. I am sure you can see the drawbacks. In addition, he is no longer satisfied with a quick t shirt. This is entirely my fault.
Here is the only garment I have been working on for the past 2 weeks. My mojo was lethargic.



I like this shirt,but there is little new to write about. I used Vogue 8096, previously adjusted,with some design variations.



1. Chevrons at collar and back yoke due to bias cutting, with a little machine embroidery to hold down the inverted back pleat.

2. David Page Coffin tower plackets with Pamela Erny wrapped contrast cuffs.

3. Contrast collar stand and inner plackets, with under placket extended by 1cm past the cross over as an embellishment.

Fabrics are cotton shirtings from Michael's fabric (red and white stripe) and GoldHawk Rd (grey with black, white and red stripe), topstitching was with a hand cranked Singer 28. I used self fabric interfacing as I have run out of shirting interfacing. ( I bought some more from Pamela Erny's Fashion Sewing Supply site no affiliation etc,- it is on sale today, lucky me) The buttons are a very pale grey, in stripes, which look much nicer than regular white shirting buttons - truly.


The photo shoot was a little limited.Here is the shirt on location, at work, with a flash, work being inside. One photo allowed, headless. Hmmm. I did make modelling a condition of receiving the shirt, but I don't think it was worth bothering about.

It is difficult to tell from the photo that he is very pleased with the garment.
I am very pleased to be cutting out a loud sundress next.

Deadline December Vogue 8096 Bicycle shirt version 2

After I foolishly gave my husband his Christmas present early. Mary Nanna commented that she hoped I wouldn't have to give him something else. Of course not! I thought, but as Christmas drew closer, the thought of him not having something to unwrap on Christmas day was making me feel bad, so I made up the other fabric I had ordered from Spoonflower at the same time.


I enjoyed making this shirt, as I gave considerable reign to my tendency to overembellish - something I generally have to restrain when making man clothes.

That is a chain machine embroidery stitch, being topical and holding the placket inside down most effectively.


These are the cuff buttons, with a little bullion stitch hand embroidery, which no one will ever see, as my husband will wear this shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

So here is the flat felled seam on the sleeves, which will be constantly visible.

Unfortunately I was not nearly so impressed with this fabric as I was with the first bicycle shirt.
The fabric is an off white, and does not have as pleasant a hand as the other piece. In addition, the print is off grain, and as the print is rather large, this was an issue in pattern matching.

I chose to match at the centre back yoke, and let the other wheels be a little off, which I think looks OK. I did I kept the back pleats at the sides, as shown in the pattern, rather than in the centre, which I generally prefer. I used the same central only matching technique with the sleeves at the yoke seam. At the front, I matched the wheels across the placket, so I hope the fronts being off grain does not affect the hang of the shirt too much.

I topstitched using my hand cranked Singer 28. It has a beautiful straight stitch, and made the topstitching very easy.

I used a black and white pinstriped shirting cotton from Michael's fabric for the collar and cuff contrast, with self fabric for the placket and cuff interfacing, and fusible shirt interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply for the collar and stand.


Off topic, I took the photographs on our back verandah, which is at canopy level for our Lilli-Pilli trees, in fruit at the moment. This fig bird was eating the Lilli-Pillies 2 metres away from me.

Does this look like a Christmas card to you?
It looked even better when the bird had 3 berries in its beak, matching its cheek plumage perfectly.

Slight shirt strangeness in not-for-me November, Vogue 8096

My husband is a most conservative dresser. He saw Mario's Dr. Who Dalek shirt, by Karen of Sewing by the Seat of My Pants whilst I was reading her blog some months ago.
He was very impressed. He suggested that a shirt with bicycles on it would be equally amusing and well appreciated.
I was astounded. I thought the men of my aquaintance had no fun with their clothes. How could I resist such an opportunity? Even if it was another Vogue 8096....


The fabric is from Spoonflower, with our cycling group logo on it. My husband designed the team logo some years ago, and I secretly filched it from his computer files and had Spoonflower print it on the fabric. Unfortunately this is quilting fabric, not shirting cotton, but the print turned out nicely.

I was not confident of matching at the collar and cuffs etc, so used a stripey shirting fabric from Michael's fabrics as a contrast.


I rather like the front placket effect that reminds me of a road. I used David Page Coffin's Shirtmaking book for the construction techniques - except for the armscye seams. These are overlocked and topstitched in a manner worthy of a quilting cotton shirt.

I did match the back pleat, but that was all.


I was planning to save this as a Christmas present, but having finished it before the end of year cycling party, handed it over early for an outing.
He was very pleased.
Can anyone explain why this appreciation does not convert to modelling for photographs?
I don't think Genivieve the dressform has quite the right figure for this shirt.

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!

Gift sewing. Vogue Man's Shirt and David Page Coffin

It is possible that you have noticed a lack of posting around here lately. I could blame this on work, but really, I sew all the time whether I have lots of work to do or not. I just don't do any housework or go to bed on time. I think I am an addict.
Here is the real culprit.



This is my husband's birthday shirt. You may take culprit to be either the husband or the shirt. I dearly love my husband, but I find it rather tricky to sew for him. He has clear shirt standards.
The shirts he likes to purchase are these from Rodd & Gunn. He never likes the $139 ones, either, only those scaring $200. I didn't really have a problem with this, recognising his different upbringing from mine, lack of thrifty gene, and that he can spend his money how he likes (especially if he wants macaroni cheese for dinner every night). However, unfortunately, 2 years or so ago, I made him a shirt according to David Page Coffin's dastardly Shirtmaking book (which took me 3 intense sewing weeks), and he instantly recognised that David Page Coffin is not happy with Rodd & Gunn standards.My husband fully appreciates 1/8 inch flat felled seams and steam shaped collars (I am not sure I have quite met the 1/8 flat felled seam yet, but I am trying). Aaargh, I should have kept very quiet about David Page Coffin. I had made my husband 4 shirts before this one, and he had been hinting for rather a long time that he would like some more. How can a seamstress resist that sort of flattery from her beloved?

Here is the inside of an embryonic birthday shirt. See that flat felled shoulder sleeve seam?



I was so happy with this - until I realised that I had sewn on both sleeves backwards, with their beautiful plackets already finished.
You may notice that the finished birthday shirt bears no resemblence to the embryonic one. That is why I have been sewing this shirt for two whole weekends and 7 weekdays.

I promise you that there is no big belly under that shirt - the photo opportunity was very brief and did not have any room for tucking in instructions.
He did roll down the sleeves for me though, so I could show you the plackets. The inner cuff is on the bias.



I have labelled him at the top of the plackets with my initial. I want credit for this shirt.

The most fun bit was the chevron collar and back yoke.



The fabric is very nice shirting cotton from Goldhawk Rd, with the front placket contrast a chambray from Gorgeous Fabrics (sold out) - see entirely self inflicted disaster to embryonic shirt above. If you notice that my sewing machine was not co-operating with the topstitching here, please do not tell my husband, who is currently unaware of this detail.




He is very happy with this shirt - just as well!
He might be getting a chambray one for Christmas, without flat felled shoulder seams, if I can face it by then.

Sewing is the world's most frustrating hobby

My husband did not ask me to make him running shorts. This is a tale of self inflicted woe, well, mostly.
Cycling is my husband's choice of leisure activity and exercise. However, 3 weeks ago, he was asked to make up a relay team for a local half marathon. He came running with me a few times. At 5.30 am, we are needing considerable coverage for this activity (ie tracky daks). The race was to be later in the day, and he mentioned several times that he would need to buy running shorts.
I kept quiet. I do not even make my own running shorts. I find them very boring to sew.
Thursday night was his last opportunity to buy running shorts before the race (late night shopping). He did not get any. He mentioned this after dinner.
I was very stupid. In a rash moment of thinking I was Superwoman, I mentioned that I had some supplex nylon in my stash, and could make some before Saturday. After all, how difficult could it be to whip up a pair of elastic waisted shorts?
I stayed up late (he went to bed, not being a night person), cut out and sewed up slightly lengthened and newly flyless shorts from a Kwik Sew boxer shorts pattern that I had made him previously. My husband finds being measured a form of torture second only to being required to model my sewing for this blog. It is easier to keep using the same patterns.



I added an internal key and cash pocket, used cotton lycra knit on the inner waistband for comfort, and flat felled all the seams to prevent chafing. I pat myself on the back a few times for being a noble wife and went to bed with an agreeable feeling of virtue and a strong feeling that I had earnt Brownie points.

In the morning, I asked him to try them on. He did this whilst I was in the shower, which was rather annoying. When I emerged from the shower he told me that the shorts were too big. He also mentioned that he would not try them on again as A) He had already tried them on, B) It was too cold to wear shorts, and C) He was leaving for work.
I spent the 3/4 of an hour remaining before I left for work taking in the shorts by the precise measurement of "a bit" that I had been given. I pat myself harder on the back and left for work with my feeling of virtue restored.

Early that evening, after some convincing, he tried the shorts on again. Too small.
I exercised great restraint by reminding myself that he has considerable credit for being my dearly beloved for 22 years, and did not abuse him.
Instead I made him another pair, in the next smaller size from the same pattern.

We were to go out that same night, so I was a bit rushed. This would explain why the sewing machine did this, for 3/4 the length of the waistband.



I did get this unpicked before we left, but it was a struggle.
At the social event, the bloke who had organized the relay team told us that he was pulling out, had not managed to get another runner, so the race was off.
I should have been relieved and thrown the dratted things in the bin.

Instead I was a bit cranky. On Saturday morning I forced all likely members of the household to try on shorts 1. They did fit someone, but she said that she was not wearing Dad's daggy running shorts under any circumstances. She has no trouble expressing her views :)
I finished pair 2, and added side panels to the too small pair 1.



I interrupted my husband in the middle of a crucial woodworking project, fixed him with a beady eye, and insisted that he try them on - now.
Being a sensible man, and a kind husband, he did this.
Pair 1 was too big and pair 2 was a tiny bit tight.
He said they were perfect.
I think he ended up with the Brownie points.

To relieve my feelings and use the black thread in the sewing machine, I made myself a pair of Jalie Yoga pants (2 layers of cotton lycra knit, and the waist a bit higher).



Here they are with my oldest hand knit socks. Comfort clothes and comfort sewing - I feel much better.