Ready for Winter

After making my lined shacket I decided a new coat would be nice to have.  I made a coat a few years ago and wear it often.  However, I feel it is time for another.  This time with  a gray wool blend and a navy lining.

 I purchased Kwik Sew 3123 on Sewingpatterns.com . I downloaded and printed out the pattern, then put it together like a puzzle.  I checked out this pattern on PatternReview.com and found most people said the sizing ran large.  I chose medium anyway.

The first muslin turned out huge, with lots of shoulder and arm room.  So I decided to cut the pattern's armscyes to small, but keep everything else medium.  This made a better fit.  But still too big, so I decided to make the pattern in small, with one inch added to the arm length.

The instructions are thorough and clear.  The only thing I did different from the instructions was to make the collar from the outer material instead of the lining.

My Singer Diana in a desk did a great job sewing this project.  This 1975 electronic machine is smooth and quiet.
I tried different machines for the topstitching, but used Diana anyway.   She did great with the thick thread and a 14 needle.

The buttons are an inch wide so I made 1 1/8" buttonholes​ with my Singer CE100.  Diana has a two-step manual buttonhole and I wasn't sure I would get them all the same.

Welt pocket

This is a comfortable coat.  It is definitely oversized and boxy.  I like it and have worn it several times.

I found a Kwik Sew pattern for a denim jacket which I think will be a great project.

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Lined Shacket

I wear the Thai-Shacket I made using Simplicity 1328 quite often.  I like the idea of dressing in layers, so a shirt-jacket(shacket) works well for me.  Since I knew this Simplicity pattern fit me using the small size with two inches added to the sleeves, I decided to use it for this shacket.  The difference is I put a lining in this one and welt pockets.

Shacket Pattern

My Thai Shacket,  February 2015

I used some gray cotton herringbone material I bought from Joann's and a gray polyester lining I had in my stash.

I watched the same video I used for instructions on welt pockets for a previous project to refresh my memory.

I wasn't sure how to do the lining, so I simply made the shacket, less the collar, and sewed it in with a 1/4" seam.  Once I sewed in the lining, I added the collar, button placket, and cuffs to finish it.

White Sewmaster 611 used for this shacket

I have worn this several times and enjoy it during these cool spring days.

My next project is a jacket using a Kwik Sew pattern.

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Stripe Mania

 I purchased a striped sheet at Walmart for $5 to make a shirt.  I used the Islander 228  pattern in small with short sleeves.  I had used this pattern for my last shirt using a medium pattern, but the shoulders were too wide.   I recut the pattern in small just in case I did something wrong assembling it.

It is slim fitting!  The shoulders are correct, but the body is small.  I even restitched the 5/8" side seams to 1/4" for a little more room.  I serged the side seams, since there wasn't enough fabric to flat-fell.

I actually like this shirt, so I made another shirt from a different sheet using the same pattern and 1/4" seam allowance.  The only difference is I cut the hem even, so it is not a tuck-in shirt.

Joe wanted a pinstriped shirt, so I bought another sheet and made one with my "go to" shirt pattern, Simplicity 7330 in large.

I think it is odd when people ask if we are brothers.  Even in the same shirts, we don't look anything alike.

I am making a "shacket" now with a gray herringbone cotton.

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Islander Shirts

I added two inches to the sleeves of a medium Islander 228 pattern.

The medium shirt fits my body the way I like, but the shoulders are too big.  I have seen reviews that complain about the sizes being big on this pattern, but I am not convinced.  If I made a small, it would be too small.

I sewed this shirt after watching the Craftsy video Sew Better, Sew faster: Shirtmaking.  It included the pattern I printed out and put together like a puzzle.

I followed the pattern and the class, except for using the left-front flipped over for the right-front.  The Islander pattern has the left-front fabric folded twice to make the buttonhole placket, but the right only once, thus the two different front patterns pieces.

I made this shirt in a beige linen and 1/2" buttons I had in my stash.  The linen sewed beautifully with my Kenmore 117-959.  This straight-stitch machine runs quiet and does a beautiful stitch.  Plus it is in a desk, which I realized from watching the video makes it easier to sew due to the flat area for the fabric to rest.

I decided to try this pattern again with small armholes on a medium body.

The results were almost satisfactory.  I made this in a blue Oxford cloth.

I sewed this shirt with my Singer 401 in a desk.  When I first bought this about two years ago it didn't blow my hair back.  But after using it this time, I like it!

Striped shirts coming next.

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Continuing Education

I purchased the Craftsy class "Sew faster, Sew better :shirt making" with Janet Pray.  This class gives some tips, like how to sew without pins, sewing a tower placket, and others, plus it includes a printable man's shirt pattern. I have used some of these tips to make my Simplicity 1493. My next project will be with the Islander shirt included with this class.

I made a size small Simplicity 1493 with two inches added to the sleeves, thinking it would be sized the same as the Simplicity 2741 I made in my last blog.  However, it is a slimmer fit.  This works nicely with the lightweight cotton I used, I would make a medium if I used a heavier material next time.

Admiring my CE 150

Aqua Cotton

Sewing the pocket with a 1/4" seam allowance was one of the class tips, and it worked great.  I also liked using interfacing in the pocket fold.

Another tip is to take one diagonal stitch when sewing the collar points.  This does make a nice point. Don't ask me why.

I made the tower sleeve plackets from the Islander shirt pattern.  They are made in one piece, and one of the simplest methods  I have seen.  A little more practice and I will be able to make nice ones.

I am still using my Singer CE150, I enjoy it a lot. One of the tips is to use a machine with the needle-down stop position to keep your stitches lined up after stopping.

I enjoyed this class a lot.  I took it for the "Sew Better" part, but thoroughly enjoyed it all.  Some previous shirt making skills are needed for this class.

My next blog will be the Islander #228 shirt which was included with this class.

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Snow and Sewing

Time just flew by last week even though I was fighting a terrible cold and had also been snowed in for ten days.

Yes, a freak snow storm dropped 6 inches on Friday, then another 6 inches on Sunday.  We were not able to drive to town until the following Monday.  We had plenty of food and the power was only off for 12 hours, so we did not have it bad.  In fact, I finished this shirt.

I sewed many hours on my blue flannel shirt this week with my Singer CE150 while watching the snow.  I used Simplicity 2741 and added two inches to the arm length.

Simplicity 2741

As mentioned in previous blogs,  I made three different plaid shirts before making this blue one.  The first three were wearable muslins.  I used snuggle flannel for them, but real flannel for this one. Snuggle flannel has the plaid printed on instead of being woven in, thus less expensive.

Max

Dixie

Tucked-in

Yoke on bias

Dixie enjoying snow

I cut the yoke on the bias.  Everything else I lined up.

I have worn this shirt several times.  It is soft and comfortable.

I am planning on a solid blue shirt with Simplicity 1493 for my next project. It is similar to this pattern.

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Plaid Compulsion

The plaid keeps coming.  Maybe I am a little compulsive.  It seems like I get on a kick and keep going.  For example, I worked on jackets for over a year.  I made several with varying degrees of wear worthiness.

I started on the jacket kick because I wanted a lightweight jacket to wear to Gala night on a Cruise.

The plaid kick started because I saw some beautiful plaid flannel at Joann's.  I purchased enough for a shirt, but I have been trying different patterns with Joann's snuggle flannel.  It is so much less expensive than the real stuff.  Once I find the right pattern, I will make a shirt with the real flannel.  I think I might have a winner with Simplicity 2741.

Simplicitiy 2741

The first two shirts were Simplicity 1544 and McCall 6932  I did not like the collar size of Simplicity 1544.  The notched collar of McCall 6932 is nice and casual, but I like a shirt with a collar stand.

I made size small, with no adjustments for length.  Usually my 6' 2" self needs a longer shirt. But since this is more like a muslin, I did not make any adjustments.

Snowed in

Yoke on bias

Continuous lap sleeve plackets

Nice length

Pocket on bias

I am surprised by the fit.  The only thing I will adjust is the arm length.  An inch should do it.

I am happy with sewing the yoke and the pocket on the bias.  Looks good and is easy not trying to line up plaids.

Also, this shirt pattern has a continuous lap instead of the tower placket on the sleeves.  I like the way they look.

I used my Singer CE150 for this shirt also.  This machine has a good stitch and power.  As I mentioned in my last blog, the buttonholes are balanced and look nice without any adjustments.

Now it is time to make my blue plaid shirt.

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