A slightly less hideous application for this vintage fabric that I bought a whole bunch of for super cheap; I made a button down shirt. Previously, I made a vintage nightgown out of this stuff that ended up looking like a hospital gown. With so much extra fabric that I’m trying to clear out, I decided to give this print another go as a casual summer button-down blouse.
Bonus: I learned a whole lot with this project. I’ve never really understood how collars and lapels worked before this. I’ve made things with a lapel, including a full suit jacket, but I’ve always struggled to understand how every piece comes together and where to put my finished edges and when. This project, and the help of Youtube, helped solidify my understanding. Lapels are still a pain in the ass though, if you ask me.
This shirt has a collar and lapel front-facing, and not a full lining, so that also makes it different from collared garments that I’ve constructed int the past. Without a lining, the shirt is obviously lighter and more appropriate for summer. It features fish-eye darts which I had to make waayyyy bigger (smaller?) to pull the waistline in to fit. I followed the measurements on the pattern of course, but the shirt was still way too baggy for my liking. So more dramatic darts it was. I hear some of you saying, “well you could have made a muslin first,” but no. No. I hate doing things twice.
The shirt is finished with french seams and rolled hems because I think french seams look neater on a slightly transparent garment. Lastly, the front is fastened with 4 flat buttons with little heart-cut-outs. I had the buttons on-hand in my stash, and I felt this was as appropriate a project as any to use the weird little things.
