Shirts For Shirts Sake

If you are a sewists, sewer, or whatever creative term is currently popular, you know that you are inspired by almost anything, almost anywhere.  So it goes with this shirt. I saw this shirt in a store last year.  I love unique details and the zippered pockets caught my fancy, as they say.  I went so far as to find what I thought were perfect zippers and knew that I would find a great cotton for the fabric at some point.  It was on the list.   

Well, it didn't happen until the latest pattern review contest.  As I've said previously, I don't really expect to win those things, but they are pretty good motivators to keep you working on one thing or the other.  Although, I must say, I DEARLY wanted that Mood's gift certificate in the last challenge.  I didn't win, but I appreciate the votes I got!  Thank you all!  Anyway, so this is next up.  I started with this Butterick pattern - 5526.

 

I chose View D, but I added the pockets.  My DD sent me a photo of a men's shirt she had just made (and has yet to blog about it - hint, hint.) And once I saw it, I decided that changing the front band and collar stand would be a good look. The pattern review contest was that it needed to be a fitted shirt.  So my shirt has the princess seams in the front and back. 

Just let me say that us sewers are an odd lot.  I say that because I suspect I am not the only obsessive sewer out here.  These simple little pockets were maddening for two straight days! It was important that you could see the zippers, as in the inspiration and after cutting these pockets three times, I was still standing, "spirited" beverage in hand, pondering how I could make this work?  This had always seemed straight forward to me.  I took the pocket and initially cut a slit at the desired position and was treating it like a welt, that's simple right?  Well, the first one was too wide at the ends of the zipper. So once the zipper was inserted, there was a gap. After the third set of pockets (maybe it was that "spirited beverage"??, I looked back at the inspiration and saw that there appeared to be a facing and the zipper was "inserted" into that facing.  SO, I cut the pockets for the third and final time and created a self facing, cut the slits the same as for a welt, inserted the zipper and whalah!  I laughed at myself because I am firmly convinced that the simple things keep me "flummoxed" (in my Tim Gunn voice) remember the blazer pocket flaps? 

But I completely LOVE the final product.  I used the white contrast for the inside front band, collar stand and the inside of the cuffs.

 

 

I will definitely make this again, probably in a red and white and a solid.  This will be a great work shirt for me, and I can pair it with jeans for a casual look.

One more item for the "collection". 

Well, time to post the product!

 

 

Be Sewlful!