It’s finished! Finally!
Plus, since it’s blue, it counts for Blue February, and since it’s a button-up shirt, it counts for It’s On Like Donkey Kong’s Shirt, too. Two birds, one stone, etc.
This is the second button-up shirt I’ve made (you can see the first one here). This one is from the same self drafted/draped pattern as the first shirt (made to fit The Boyfriend). (For more info on the initial pattern-making process, check out this post.) I haven’t yet had a chance to snap some photos of The Boyfriend actually wearing it, but I can report that it fits quite nicely and he seems to like it (he’s even worn it to work a couple times)!
This shirt still has some issues, but on the whole I’d say it’s an improvement over the first one. I definitely felt more comfortable with the techniques this time around, and I also lengthened the sleeves a little bit to improve the fit.
I think the collar turned out pretty well! I still haven’t settled on a collar shape I’m entirely happy with, though; this one is just slightly wider and pointier than I was envisioning. I’m content with it, though. I’ll just have to do some more experimenting the next time I make a shirt. (Anybody know any good resources that talk about the fine points of different collar shapes? They really make a huge difference in how a finished shirt ends up looking, I think.)
The cuffs came out well too, I think. Look at that even edge stitching.
I’d also like to reduce the fullness in the sleeves a little bit on the next one — I think two pleats instead of the current three (where the sleeve is sewn to the cuff) would be about right.
I’m basically happy with it, though. Not bad for a second-ever attempt at a men’s shirt!
I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that the plaid matches perfectly (horizontally and vertically) at the center front. (This is much easier to achieve when your fabric isn’t stretched off grain, let me tell you…) They match at the sides too, but you’ll just have to take my word for that.
I’m happy to finally have this finished; shirt-making is really satisfying, but also pretty exacting and fiddly. I’m looking forward to sewing up a few less complicated garments for myself at this point! :)
Umbellularia Designs 
Really great tailoring skills Katie! I’m sure he looks terrific in it. Have you tried jackets? Either men’s or women’s?
Aw, thank you! I haven’t tried making a jacket yet, but it’s definitely something I’d like to learn how to do eventually!
This is great! I wonder–how difficult would it be to make a similar design for people with really long torsos so that the shirt doesn’t pull when it’s tucked in? My bf often neglects to tuck in button up shirts because they always come untucked, and he has trouble finding long-torso-friendly shirts. Just a thought!!!
Thanks Kelsey! Hm, it seems to me that altering a pattern that otherwise fits well to accommodate a long torso would be fairly straightforward–you would just need to lengthen the front and back pattern pieces by a few inches (commercial patterns often even have a lengthen/shorten line on them to show you where to add the length). So, totally doable!
*forgot to finish*
I just wanted to note that this fabric is wonderfully light and classy looking, and I wonder how thick it is?
Thanks, I really like this fabric too! It’s quite light and thin, but it has a very crisp feel to it. It’s 100% cotton. (The fabric I made my first shirt with was a similar weight, but much softer and more drapey.) In case you’re interested, I’ve found that the best place to buy cotton shirting is online from Mood Fabrics (http://www.moodfabrics.com/fashion-fabrics/cotton/shirting.html). They have by far the best selection of shirtings of any fabric store I’ve looked at!