Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Sewing for Men...the Joy and Tribulation!

Have you ever sewn for the men in your life? Do you have many of them? I have a husband, father, two sons, two son-in-laws and an adorable grandson. That is a lot of men! I decided to create a shirt for them all, except for my father who is probably one of the pickiest people on the planet when it comes to clothing....but that is another story!

I chose the Strathcona Henley from Thread Theory Designs as my pattern base.

I

I like the slim fit of the top--do you call it a top for a man? Maybe I'll refer to these as a tee shirt with variations. The pattern is described as a modern fitting, or slim fitting tee with neckline variations, sleeve length options, and the opportunity to create a Henley placket if you desire!


I briefly asked several of the guys what color shirt they would like/possibly wear if I made them one and they came up with gray or blue. Funny in a weird sort of way! So, I made things easy on myself and ordered 4 yards of gray and 4 yards of navy blue.


Both are lighter weight poly blend with good stretch and recovery. I also let each of the choose their preferred style: long or short sleeves, placket or not. I guessed on my grandsons as he is only 21 months and probably doesn't really care as long as it is comfortable.


The first shirt I made was for the hubby who wouldn't benefit from a slim-fitting top :). I knew I would have to majorly alter the pattern to fit him. The size range on this pattern is XS to XL. The size on the pattern for an XL is 46-48" chest and 40-42" waist. Without telling you his exact measurements, I knew I would have to widen the waistline by at least five inches so I added three inches to each side starting under the arm and ending at the hemline creating an a-line shape. I only did this on the front shirt as I was thinking about how for me I have to create FBAs and I only do that on the front of the garment, not the back. He also wanted elbow length sleeves and the crew neckline.


Construction is very easy and intuitive for this top and the instructions are really very good! A beginner could tackle this with the right fabric and a good set of measurements--which in hindsight means more than just the chest and waist. You also need to measure neckline length and depth, shoulder area and sleeve length. All the necessary steps are in place for this pattern--such as stabilizing the shoulder seams. Have you ever watched a guy pull off a shirt? Not at all like I do which is carefully.They just grab the back of it by the neckline and yank. I made sure to sew a stretch stitch everywhere and I also topstitched the seams just to keep it from falling apart in the future.


My first go for the hubby didn't receive the reaction I was hoping for--he HATED it! He didn't like the lightweight fabric and he prefers his tops loose, not a slim fit as the pattern calls for. I had him get a tee from his closet that he likes the fit of and I found a heavier all cotton knit from my stash, also purchased from Fabric Mart, and drafted my own pattern for him. Success!  I have his approval now yay!


Next up was Daniel, my youngest.  He isn't a big guy.  His adorable wife makes him eat as he forgets! No wonder he ended up with the smallest shirt--next to the grandson of course!


Daniel needed a small shirt. His chest is 36.5" and waist is 31.5. He is always cold so he asked for long sleeves and in blue, just like dad! He also wanted the shirt to look like he was wearing a short sleeve top over a long sleeve so could I put gray long sleeves there as well? Of course I can! In the photos, he is wearing Kevin's shirt but holding his shirt. Why? No idea but that is what he wanted to do so I rolled with it.


Andrew, my oldest son, is the only guy requesting a placket. He asked for gray and needed a medium as his chest is 40 with a 34 waist. He is about 6'2" and I also measured the sleeve length for him as I was concerned it may be a little on the short side. The placket directions for this tee are very interesting and drafted pretty much like what I imagine an engineer to draft a placket like. It isn't difficult at all but there are a few steps that do help you get a very nice looking placket. My only regret with this is that I wish I would have interfaced the placket area on the shirt itself as with this lightweight knit, it isn't the best placket I've ever made but it will do for Andrew.


Now, onto the son-in-laws.

Kevin and Daniel are almost exactly the same size with Kevin's chest being an inch bigger but with the same waistline. He lives in Baton Rouge so I knew that he'd rather have a shirt a little bigger than smaller with all the heat and humidity present. I went with a medium for him. He too wanted gray with short sleeves. I had a little mishap with his top and as I was trimming threads I accidentally cut a small hole in the sleeve. Did I mention his was the last make of six shirts? I just about cried but then remember that Thread Theory includes an awesome little label for your shirt so I stitched that over the slit and now it is a cool design element.


Brad, or son-in-law #2, needed a large with a chest of 44.5' and a waist of 39.5. He is a solid guy and so is his son, my adorable grandson, Simon!

Simon's shirt was a mashup of the blue and gray and I used McCall's 6683.


I'd made the romper for him before and knew the pattern would fit. I just left off the collar but kept the stand. Simon measured 20" chest and 21" waist. I asked his mommy if she wanted another onesie for him and she said no, simply because he occasionally likes to play with his belly button. Oh the joy of being less than two years old!


It was interesting and fun to sew for the guys in my life. They are just as picky when it comes to fit, color, fabric weight, and texture. I'd really like to introduce some more color into their worlds but at least I didn't have to make six brown shirts. Gray and blue was at least some variety!


Thanks for reading this very long post! Try this pattern from Thread Theory Designs, as long as your man is very slim and doesn't mind a clingier fit. It's well drafted and looks good on a smaller sizes and shapes--as long as you aren't out of square--meaning your waistline is larger than your chest! I'll make more of these if they ask, or maybe I'll just make more and give away to all these guys!

Thanks for reading!!!
Sue from Ilove2sew!

Comments

  1. Wow. You win some kind of award. I am making something for hubby, but the thought of making what I am making him for the other men in my life, too, um, no way! That's a whole ton of work.

    Your sons/son-in-laws are so handsome and your grandson is so so so precious, I can't get over it!

    Thanks for sharing all your hard work, Sue!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dina! DH was probably the most vocal about likes/dislikes! It was work, but I really enjoyed it!

      Delete
  2. Whaaaat?!! I LOVE this post so much!! You are a superstar making up all of these shirts for all your guys.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice work, Sue! What a handsome family you have. Simon is adorable and is definitely stealing the show.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ann! They are all good looking fellas, but Simon is the best of all!

      Delete

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: Bold Aspen Dress for Spring

 As I write this in mid-April, central New Jersey weather is showing small signs of spring. My neighbor’s daffodils are blooming and our magnolia tree is trying to unfold its vibrant magenta petals. I am in the midst of preparing my wardrobe for the warmer months, even if we are still huddling against windy 30 degree days. For me, warm weather means linen. I love breathable, floaty linen sundresses and drapey, loose linen wide-leg pants. My vision for a spring piece was something bold and bright, inspired by the natural colors of blooming flowers, but also something that could transition well between the warmer and cooler months. When I saw Fabric Godmother’s Apsen Dress, I knew that it had the sensible transitional opportunities I was looking for while also providing a blank canvas for fun prints, patterns and colors. With the pattern in mind, I then turned to the stunning linen collection that Fabric Mart always has on hand to see what colors or patterns would best suit my visio...

Made By A Fabricista: Celebrating warm weather with Spring sewing!

Hi sewing friends! I don’t know about you but boy, was winter cold and dreary this year! The weather here in the Philadelphia area has been slowly improving, but Spring sure did take her sweet old time to arrive. So by April, I was definitely in the headspace of needing to sew up things that were either bright and cheery or meant for the warmer weather I am very much craving right now. I recently purchased a few SewBexx Patterns so I took them on a test run to create some Spring makes. First on my list was to make a top using this absolutely gorgeous ITY fabric I picked up last year. I had two yards which was enough for a long sleeve shirt. I chose the Olivia top, which is oversized with a drop shoulder, has multiple lengths and a split hem. I think the pattern is intended for heavier fabrics but I was envisioning how lovely this top would look with the drape of ITY knit fabric, and it did not disappoint. It came together for me quickly and was a straight forward sew…and I love the br...

Made By A Fabricista: Stripes For Spring

Hi everyone!   It’s finally warming up here in southeastern Pennsylvania and I wanted to make a light, flowy dress for springtime. I snagged a vintage Laura Ashley pattern from Joanns on one of my last trips there. I somehow didn’t have anything in my pattern stash with a sweetheart neckline, so I thought it would be a good addition. The pattern calls for a giant gathered skirt, so I knew I would need something lightweight and drapey for it.  Something like a pink striped cotton fine seersucker. The fabric is light and has a really nice drape, almost like a challis . I knew it would gather beautifully. I  got to work cutting everything out, with help from my assistant. When I say the skirt is massive I mean it.  I ran into an issue right away where my fabric isn't wide enough to cut the back panel without opening the fabric out. And my three yards of fabric wasn’t enough to cut two back panels. I ran into this issue last year when making my pinafore dress . In ...