Red Gingham Western Shirt for ME!!

I made a fairly simple shirt for me. I have made this same pattern several times and really like it. It's on older pattern McCalls 6383, by the looks of the collar I would would say this pattern is from the late 70's. I had some lightweight red gingham fabric that is a cotton poly blend. I later realized that I also had some nice red eyelet fabric that would have made a nice contrasting yoke.

I did have some problems with the pockets since they were cut on the bias. When I turned under the edges the pockets got wonky and large. I decided to not sweat it and sewed them in place thinking that they would be fine. Good thing because once the shirt was finished and washed the pockets did not look funky at all. Everything worked out nicely. 

The gingham is very small so the detail is not obvious, but yoke is cut on the bias too. This is where a nice red eyelet fabric would have stood out if I really wanted to make it look like a western shirt. I'm already looking through my fabric to see if I have more gingham. I found some pink but not sure if the red eyelet will work with pink. I also want 100% cotton. Thought his fabric is nice and light because it's a cotton poly blend it does not breath as well as 100% cotton. I was hoping for a nice light summer shirt to wear over tank tops this summer. We shall see as the days get hotter. 

This pattern has a large cuff too. I was smart this time and shortened the sleeves. The last few shirts I have made the sleeves are about 1" too long. That tends bother me and I end up rolling up my sleeves. When the sleeves are rolled up then you don't see the detail. I also wanted a shirt that the cuffs would not get wet when washing hands or dishes. I think I got it right on this one. 

The shirt it's self is very basic, it's a little baggy. I think I need to add darts to pull it in a little at the waist. Because of the pockets I don't want to put in bust darts but some darts on the back would make this a nice fitting shirt. I also want to try this pattern in a lawn fabric and make a straight hem. That way I can wear the shirt with skirts. I have never liked the way shirt tails look when wearing skirts and since I have gotten older I have added some extra pounds to my waist and tucking in a shirt is not an option. 

Now my favorite part...I love these snaps. I bought them a couple years ago up in Vancouver BC. There is a great fabric shop called Dressew, it's in the downtown area and only accepts cash or debit (which american debit cards do not work there so if you are coming from the states bring cash). They have a large selection of fabric but an even larger selection of sewing notions. I bought these snaps for $.49 a package, there were 7 snaps in the package so even buying 2 packages it was cheaper than what they sell for in Portland. Here in Portland a package of 12 snaps would cost $5. When I bought these snaps my husband said "what are you going to use those for?". I thought he would like them on his shirt...OH NO...he did not like them. So they have sat in my sewing studio for 2 years. When I was looking for what snaps to use on the shirt I pulled out these gems...they were perfect. 

Leggings

 I made another pair of leggings, It makes me sooooo happy because I have also found the perfect stitch on my server to make these leggings. It stretches nicely and holds the seam. It takes me about 1 hour from start to finish to make these leggings.

I have come to love this way of installing a waist band. You stitch the elastic down on the top of the band, the roll it down and stitch it again along the bottom. I added the blue piece of material so I tell at a glance which was the back. I think I will go back to the non-rolling elastic. The elastic I used on this pair was too stretchy & it may not provide the same staying power of the non-roll elastic. It's alway a test when sewing with materials that you get a thrift stores and estate sales. Though I love this pattern and would suggest it to anyone that asks. I want to try screen printing on the bottom of the next pair of leggings..oh yea there are more of these in my future. 

I bought a scooter a couple of years ago, we were going to make it into a rolling cupcake. It proved to be a little too large. It was about 5 ft long which would make the cupcake too large to store and we would need a trailer to move it. So my husband took about 18 inches out of the middle of the thing and then welded it back together there is a very study metal bar running down the center of the scooter). It's a little hard to ride if you have long legs but it's a work in progress. We are thinking of making a costume type of cover so the base can be interchangeable with different costumes. 

Making a shirt for someone for christmas. The burgundy fabric is from Pendleton Woolen Mills, it was a nice large piece in the scrap bin, it looks like a linen wool blend...but I'm not sure so I'm treating it like wool. That means I will have to wash it in cold and line dry the shirt. I'm in the process of putting it all together, I have the cuffs left. I should have it done in the next day or so. I will more then likely use snaps for the front closure as the recipient really likes snaps instead of buttons. I like to use a fun matching novelty fabric to add hidden details in the shirt. I have made about 5 of the Negroni Shirts so far, mostly for my husband...a couple for my father-in-law. They are always a hit and once you have made one...it's easier the next time. 

Out cat Sid sitting on the fence waiting for something to move in the night.