Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: My Ditsy Daisy Button Up





I wasn't sure if I should have entitled this post "My J. Crew Knock-off" since I drew heavily from the idea of this adorable J. Crew button up in a daisy Liberty of London print.  When I spotted this very similar shirting fabric from Fabric Mart I knew I needed a daisy button up of my own!          
 

Classic button ups are one of my favorite go-to-work items since I can roll the sleeves down if the A/C is frigid indoors and roll them up when I am out in the field.  For the pattern I used McCalls 6436 which is a classic button up with almost every imaginable pattern piece for a traditional button up with the exception of the sleeve placket and back yoke.  That is to say, there is a lot of cutting out of pattern pieces in this process.  The pattern also includes bust darts and back darts which give it a bit more shaping than other button up's I've sewn.  


This is my "I push my sleeves up like a J. Crew model" pose!


I knew I would want to roll up the sleeves of this top and wanted the seam finishes to look decent so I used this method.  This finish encapsulates the raw edges in each respective seam allowance.  I've used this method before and am partial to it.  I know how to do hong kong seams, flat felled, serged and french seams but I just prefer this method- mostly because there is less fiddly cutting away of tiny strips of fabric which clutters my floor and is tedious.  



When making this shirt I wasn't entirely sure what work clothes it would coordinate with so when it was complete I had fun pairing it up with this skirt.  This has been an orphan skirt in my closet for a while so I am glad its finally found its mate!  It also pairs well with a pair of persimmon slacks.  The little centers of each flower have a shade of pink that is somewhere between pink and red.....persimmon!



If you are interested in making your own button up I recommend the sew-along tutorials from Grainline Studio for the Archer button up.  Most of the techniques you need are covered there and can help you when you are trying to decipher the process.    

As far as patterns there are so many button up patterns that it can be hard to choose.  So here are a few suggestions:
Grainline Archer- a looser fitting button up
Butterick 5526- I've made this one previously and had a good outcome
McCall 6124- nice princess seams on this one
Simplicity 1538- I like the contrasting fabric suggestions on this one
Sewaholic Granville- this was a "Best Pattern of the Year" at Pattern Review

 

I draw a measure of satisfaction from making a knock off item with my own two hands.  The creative process of making a garment has almost completely eclipsed the satisfaction I once felt when buying a similar item at a store.  Its this feeling that brings me back to my cutting and sewing tables again and again.


Thanks for reading, and happy sewing!
Elizabeth 
 

Comments

  1. This shirt is super cute and your execution is right on point! Ain't no homemade looking shirts over here!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Michelle, you make me smile! Oh the dreaded homemade shirt, I sure hope I am past that point in my sewing!

      Delete
  2. This shirt is super cute and your execution is right on point! Ain't no homemade looking shirts over here!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The "scrunched" sleeves of the J. Crew model. LOL. :'-) So true.

    You look beautiful, what a great classic shirt to last a long long time!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your sweet words Dina! I just couldn't help myself with the J. Crew sleeves, it always cracks me up!

      Delete
  4. Nice shirt and looks great with your "orphaned" skirt. Looks like it would work for casual and work very well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Linda! Its always great when one project redeems another!

      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: Revisiting a Pattern After Five Years

Have you ever used a sewing pattern and then immediately vowed never to sew it again? Well, I have. It all began in the spring of 2020 at the start of the pandemic lockdown. I tackled sewing projects that were more challenging to help me grow as a seamstress. There was one pattern in particular that almost did me in, the Seamwork Penny shirt dress. The Penny dress pattern has a classic button-up dress shirt style bodice with a gathered skirt and pockets. It is a beautiful take on a shirt dress, and my sister and I loved it. The only downside is that it was recommended for intermediate-level sewists and I was only an adventurous beginner back then.  I think I had only ever made one button-up shirt before attempting this Penny Dress and it didn’t even have a collar! Despite all of this, I thought “Why not try it, what’s the worst that can happen?”  Thankfully the worst didn’t happen, and the dress turned out surprisingly wearable, but I had some intense frustration at the end. I...

Made By A Fabricista: A Simple Frock for Spring

Hello friends! I’m really into sewing and wearing tent dresses at the moment. A tent dress is basically a wide A-line style gown. For this month’s project, I’ve opted to try out The Assembly Line’s Square Neck Dress. This style is a little avant-garde in its enormity and shape, and boasts the squared neckline it’s named after, plus some cute hem side slits.  All that volume is fun to move around in, plus there’s loads of air circulation which is cooling. This dress’s main feature–its wide and high squared neckline–really piqued my interest recently, and I added it to my Make Nine plans for 2025. I find it so satisfying to check off those boxes as I sew!  This beautiful shirtweight linen is a color I simply adore; a muted medium blue. Stormy skies, worn-in denim, and ocean waves all come to mind, and that is exactly what I want to be all wrapped up in. While I think a wild or large print would be amazingly on display in this big canvas of a dress, I also thought that a subtle ...

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...