Shirt Sewing Success

This year, instead of listing a small but manageable crop of resolutions for the new year, I’ve been scrawling a random assortment of goals and things to remember this year in my journal. The running list consists of such lofty and specific goals as “read more,” and “be kinder.” Somewhere on the margins I scratched “get better at sewing,” and I thought a good way to do that would be making myself some more clothes. 

Now I've done some sloppy-chic clothes sewing projects in the past, but I wanted to refine my technique. This year, I decided, I’d learn to use patterns, starting with a new pencil skirt for the office! I went with the Simplicity brand patterns, thinking (as I’m sure the Simplicity marketing team intended) that these patterns would be very easy. Turns out, it’s like that Minute rice that takes much longer than a minute to cook. I picked out a nice brown crackle pattern fabric, grabbed the various accoutrements (zipper, hook and eye, measuring tape, dressmaker’s pencil!), and as I was heading to the cutting table, a sheer, black and white remnant caught my eye so I grabbed that as well, as it was only $4.

I got home and excitedly ripped open my pattern. It was complete gobbledy gook. I abandoned it and made a flowy, forgiving top from my remnant instead. I looked on the internet for ideas and much in the way I would do if I was cooking a new dish, I took some tips and inspiration from all corners of the world wide web.

First I folded my fabric in half and pulled the front up a bit, because I wanted the shirt to be longer in the back than front. 

This is a sideways picture of the folded fabric. So the fold is the top, where the neck hole goes. I cut out a neckline that came down a little in the back and a little more in the front. Going down from the top two corners, I made a mark where the arm holes went and then sewed in about four inches at that point, and then turned 90 degrees to go down the rest of the shirt. I cut out the excess fabric, leaving me with kind of a misshapen T. I tried it on and took it in a few times until I achieved the most flattering level of flowiness.

Next, I folded up each sleeve once to make about a one inch cuff and sewed it in place. 

 Then I finished the edge along the neckline. 

Remember that longer back part we talked about earlier? We'll call that the "tail." Next I trimmed my tail to be nice and rounded. Achieving symmetry was a challenge. I then finished that edge as well. In this case by "finish," I mean I folded in a tiny bit and sewed, though I later realized if I folded inward twice, the frayed edge would be totally hidden--something to keep in mind for future projects.   

The last thing I did was put on my shirt and force my boyfriend to take a series of photos of me modeling my shirt. He was a real sport. 

 I like to wear it as an off-the-shoulder number. People go crazy for these creamy white shoulders. 

 Here is a side view. Check out that tail.  

This shirt rules because it's cute and mod looking, and I could eat several cheeseburgers and tons of beer while wearing it and not feel constricted or uncomfortable. I call that sewing success!   

The long and short of it is that this shirt will turn you into a motherfucking  kumquat goddess. 

 Stay tuned for the next installment of my sewing adventure, during which I get help from my mommy and learn how to use my pencil skirt pattern!