Gingham, with a side of details.

So, my friend Tanfer and I went on our yearly lunch date.  This year we perused downtown Huntington, NY (it's about halfway between me and her parents on the eastern part of Long Island . . . me in NYC, of course).  As we perused, we saw button downs, the marker of the coming fall season (this was in July).  Then, then, we saw the price.  200 dollars.  That's US dollars for a shirt.  OMG, is an understatement.  What made them 200 bones? The second fabric used for the button band and collar stand.  Yes, an accent color is the only reason we could fathom for the outrageous price.  So, me in my standard glory began plotting.  My mind began turning, I made mental notes, and when I got home I took note of my inventory.  

Yes, a button down shirt had not been done by me and my mad sewing machine skills since--ahem--high school.  Yes.  For real.  Okay, there was my Tunic from this past winter, but that is not a basic button down (same skills, though). I wore the shit out of that shirt, and my Mom has a photo of me in it in her sewing room.  It was the second shirt I made.  The first was a red gingham deal with an elastic neckline and cropped.  It would be scandalous at 37, but at 16--in the 90s and in rural Kentucky--it was the bomb!  The bomb.  Sadly, I don't seem to have a photo of me in that shirt.  Sniff sniff.  Those were the days long before digital and easy access to photos.  

I may not have a visual of the gingham shirt, but I do have one of the button down . . . a summer number, sleeveless, with half strips and purple buttons (I raided my Mom's sewing room one Saturday, and I used what I could find and pry from her.  True story).  Twas the 90s my dears.  Don't judge.  The shirt finally died my freshmen year of college, having lasted since the spring of freshman year of high school.  Says something that as a high schooler I'd wear me made.  Oh my, a blast from the past indeed.  I hear the roars now.  

Well, back firmly in the present . . .  I had bought the Sew U book, from the Built by Wendy, series in July.  I bought it for one purpose: to make a pair of jeans of the pants pattern that is only available in that book.  Those jeans are on the docket, most likely late fall.  I have the test fabric (the same black that I made my porn shorts with, which I'm wearing in some of these photos.  My Mother is ecstatic that the summer season is near over, as she says she's never seen me wear the same pieces of clothing over and over again (thurlows one, two, and three)) like I did this year.

A note on the book: It comes with a skirt pattern (A-line), blouse, and jeans.  The book is for beginners, and it does odd things like downplay the need for tools.  It says to make do with lesser quality.  But, I will say this: scissors and needles you shouldn't skimp on.  And fabric . . . get shit you like.  Don't buy cheap because A) you get what you pay for and B) if you are gonna spend hours and hours looking at it you might as well love it.  Like I said, I saw some web reviews of the pants as jeans and bought the book for that purpose.  If I was a beginner, the book would certainly add to my understanding of how to enhance a pattern et al.  

The shirt: The pattern is a graded one, with sizing XS-L.  Yes, I thought that was odd for a button down too, but in context of the book being for beginners . . . we deal and move on.  I've got some hidden skills of re-sizing, ya know.  On this pattern I needed to re-size, alter, and fiddle.  I took the lazy way out and did it on the shirt and pattern pieces verses drawing new ones.  Here, here, is the post I promised two folks on Instagram.  A little FBA, if you please.  I should note that I made this one before I made the archer from the last post.  I'm posting out of order (annoying, yes).  It happens.

The seams are done on a half inch seam, as the pattern noted.  Though, I prefer the half inch seam and I would have adjusted for those if the pattern had not called for them.  On the back piece I added two inches to the fold (four inches total), on the sleeve part of the arm I added two inches to each side, and of course I remembered to add the two inches to my cuffs, collar, and collar stand length.

The Sew U patterns are smaller sized, i.e. for young twenty somethings or teens.  I am neither, so I adjusted.  Also, I have a chest.  We have covered this issue already.

I then added the front and back yoke pieces, the pockets, the pocket tabs, a secondary accent fabric, and . . .  ribbon.  

I bought the black and white gingham this summer, from Ebad's.  He's literally right around the corner from Mood.  Bought it that day I went and got the silk for my birthday dress (AKA: The Date Night Dress).  I liked it, bought two yards, and here I am now. . . I spent fifteen on the gingham, had the black in my stash, had the ribbon for years, the buttons . . .I picked through my buttons and found perfect matches.  Oh, yea, I had some vintage black thread--on those delicious wooden spools--and I used that to stitch this up.  Basic woven fusible interfacing came in play for the collar and cuffs.  

  

In all fairness, I was watching Perception and the main character's mother made an appearance.  She wore an orange gingham shirt with colored buttons and ribbon trim.  Twenty bucks says that shirt sells for 200 bones, or more.  Ha.  I copy.  I copied good.  I also saw this style gingham shirt on Molly Shannon, in pink, in the flick Weekend Wedding.  What?! My husband laughed at me that I get fashion ideas and sewing designs from things I watch.  I call this normal.  

For a little FBA: When I put this bad boy on the shoulders were hanging and the front looked like hell.  So . . . I pinched 3/8th of an inch from each armhole.  Sewed it, and voila! There you have your lazy gal's FBA. Also, another easy FBA is to add darts (or increase dart width of those that are there).  I didn't on this one, and I could tell you that I might . . . but let's be honest here.  The odds of me undoing the hem to increase the darts on the shirt are pretty slim.  It works with jeans as it is.  I'm wearing it now, as I did just take the last of the photos for ya.  

See how I pinched the seam and increased it by 3/4ths? You can also do this if the shoulder to back ratio is off too.  This shirt also has bust darts.  Increasing or decreasing those is another way to do a FBA.  I didn't need to, so . . . 

I did a touch of french seaming too.  Again, as I said in the last post, a little structure on the shoulders.  

Ignore my running clothes hanging in the background.  I'm gonna go sweat in a few.  And those walls are fucking purple.  I swear, if I want the walls to capture well you won't see me.  Pfft.

Matched gingham.  Yes, yes, I did.  And those are Mr. Fairytale's Rollar Blades at the end of the bed.  Trip fest.  

 Don't look too close, you can see I fucked the collar stand up . . . though that first archer I did came out perfect.  Oh well.  I hand stitched my error, and it is all good.

And of course, this was a wearable muslin of the pattern.  I altered the hell out of it as I went, and I'm okay with it.   

The yoke, pockets, pocket tabs, and cuffs are cut on the bias as it gives the shirt a nice design and I was not going to loose my mind trying to match up in those spots.  Besides, you need a little break hear and there.  the pattern calls for front and back darts . . . If I made this again I would increase the front darts by a quarter inch (for each).  Though, considering I would lengthen this blouse by four inches I doubt I would deepen the darts.  It is a cute shirt, but it certainly needs to be longer.  

Shorty, short.  

Details are the spice of life.  

An accidental one that I just like.  

When you think about it, a button down is a wardrobe staple that sewist often overlook as too basic to make and to filled with buttonholes.  Yet, I say to make them anyway . . . hell, I have been since high school.  If it is a basic piece, won't it get some of the most wear in your closet? Yes, yes, indeed.

And I think that is all for now.  Up next, on the table at least, Archer number two in a gray and white cotton sateen plaid from Mood.  Yummy.