Ed's Second Shirt -- Pink and Blue Gingham!

I've been sewing a lot for the past few days and I'm happy to say I am 95% finished with Ed's second shirt (above).

He returns tomorrow to California but I did get a chance to photograph him in it this afternoon.  All it lacks is buttonholes and buttons.  I made the same alterations that I made to his linen shirt, lowering the neckline a bit and increasing the circumference of the neck.  This was a much easier fabric to cut and to sew with since it didn't shift.



Here's the shirt on Ed.  I'm very happy with the way it looks on him (just pinned closed of course).







One alteration I made to the pattern (for both shirts) was to gather the sleeve at the cuff rather than to pleat it.  I think a gathered cuff is more attractive.  The pink and blue gingham shirt has traditional sleeve plackets; the linen shirt has continuous lap plackets (which the original pattern calls for and is rather unusual).





 Rather than use cotton batiste, I interfaced front button placket, collar, collar stand, and cuffs with a very lightweight woven fusible, from Mood, I think.  I tested it out first on a fabric swatch (below).



The back yoke and cuffs are cut on the crossgrain.



I'll put the finishing touches on the shirt in the next few days and will be sending the shirts out to Ed this coming week.  It's been really fun making two shirts back-to-back with such different fabrics, each of which has its own unique character and feel.

Next up, some women's separates.

Have a great day, everybody!