Repairing My Parka + What Would YOU Make With This Fabric?

My mountain parka (above) is one of my all-time favorite sewing projects.

I made it last September and have worn it constantly through fall, winter, and now the spring.  So I was less than thrilled when, tugging on the right lower pocket with my hand inserted awkwardly while sitting down, I ripped the top outer corner of the pocket right off the main fabric.  Eek!





This parka would have been sturdier in a heavier fabric but, then, what garment wouldn't be?  Fortunately, I still had some of the blue coated cotton in my scrap stash, so I was able to make a matching patch.  What contributed to the weakness of the fabric in this spot was that I over-stitched the corner (see thick bar tack below).  It's easy to forget that stitching can weaken fabric as well as reinforce it.  In retrospect, I should have added some kind of interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric.



Since I could see that the left pocket was also vulnerable to the same type of tear, I removed the upper corner of the pocket and made an identical patch.  As you can see below, the patches are hardly noticeable, plus my arms hang over them.

Patch placement prior to stitching.

Yet another reason why it's good to save some scraps from important projects!

In other news, I was fabric shopping yesterday and, somewhat impulsively, picked up a wild print that has had me second-guessing myself ever since.  Has this ever happened to you?

It's sturdy coated cotton in a tropical print and I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it.  It's way too heavy for shirting and too coated-feeling for pants; it really would work best as outerwear.  Or as a shower curtain.

Michael does not want to be seen in this fabric.

The spray-painted look of the blue hibiscus is intentional.

Seriously, it's not an unflattering palette, but the scale of those flowers...I don't know.



In closing, assuming you had to make something with (two very wide yards of) said fabric, what would you make?

Have a great day, everybody!

Vogue 8889 Men's Shirt Reveal or "Hello Voile-y"

Friends, I am happy to report that I finished my cotton voile shirt over the weekend.

As you can see above (and below), the fabric is delicate and slightly sheer.  It wasn't hard to work with, but I handled it very gently and used a fresh new needle in my Singer 201.



Here are some close-ups:

The completed collar, before attaching.



The collar, now attached.





Inside collar stand.



Flat-felled seams on the side panels.



Hidden button placket.





Me modeling the shirt.  The fit is good though I might have done a small sloping shoulder adjustment.  I like it a lot and I look forward to wearing it when the weather warms up.









And that's it -- onward and upward!

Have a great day, everybody!

Oh, You Beautiful Voile!

Today I started my latest project, a shirt made from the gray floral cotton voile I purchased last month at Elliott Berman.  It's a very delicate, finely woven fabric from France.

This is going to be a short-sleeved summer shirt; the pattern I'm using is in-print Vogue 8889.  I've made this pattern twice before, once in white and once in pale yellow (pics below).  If there's enough fabric left over -- and I believe there will be -- I may make a tunic top for my mother.









I've cut my fabric and started sewing.  Since there are two side front pieces and two side back side pieces (in addition to regular fronts and backs), there's a lot of seaming to be done; all flat-felled.





The front will have a covered button placket.





I hope to finish this weekend; short-sleeved shirts are much quicker to make since there are no cuffs and no sleeve plackets to make.

I leave you with some pics of my Mom -- she's doing well and boy, is she spoiling the dogs!  (A grandmother's prerogative, I suppose.)







Have a great day, everybody!

Yee-Haw -- Peter Models the Western Shirt!

Readers, the Western shirt is done, pearl snaps and all!

To see me model it, just click here.

I am happy to report that this shirt does not feel costumey in the least.  And the best part of all is that it's even more beautiful after washing.  I love the slightly rumply texture of laundered cotton chambray.



I think if done in a low-key way, a Western-style cowboy shirt is a nice addition to a non-horseback-riding man's wardrobe.

For me, it's a definite -- and somewhat surprising -- YEA.   I'm guessing (hoping?) you agree.

Have a great day, everybody!

The pattern I used: Simplicity 6955 from 1966.

The Western (or Cowboy) Shirt -- YEA or NAY?

Readers, it didn't dawn on me till I was halfway through the chambray shirt I'm making that it's really a modified cowboy shirt.



In the United States, cowboy (also known as Western or frontier) shirts have been popular for decades, especially in the Southwest.  Although not nearly as ubiquitous as blue jeans, cowboy shirts can be worn far from the rodeo without feeling like you're playing dress-up.

Or can they?

Cowboy shirts became popular men's garments in the 1930's, I believe, with the rise of movie cowboys and Western-themed films.  During the 1940's, singing cowboys like Roy Rogers and Gene Autry added a layer of gloss (and wholesomeness) to the look.  As families had more leisure time in the 1950's, cowboy shirts were the kind of thing a dad might wear to a backyard barbecue.  And in the early decades of TV, cowboys and Western themed shows like Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, and Bonanza ruled the airwaves.  (This list knocked my socks off.)

Remember Ty Hardin in Bronco?

Sewing patterns for men's Western shirts are always in print.  Some of the most beautiful date from the late 1930's through the 1950's.  They include all kinds of fancy details like fringe, embroidery (embroidery transfer included!), piping, and fancy cuffs.  These patterns are easy to find on eBay and Etsy; I own at least five myself!









Feast your eyes, cowboy shirt fans!





















They weren't just for men, either.





A few more peeks at my shirt, which is coming together nicely.





Friends, what do you think of cowboy shirts?

Are they best reserved for the rodeo and community theater productions of Oklahoma!?

Do you -- or someone you love -- have a few hanging in the closet?  

Western (or cowboy) shirts -- YEA or NAY?