Some folks expressed interest in a thread to talk about the clothes I've made/am making, so here we go, in order of recency.
SHIRT 4:
Shirt 4 in action! I intend to mainly wear it under sweaters and stuff, partly to hide the mistakes.
Made with 2 yards of black cotton fabric and 1/2 yard of polka dot.
Cost: around $11. Still have about 1/2 yard of polka dot fabric left over, enough for a bowtie!
Issues: Sleeves shrunk a bit in the wash. Accidentally set up one of the button bands on the wrong side of the shirt, so I actually set up the buttons in reverse - buttons on the left, slits on the right.
SHIRT 3:
3 yards flannel elephant print.
Cost: around $10. Made several small microphone sleeves from the excess.
Issues: not thrilled with the cuffs. I had some issues making the buttonholes on this one, but I figured things out by the end. This was the first shirt I made with a rotary cutter instead of scissors, and it was much faster. At this point, the cutting process takes about 1 hour, the sewing process takes 2 hours, and buttons/fine-tuning takes another 1 hour.
SHIRT 2:
Note: this is mid-process (before hems) and I am wearing a striped t-shirt underneath it, so it looks a little wonky.
2 yards polka dot flannel.
Cost: around $7.
Issues: No major technical errors, but in retrospect, I don't love this fabric. I would definitely prefer blue base with white polka dots.
SHIRT 1:
The genesis. 3 yard of wolf flannel.
Cost: I think it was around $6 for 4 yards because of a flash-sale.
Issues: Lots of beginner issues. I ended up re-making and re-stitching the collar and sleeves one times each, and I accidentally sewed everything on a 1 inch seam instead of a 5/8ths inch seam, so it is pretty tight.
B-b-b-b-BONUS BOWTIE:
Made this for Halloween for my boyfriend. Bargain fabric, and the eyes glow in the dark! I originally wanted to make a black shirt with a pocket that had this fabric, but I didn't have enough leftover fabric. Fun fact, I actually started out sewing by making bowties, about 5 years ago. This one is fully tie-able, as the good lord intended.
Cost: about around $2. Only took about 1/2 yard of fabric.
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Plans for the future: I am going to be making a red room themed shirt for halloween. It's going to be styled like Shirt 4, with red as the base and black/white chevron for the banding/collar.
Dude, this is fantastic. My degree is actually in Fashion Design, and I think I ever made myself one shirt. Collars, button holes, getting the armcye the right shape, easing in the extra fabric... it was all just too much of a pain in the ass. But you have really nailed it here. Except the cuffs on the black one, every one of these shirts looks great. Can you update your post with more photos of the details? Inside seams, collar, buttonholes, etc? You really have accomplished something very cool here, and by continuing, and refining your skills, you will ALWAYS have the ability to do this from now on. Imagine going to a friend's wedding, wearing a shirt you custom-made for the occasion! So cool. Big congrats, man. This is no small accomplishment.
Thank you!! I had no idea that's what you studied, what interests/interested you about it? I can upload some detail pics today, though that's where my newbie status is particularly visible... I am really happy that this is a skill I'm working on, and it definitely is satisfying. Actually, a big reason for me picking it up recently is to make shirts for my BF, who just started binding, and has a hard time finding pre-made shirts that fit him well. I've had almost as fun learning how to tailor things as I have making things from scratch.
I've always been the stylist for my female friends, all the way back to junior high school. Women listened to my opinions and ideas on their style, and found that I had a knack for helping them find "their" style. Around High School prom time, it was hilarious. I'd sit in girls' bedrooms and help them figure out what to wear! I saw more naked girls in two weeks than most men see in their entire lives. :-) The funny thing is that I was sexually active and completely hetero, and they knew that, but I was able to kinda switch off that part of me, and just be fully into the "personal stylist" mode, helping them feel fabulous about their style/look.... before they headed out to the prom with their boyfriends! That continued throughout my life. I'd suggest someone try on a specific garment, they'd look at it skeptically, raise their eyebrow at me, and grudgingly try it on... and suddenly it would become their favorite item! The base they built their entire new wardrobe upon! So yeah... when I moved back to the US from living overseas, I couldn't get a job because I'd never gone to college. I needed a checkbox in the "College Degree?" box on my job application forms. Late one night I saw an ad on TV for the Seattle Art Institute's "Fashion Design Program". I thought, "Shit. I'm good with styling women... I wonder if I can make women's clothes?" The program was something like 2 years to an A.A. degree, which I could compress down to 18 months if I worked hard, so I signed up... ... and was a 38 year old straight white dude in a classroom full of 20-something girls and two gay guys. It was weird. But, I kicked ass at it. Learned all the stuff really fast. Taught and tutored my other students. Fixed broken sewing machines. Re-threaded sergers. Designed a couple of lines of clothing, made them, did fashion shows with them. It was fun. But the fashion industry is incredibly shitty in many different ways (environmentally, socially, and it just is an engine for destroying young women), so I washed my hands of that business and got out of it. So yeah. That's my fashion design history in a nutshell. (With one enormous omission: Utilikilts.) I had no idea that's what you studied, what interests/interested you about it?
Dude I helped pick out so many prom and homecoming dresses. 'Ben, we're going shopping this weekend!' 'What? Why?' 'I haven't picked out a dress yet and you know what guys like and what looks good on me.' 'But then I have to sit in Deb for hours while you change!' 'Orange Julius, my treat?' 'See you there at noon?'
I want that first shirt. You're a talented person flac. Well done!
Nice job! I would've kept the collar on shirt 4 black, but that's just personal taste. PS #shirtposting.
Those are fabulous! You've done a great job with all of them. Are you using interfacing in the collar, cuffs and front placket? If not, that might help with the structure of the collar placket and the buttonholes. For those fabrics, you could go with a lightweight fusible (iron-on) interfacing.