Greg’s Shirt – Just in time for Christmas!
Merry Christmas everyone! Today is Christmas Day for Greg's family. I managed to finish his new shirt earlier this week, (the wonders of holidays), & so he decided to wear it to Christmas lunch today. I'm really happy with how it turned out.
Here's all the usual details;
Pattern used: Colette Negroni
Fabric used: 'Space Invaders' Printed cotton from Spoonflower
Time taken to complete: 5-6 hours,
What I like: I'm really happy with the fit. Also I LOVE the fabric, it just suits Greg perfectly.
What I don’t like: Buttonholes. My machine just doesn't do them very nicely & it really makes things look home-made. Does anyone out there have a machine with a one-step buttonhole that they like the results from?
What I learned from this project: Not much since the last shirt but it was good to just knock this one out.
Would I make another: Yes, but I might wait a little while. Maybe I'll try my hands at more of a dress shirt next time (i.e. with a traditional collar stand & front shirt placket).
Finally I'd like to finish up with a few comments about the pattern. I'm not sure how indicative the instructions on this pattern are of the other Colette patterns, but I must say I was really impressed. The instructions were clear & very detailed. There were special sections to describe design features like flat felled seams. Based on my experience, I would definitely recommend these patterns to someone who is just starting to sew. Yes I had to make some alterations for the pattern to fit Greg a little better, but his measurements did not fit perfectly within a single size so this was not unexpected.
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WHOOPS! I just remembered I'd get back to you all on the placket methods described by the pattern vs. Claire Schaeffer's method in The Complete Book of Sewing Shortcuts. I found that the method provided in Sewing Shortcuts is easier, BUT I didn't really understand why until I'd done both. Also the method provided in the Colette pattern is almost the same as the method that Claire suggests, so it wasn't THAT much easier. Maybe I'll do another post explaining this in more detail, but in short the method in the pattern is fine & isn't too difficult.
Love this Steph! And I bet Greg does too
This fabric is awesome! Greg is a lucky man!
Fantastic Negroni!
Lisa
The best buttonholes I’ve seen are made with vintage Singer or Greist buttonholers. There are two types, for straight stitch and zig zag machines, and they may not work with your sewing machine. If they do and you can find one they are fabulous!
http://www.free-guitar-tablature.com/Singerbuttonholer.html
Wow!! What a cool shirt! I’m tempted to make a female version for me – I love space invaders! Can I ask what fabric weight you used? I’m yet to try Spoonflower but I’m thinking of ordering some samples to get a fe for the weight.
Thanks for all the lovely comments everyone! Greg definately likes his new shirt.
Summer – Thanks for the tips on buttonholes something I’ll definately have to look into!
Belinda – I used a quilting weight cotton. It was little heavier than some cotton shirtings but I was quite happy with the results. I prewashed it in the washing machine. I also noticed this morning when I went to iron it, that it’s quite resistant to wrinkling which is nice.
I’m so pleased that I’ve found your blog! I’ve just ordered the Negroni for the MPB Men’s Shirt Sewalong, so it’s interesting to read your experiences. I look forward to reading more of your posts (and checking out your archives). By the way, I live in Melbourne too.
Regards, Lara
I love my Husqvarna Viking’s buttonholes, and generally do them corded with pearl cotton. I even to this on casual clothing for a nice finish. Oh, and I like to run a little bead of Aleene’s “OK to Wash It” glue down the middle on the wrong side, let dry, and then open with a buttonhole cutter and block; the glue stays soft, doesn’t change color, and prevents whiskers.