Sew U shirt

Here's the shirt I finished over the weekend -- I used the shirt pattern from the book Sew U (size L). This is my first button-down shirt, and I was surprised at how easy it was to make. Sure, I had to rip and re-sew the collar stand before I actually understood how it worked, and sure, I spent most of Saturday afternoon cursing about buttonholes, but really, it wasn't hard. If I were truly brainy, I would have learned from Lori Z's experience and cut the front facing on the bias, just for visual interest.


The fabric is 100% cotton ("Downtown Dot" by Alexander Henry); I started with two yards and there's plenty left over. I used very light pink thread and six thrifted pink buttons. (It's true: no buttonhole for the very top button. I figured I'll never do it up anyway, and making buttonholes sucks. You caught me. I'm a cheater.) I omitted the front darts (the ones that aren't the bust darts), since I didn't want a sleeveless summer shirt that looked too tailored. Next time, I'd also omit the interfacing from the buttonhole strip and use snaps instead of buttons. I'd also use a slightly drapier fabric -- this one is sold as quilting fabric. It's nice and crisp, which would be perfect for a tailored shirt with sleeves but is a little stiff for the casual shirt I had in mind. But it's only been washed and dried once, so it will probably continue to soften.


Another success. I have another sleeveless shirt that I love, which I'd bought at a thrift store a long time ago, and it's getting a little thin. I've been wanting to copy it, and this comes pretty close. A sleeveless (or short-sleeved) shirt is so versatile, since you can throw a cardigan over it in the fall.

In knitting, I'm speeding through the front piece of the Josephine Top. (Bill and I are watching season two of The Sopranos in the evenings, and we often end up watching three in a row, and that's a lot of knitting time.) When I finished the back piece I felt a twinge of Second Sweater-Piece Syndrome, but I cast on right away for the front.