Finished - just in time - the Vinyl Vacation

Friends I promise you this is the last gaudy man-shirt I will subject you to for a while. I've posted my latest Negroni over at Stitch 56 but wanted to share with you a bit more of the nitty gritty changes I made since my first Negroni, the epic Mindblower creation of 2015.

At the same time as purchasing the most tasteful fabric in the world for my guy I also grabbed this fab retro inspired Vinyl Vacation Alexander Henry print. Is this not the perfect fabric for some Alohawear?



 The man wanted less bulk around the collar and plackets with his next shirt and I was scratching my head on how to achieve this then inspiration struck! I was hugely impressed by Sewn By Elizabeth's resourcefulness with her fellow's latest Negroni - she'd fiddled around with her Grainline Archer pattern and used it's collar and collar stand pieces to turn the Negroni from a camp shirt to one with a traditional collar and stand. I went the easy way and followed Male Pattern Boldness' shirt sewalong from a few years ago. He has a great step-by-step tutorial on drafting new front plackets, and suggests either tracing a collar stand/collar off a RTW shirt or borrowing one from another pattern.



I borrowed from a Burda pattern I happily discovered I owned, and almost got it right. Luckily the pieces were a little big, rather than small, and you decide to try this do as I say (rather than what I did) and make a toile version if you can. I had no spare fabric to cut a second stand and collar, so had to play around with what I had, and I think with all the faffing I may have stretched the pieces a little as I did have a few puckers in the end (cunningly hidden I must say in the centre back and front where no-one will spot them). Please stay silent if you noticed that I cut the collar with the design going the wrong way. That lady is meant to be upside down. How awesome would it be if Colette Patterns featured the Negroni as their monthly pattern and added a properly drafted collar/stand piece as a variation? It would add so much more flexibility to the pattern.



Due to a fabric shortage I had to piece the plackets, which meant having both on the inside, than the traditional outside, but when I checked out some RTW shirts there was such variation in how plackets were constructed that I really don't know what's traditional and what isn't anymore!

After my Granville shirt I took Morgan's advice and purchased David Coffin's shirtmaking book - I was thrilled to find a Kindle version for about $12AUD on Amazon. I haven't quite worked my way through it all but it's very interesting and I'm very impressed by the attention to detail that he encourages.


Anyway for the stand/collar construction I decided to go back to Andrea's excellent tutorial, but then looked a little closer at Peter's on the shirt sewalong and noticed that his had a very slight difference which gave me a slightly better finish. They both suggest attaching once piece of the collar stand to the collar, then the free collar stand to the shirt, then the whole shebang, but where Andrea suggests attaching the OUTER collar stand first then topstitching down the INNER to finish it all off, Peter suggests the opposite. So thats what I did, just to see if it made a difference. And I think it did - when you think about it the INNER collar stand is generally what is more visible if you don't wear our top button done right up to the top. If you attach the OUTER stand first you are doing your final top stitching on the INNER stand so you need neat top stitching AND have the seam allowance folded under perfectly and evenly. If the inner stand is already attached you've a lovely even seam allowance already stitched in place, and what you are folding over to stitch down is the OUTER stand seam allowance which will be hidden under the collar. So if it's a little wobbly and dodgy (see pics below) it won't be as visible. Does this make sense? I still top stitched from the inside after basting down the outside, so that it was as neat as possible. I think it made a big difference. Here's a close up of the nice inner collar stand (attached first) compared to the rather very shithouse outer collar stand seam, topstitched down:



I actually intend to redo that, as it is making my eye twitch. But do you get my point? I think I'm getting a bit obsessed about collar stands.....

My beloved also requested a slightly slimmer fit - I took an inch out of the sleeve length, and did the sleeve and side seams with a 7/8 inch seam allowance which was just enough. I hemmed it by 2 inches, and all up I think it's a winner.

We are off to Byron Bay this week on a mega 3200km road trip in Sunny Boy to the Blues Fest and I really can't think of a better shirt for a man to wear than this one! But I repeat my promise to you - I wont subject you to any more loud shirts for a very long time.....

So....anyone else going to Blues Fest? I have a terrible fear that I won't be showering for 3 days....

Comments

  1. Great shirt, and thanks for the link to the kindle version of the shirt making book. I wouldn't have thought to check for an e version!

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    1. You're very welcome. I'm not a massive fan of e-books but for sewing they make so much sense. I don't have a kindle but my iPad has the app so it's perfect!

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  2. Gah! I love this!! I made a dress out of the pink/grey colorway of this print last summer. I had no idea there was a multi-colored version too! I might have to hunt some down :-) You are so nice not to have kept it for yourself - that's what I would have done!!

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    1. Thanks Gail - it's fantastic fabric, and I would have loved to make a great big full skirt or dress from it too! But my love spotted it first so first in best dressed, literally!

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  3. Fantastic festival worthy print. I love man sewing, but my man has such exacting specifications for his clothing I shudder at the thought of trying to make something he would actually wear.

    Great shirt sewing tips, thanks!

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    1. Thanks Kristi! I've definitely made a few wadders for him (mostly dodgy tee shirts) but I do think it's really hard making something for another adult..... However the few successes I've had I think have definitely been related to pattern choice - he wears his jed shorts all the time at home and the various loud shirts are in regular rotation!

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  4. That shirt is a thing of beauty! The fabric is amazing. I agree about the Negroni being pattern of the month, I'm going to try to splice my Archer collar onto it soon, and it would be much easier if they could just do it for me first...Thanks for the turorial links. I'm super jealous that you're going to Blues fest, I'd love to see Alabama Shakes so much!

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    1. OMG pretty much the only reason I agreed to go was the Alabama Shakes! Definitely try using your archer collar - I found I had to really faff with the burda one, adding seam allowances etc etc. but just remember Grainline seam allowances are 1/2 inch and Colette uses 5/8....

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  5. What a super cool shirt - I love the fabric, and the fit is great (isn't it so nice to be able to make adjustments to make shirts fit better?)! I think I might also have to check out the David Coffin book - time to take shirt-making to the next level! Have fun on your trip!

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    1. Thanks Katie - he's really pleased. I better not let him see your guy's wardrobe though - I'll be chained to the machine!

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  6. I'm so glad you posted about this! A lot of great information for me as I'm meant to be making my man a shirt too. It looks great - perfect for a blues Fest. We are going to a hippy fest this weekend, but I'm afraid my man won't be as well dressed as yours.

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    1. Thanks Kate - have fun at your hippy fest, I'm sure I'll have heaps of hippies at mine too!

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  7. Perfect festival shirt! Thanks for all the collar stand detail - I'll be studying this when I get around to sewing up some long-promised unselfish shirts...

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    1. Thanks Danielle - I'm sure you can use this info for a shirt of your very own!

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  8. I definitely think Peter's finish is super clever. I agree that the inner is much more visible in wearing and that wobbly stitching does more than make my eye twitch! Nicely done my friend. And yes, I wish Colette patterns would release a collar stand for the Negroni. Great shirt, but hubby's one complaint was no collar stand. And I do not have the smarts (patience? interest?) to try and draft one myself. Enjoy your holidays, yeeha!

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  9. your beloved is a lucky man!!! this is the sort of post I hide from my beloved - I don’t want him getting ideas ;)

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    1. Haha that's how I feel when I read about Morgan or Katie making shirts for their guy! And the entire Thread Theory blog!

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  10. that shirt is so cool. the choice of fabric is brilliant

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    1. Thanks so much. It's pretty fab fabric I must agree!

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  11. Oh please don't let this be the last of these shirts. I love them!! ..Oh but I won't be making any for my man because it's all selfish sewing for me :)

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    1. Oh it won't be the last, just for a little while.....

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    1. Thanks Gail! Was a little tempted to steal it off him!

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