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May 25
2008
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When I did my mock-up I found the sleeves a little tighter than I like so I added three-quarters of an inch to the sleeve width. I also thought the shirt was a bit on the long site and took two inches off the bottom. While I was in the mock-up I also decided that I liked the look of the ungathered sleeves so I skipped adding the sleeve elastic. Since I wanted to hand finish my shirt I decided not to use elastic in the neck either (it doesn't really seem necessary anyway). Instead I gathered the fabric into a narrow binding. So far I'm finding my shirt very comfortable. It's nice and loose but not too much and the cotton is nice and cool.
I still love this fabric. The print is a perfect balance of feminine and sophisticated for me and it has a really nice feel. It's actually two layers of gauzy cotton that are laminated together somehow; it makes it feel kind of thick and delicate at the same time. When I washed it I noticed that it frayed rather badly so I used French seams everywhere and turned in all the raw edges. I like my clothes to be kind of sturdy anyway - it helps them last longer.
I'm definitely going to be making this pattern up again, probably with some different modifications to keep things interesting. The pattern has some longer sleeve variations that I think would look just as cute with the shirt as with the dress (though I'm thinking of making one of them too).
