The Refashioners part two

Ah, the multiple collar effect

It can be done

I dunno

The collar is overwhelming. And unstable. It needs a facing for structural support (those collar stands make one heavy heavy lump). And the shirt is too big, and I'm tired of shirts by now.

I am sure I will return to this. But not soon.

A noble experiment. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

(So, yes, I do post the fails.)

The Refashioners 2015, part one

or  #therefashioners2015

The idea being that a selected group of sewists will remake a man's shirt into something else and post about it on Instagram.

But I do this stuff all the time.

I had just finished this bomber style jacket from a linen shirt. 

I had a whole set of make photos THAT I ERASED after I loaded this to Instagram.

I had a beautiful shirt I was rebuilding for my son, until I ...unpicked the collar from the shirt.

Which only works if you haven't make a buttonhole in one end and you want to recut the collar. Or the collar isn't ridiculously long cause you're working an XXL into a M. 

Which doesn't really work. The armseye on an XXL is really long, and unless you are dropping to a S, the armseye is not going to work in your favor, the front will be too narrow. Unless you take the front off the collar stand and the yoke and move it up.

Which gives you this result.

I really hope my son isn't looking at this. He's going to have a fit that this is headed towards Wadderville.

It would work if you could keep the collar/placket together, and the shoulder/armseye in one piece.

If you did this.

I'm 16" across upper bust, shoulders

I cut a generous overlap (1 3/4") to allow for the usual mistakes

This is the most accurate color representation of the set. Two similar toned striped shirts.

Notched at the top to match up the seam. I sewed the vertical seams first

To get the horizontal seam  to line up, I pinned the end of the vertical seam on the outside

Then I flipped inside and started pinning the horizontal seam

 I gathered the horizontal seam. A little Alder, a little One Hour Dress

I did not machine sew to the corners, I can finish that with topstitching

Now both sides are gathered. 

Cuffs still need thinking, and it's almost dress length which is too long for what it needs to do. And it needs interior seam finishes. And ironing.

It does NOT need buttonholes or buttons, though. WIN!

And I have one other over the top shirt idea and not quite enough time. 

This can be done. I have the technology. And the shirts.

Some ideas are always with us

Vogue 8721, now out of print

You and I have seen this design many times over the years, but sometimes it is nice to have a pattern already made up for you. Elizabeth Gillett's Vogue pattern can be repurposed to make this fine Vionnet 'blazer' (their wording, not mine).

Essentially, it is backwards. The back seam in the Vogue pattern is the front opening in the 'blazer'. In something drapey, it would be yummy.

I do wonder why Vionnet doesn't dig into the mother line more often. It does seem a bit skeevy to me to buy/use the name and not the ideas. Unless all you're doing is selling perfume and licensing.

I am hammering away on three shirts for the Refashioners 2015 challenge, in the audience participation department. Been putting up clips on Instagram, but not enough time to make a post today.

see the cross seams? Go for it, kids.