Shirts -- Butterick 6177 and 6026

Butterick 6177

Flattering, fun and easy to wear,

a person can't have too many shirts.

In lightest linen or cotton for summer,

mid-weight linen, cotton or rayon 

for transition seasons

or cozy flannel or wool for the cold months,

shirts rock.

marcytilton.com

has some wonderful shirt fabrics.

There are so many choices 

I couldn't possible link to them all!

I especially love her selection of Japanese fabrics

which changes as bolts are sold

and more new fabric designs arrive.

Marcy's descriptions are very clear

so you will know if that print/stripe/solid you like

will work for a shirt.

For those quilters out there 
who are ready to jump into garment sewing
this is a great pattern to play with.

Butterick 6177,

a modern take on a classic shirt.

The pattern lends itself beautifully
to combining different shirting fabrics.

This iteration uses Japanese cottons
similar to what is on Marcy's website.

The collar is fun because the under-collar
folds over the upper-collar
so several fabrics are visible.

I love to figure out places where I can use
cool selvage as a design detail.
Here it creates the edge of a cuff 
I added to the sleeve.

Some how-to's on the front panel:

I like to press the hems in place first thing
on all the front pieces.

This shows the side front with all the hems 

pressed in place. 

Press the hem first as it is easier to do when the fabric is flat.
Then press in the pleat and baste the top in place.

On the side front, stay-stitch on the seamline to reinforce
at the notch where you will be clipping into the seam.

Clip at the notch just into the stay-stitching at the seamline.
Press the center/side hem and stitch in place.

Matching the marks, stitch the center and side fronts
together on the seamline,
stitching from mark to the neckline.

Finish the seam and top edge of the extension

of the center front panel. 

On the right side, top-stitch the seam
from the notch to the neckline.
Start by stitching across seamline
to stabilize at the top of the pleat.

Finished front
with center panel stitched in place
and center front extension basted into the side seam.

This version was made from 
a woven boarder print.
The sleeves and shirt side pieces and back
utilize the selvage edge as a hem.
To do this the hem has to be
'evened' out and matched at the side seam.

Butterick 6026 is another modern classic shirt.

Small tucks and a tapered waist
flatter the torso;
tucks at the neckline flatter the face.

Butterick 6026 is a slim fitting shirt 
so be sure to do a FBA (full bust adjustment) 
if you are well endowed