Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricistia: Stratchcona Henley from Thread Theory Designs

Confession: I’m a bit of a selfish seamstress.  I occasionally dabble in minor alterations for others but a majority of my sewing is women’s wear with me in mind.  Head down, stereo up and the faint hum of my sewing machine helps to drown out the sounds of my husband standing in the doorway in his holey t-shirt asking when he’s going to see some action on that quilt he’s been wanting for years.  So when Julie asked me to take part in the “In the Studio” series I was happy to oblige as I was excited to see Fabric Mart stocked patterns by Thread Theory Designs, a menswear pattern company. 
My husband is pretty particular about his clothes so I knew I needed to keep it simple.  I didn't want to spend a lot of time invested in something that might not work for him.   The Stratchcona Henley is a modern t-shirt pattern with a crew neck or Henley style button placket options.  I stuck to the crew neck t-shirt style for my first try at the pattern.  The sizing ranges from XS-XL and note the style is slim fitting.  Eeeek! Slim fit is not hubby’s style at all.  When tracing out the XL I added about an inch to the side seams to hopefully accommodate for this.   I also shortened the sleeve length and hem length 3 inches. 
One thing I found odd when cutting out the pattern was with the neckband.  The pattern and cutting layout has you cutting the neckband along the lengthwise grain for all knits and on the crosswise grain for a 4 way stretch knit.  My fabric, a medium weight interlock from Joann Fabric, had a two way stretch with the most stretch being on the crosswise grain.  There was little stretch to the lengthwise grain but I cut per instructions just to see if I could get it to work.  Like I thought without the right amount of stretch it was near impossible for me to fit to the neckline.  I went back and re-cut on the crosswise grain.  I’m not sure why the two different directional cutting layouts are there but this is something you’ll want to consider when making your own.  I always cut my neckband in same direction as the stretch of the fabric.

Construction was a breeze when completed on my serger.  When joining the shoulder seams the pattern gives 3 different options to stabilize the seam so it’s not stretched when worn.  I chose to stabilize mine with clear elastic since I’ve acquired quite a bit of it in my stash from making swimwear.  Other noted options are twill tape, cutting 1/4 selvages from self fabric or cotton scraps and using fusible interfacing.  To apply the elastic I first marked my seam allowance with chalk then pinned the elastic slightly overlapping the seam line.  When serging I made sure my needle went through my elastic and also made sure my blade was not cutting through end of the elastic.


My sleeves and hems are finished by first serging the ends then folding under 5/8 inch and top-stitching with a twin needle.  This gives it that coverstitch finish. 

Unfortunately this shirt didn't work for my husband.  Bummer right!?  I think the problem is a mixture of the slim fitted style and fabric choice.  The interlock knit was a little too clingy and soft for his liking.  I think with a few fitting modifications and a light weight jersey this could be the perfect shirt for my husband.  In the meantime my dad modeled the shirt for me. 



I always feel bad when a project doesn't work out in my favor.  But sometimes sewing is no fun without a challenge.  The challenge comes in making it better than before and learning from your mistakes.  I’m determined more than ever now to make my husband a t-shirt he loves. 

Have you sewn for the man in your life?  What's your favorite menswear pattern?  

~Shannon from Shanni Loves

Comments

  1. I've never made a T-shirt for a man; it seems like a lot of trouble for very little. However, I HAVE made many "Hawaiian style" shirts from novelty fabric of things they love. My grandkids wear them as is. My son likes his shirts fitted, so I put darts in the back and slim the sides. I don't make many regular shirts with a neck stand, because I can't figure out how to make those to look professional. Ideas?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Workwear Ready

I'm excited for my first post in 2023! At the beginning of the year, I recently went back to working in person so now I am looking to make and wear pieces that I can wear to work.  The goal is to be functional but also very fashionable since I am a fashion design professor. I saw this blue denim fabric and knew I wanted to make some pants; I just wasn’t sure what kind.  I decided to make Mimi G x Simplicity S8985 View B pants.  I liked the oversized flare look, I just made one slight modification to them by adding a pintuck along the front.  This was easy to add since the waistline was called to be slightly gathered to fit.  The fabric had a hand closer to linen and was very lightweight which was great and very satisfying to sew.  I lengthened the pants by 3” and finished with a 2” hem. The top I used Simplicity S9707.  It’s an oversized partial button down top.  I decided to create a high low hem by combining two different views.   I loved the print of the fabric but honestly as s

Made By A Fabricista: New Year, Same Me

Happy 2023 all! It’s a new year & I am back with a new Fabric Mart make. If you’re new here I am Macy & I love to make dresses (they’re my specialty). I enjoy sewing a variety of fabrics & shopping for them even more, but floral fabrics truly have my heart in a chokehold. If you’re returning visitor, thank you for coming! Today, I am sharing my brand new Simplicity 9642 make. I absolutely love this dress; I love the feel & movement of it, as well as the fabric. Fabric Mart had the most beautiful royal blue floral velour/velvet fabric & it paired perfectly with this pattern. The fabric has such beautiful flowers in the actual fabric that are: red, yellow, tans, & emerald green for the leaves. The fabric was remarkably easy to cut & sew with.  The 9642 Simplicity pattern has a fitted bodice & flared skirt. They have a variety of sleeves & lengths to choose from, but I chose View C. The sleeves have a series of pleats, which creates a “poof” like look. 

Made By A Fabricista: Spring into 2023 with Liberty of London!

Hi Fabricista Fans! I'm excited to be back with my first FabricMart project of 2023 and my second with Liberty of London Tana Lawn ! This fabric is so luxurious and wonderful to work with, I just can't pass it up whenever I see it come on sale! With such a high thread count, Liberty of London doesn't easily crush, and although it's 100% cotton, it's so flowy that it's perfect for billowy dresses, blouses, and skirts. With my $50 budget this month, I purchased 2 yards of Tana Lawn and made a Peony Patterns Rosemary Dress with inseam pockets for my youngest daughter. This is a gorgeous button down dress with long and short puff sleeve options. After cutting it out, I realized I had plenty leftover for a skirt for my eldest, so I whipped up the FREE Peony Patterns Apple Berry Skirt for her. Since she needed a top to go with it, I raided my stash for some additional fabric, and found a lovely eggshell Fabric Mart Rayon Lycra hidden away. (Don't worry, I still ha