As I mentioned several months ago in Shirtmaking Part 1, I had planned a shopping trip to the LA fabric district to buy some shirt fabric. My son wanted a dark blue, and here it is. As it turns out, this fabric is quite stretchy in the crosswise grain, so I added a strip of selvedge to stabilize the top of the pocket. I also added a strip to the bottom of the yoke where it joins with the back.
Warning: These pictures are very difficult to see due to the dark fabric. Don't try to stare too hard, I don't want you to get a headache from my blog! This fabric is navy blue, and notoriously hard to photograph, especially close ups by someone with no photographic skills whatsoever.
I've always been fascinated by the plackets on tailored shirts, but as it turns out, they aren't as difficult as they would seem. You just need to take it slowly, mark, cut and sew very carefully. This is the cut out and marked placket,
Made from this pattern, from Shirtmaking, by David Page Cotton. In it he has this placket and several collar variations which you can copy and use. The tower on this placket is taller than the one from the original pattern, Simplicity 1544, and I like it a bit better.
Here the placket is pinned to the shirt.
Both plackets sewn and topstitched in place. Not perfect, but not bad either. The bar tack on the right placket certainly could be a bit straighter.
This photo was taken with a flash, so while the color is washed out, you can see the detail much better. Sewing shirts is certainly an exercise in precision sewing, and I figure the more I make, the better I'll get. That's the plan, anyway.
Now on to sleeves.
Very nice plackets! I like that you stabilized all those areas. I never thought of the pocket but that's pretty brilliant. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteOf course it's brilliant, I got the idea from you about saving the selvedges. Once I cut the pocket and saw how it stretched, I thought, OMG, this won't work! What is odd is that the pattern has you cut out the pocket on the bias and doesn't say a thing about stabilizing. I've realized for a while now that the Big Four patterns are just a starting point and you have to know quite a bit to do a really good job on them. I am so disappointed that they should guide sewers to such mediocrity.
DeleteYou made me smile with that first sentence. That last sentence is one I agree with as well.
DeleteI hope the men in your life appreciate the very talented tailor in their life. Watching your process of tailoring inspires me to tackle sewing clothes again. Do you sew most of your own clothes?
ReplyDeleteNo, for one thing, I'm not that talented, and two, well, they're men. I've sewn a few things for myself since I've retired (a whole year now), but not nearly enough. I'm moving in that direction, though.
DeleteIn fact, mens shorts in general are more precise in construction than some off-the-peg ones make it look, aren't they! I'm sure the men in your life will come to appreciate having shirts that fit instead of shirts that are "close enough"!
ReplyDeleteLove these details, Cynthia. The plackets look great - can't wait to see the finished shirt.
ReplyDelete