Made by a Fabricista: 25th Anniversary Shirt

It was my 25th anniversary last week and every year I buy my husband at least one card for our anniversary and this year was no different. I looked at typical anniversary cards, "I'm Sorry" cards (for all of those times I said something I shouldn't have, uh-hem), "I Love You" cards and "You're My Best Friend" cards. I settled on an "I Love You" anniversary card but I knew I wanted to give him something more....it is our silver anniversary after all.

I decided to make him a shirt. I realize it's a bit "Little House on the Prairie" for Ma to make Pa a shirt but he loved the last shirt I made him so much I knew it was the perfect gift.

I found a beautiful quality Japanese shirting from Fabric Mart that he would like. It's a 100% cotton blue/gray fabric with tiny red & cream colored stripes and a really soft face. He's an artist so he's usually in a crew neck t-shirt and Levi's (with a little bit of paint on them somewhere) so this crisp but not too crisp fabric is great for my casual dressing guy.

Already in my stash was the Negroni pattern from Colette but I had yet to make it. My husband has these particular two shirts he likes from Patagonia, so I decided to steal one from the closet and use it for the basic fitting specs. I measured it against Negroni and found the large was only a 1/2" different around the body so I went with it.

I made a few fit and design changes starting with shortening the sleeve. I measured the shirt from the neck, across the shoulder seam and down the sleeve to get the length I wanted.

I then measured the yoke and sleeve pattern pieces, deducted the seam allowances and found my sleeve needed to be shortened a little more than an inch.

I copied the Patagonia shirt pocket because it had a lot more interest and used my 1/4" foot for the inner stitch and my ditch foot for the edge stitch when topstitching on the pocket, collar, yoke and sleeve. Negroni calls for a shirttail hem but I changed it to a straight hem with a side vent.

The instructions were well written, the finish on the inner yoke and collar was really clean (take a look at the inside in the photo below) and overall it looked more like a ready to wear shirt than any other men's pattern I've used.

Since I gave it to him as a surprise I wasn't able to do fittings while making the shirt so I will make a couple of changes next time I make it. I'll shorten the sleeve and shirt length by an inch each and make a sloping shoulder adjustment to eliminate the wrinkles at the back armhole.

My husband loved the shirt (and wants another one...I'm so happy!) and after some coaxing agreed to be photographed but insisted I leave his face out of it. I obliged because if I didn't I'd have to buy an "I'm Sorry" card at our next anniversary.

While making this shirt I was reminded of something. When a new niece or nephew is born in the family, my husband gets freshly showered and puts on a collared shirt before we first go meet the baby. I've never asked him to do this and of course the baby doesn't know he's in his "Sunday Best" but I find it so endearing. Maybe we need a new niece or nephew in the family.

Thank you for sharing in my sewing adventures,

Diane at Gatorbunnysews

Made by a Fabricista: The Bernadette

Hello friends, My Latest Fabricista Make: Friday pattern Co Bernadette Skirt x Midnight Navy Cotton/Lycra Sateen Stretch Denim Hi everyone, this is Byrd with my latest Fabricista make! When I saw Fabric Mart’s Muted Midnight Navy Cotton/Lycra Sateen Stretch Denim , I knew it would be perfect for my next project. The color is rich and versatile—a deep navy that works as a neutral but still has presence. The stretch denim has just the right balance: structure with a bit of give, making it great for a garment that needs both shape and comfort. It’s an ideal fabric for fall transitions, but it’s sturdy enough to carry straight into winter with tights and boots. For the pattern, I chose the Bernadette Skirt by Friday Pattern Company . This is one of their newer designs, and I knew immediately I wanted to sew it up. It’s a modern skirt that blends structure and style, with darts in the back and pleats in the front for a flattering fit. One of my favorite features is the belt, and of co...

Made By A Fabricista: Falling for Knits

We are now well into Fall, even though the temps are still relatively warm here in Texas. I love the fall season and dressing for Fall. When it comes to the conversation of knits vs. wovens I typically sew mostly wovens. So for this post I decided to sew completely knits! With the holiday season right around the corner I saw these three dress styles as perfect for Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving gatherings. The first look is a tried and true pattern Simplicity S9372. Using this gorgeous burgundy ponte knit , I like how this pattern fits throughout. I chose this color to add to my typically neutral palette in my closet. I also wanted something I could wear to my sorority meetings and found this color perfect. It's an easy sew with back fisheye darts and invisible zipper to add to the tapered style. The neckline and armholes are finished with bias binding giving it a clean finish on the inside. I used a universal needle to sew a...

Made By A Fabricista: The Art of the Slow Make: My La Forme Double-Breasted Jacket

I started this project back in July — one of those mid-summer sewing plans meant to get me ahead for fall. My idea was simple: start my wardrobe a season (or two) early so that when cooler weather came, I’d already have a few handmade pieces ready to wear. That was the plan, anyway. But as sewing often reminds us, plans evolve. This jacket, made using La Forme pattern No. 0303, is a double-breasted design with peak lapels and an exaggerated hip detail that gives it such a striking silhouette. I fell in love with the structure of the pattern right away — it has that timeless, tailored feel I can never resist — but it also asked for patience. I picked it up and put it down several times over the months, letting it rest while I worked on other projects, until finally, the timing felt right to bring it to life. And now, here we are — the leaves are turning, there’s a chill in the air, and some parts of the country are even seeing snow. My summer-started jacket is finally finished, and it c...

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