Plackets - some you see, some you don't!

Now I have found my correct body blueprint, sloper, toile, call it whatever you will, it's a simple step to designing any garment.

For this shirt I chose a very silky, softly draping fabric with quite a busy design. I decided I wanted a mandarin collar rather than a full shirt type collar to make it less - well shirt like I suppose.

I cut the collar using the pattern piece for the collar stand in my previous 'negative' shirt blogged here.

This turned out to be a BIG mistake because the shirt collar is designed to reach the edge of the button bands but this meant my mandarin collar would cross over at the front and just wasn't right. Having realised my mistake only after stupidly sewing it on, including clipping into the seam allowance, I had to take it all off and start again. I'm sure we all hate undoing bits of sewing but one thing for sure is that I know I won't make the same mistake again so lesson learned.

I thought that buttons would look confusing on this fabric so I decided to build in a hidden button placket which is so easy to do with SFD instructions. As it turned out these little yellow buttons would hardly have been noticed but they're hidden away now.

I was very pleased with myself that I used my new sewing machine to make the buttonholes AND to sew on all the buttons too. They went on very well and I got quite confident doing it. It saved loads of time and did a really good job.

I also enjoy making sleeve plackets as they always seem complicated whereas in reality they are quite simple but look very effective. I didn't match up the design because to be honest it was so busy you wouldn't really notice if it was or wasn't.

I omitted the waist darts as I wanted  a top that would have a bit of movement especially if I wear it tucked into jeans or trousers.

My next sewing adventure is pretty daunting at the moment. My husband wants me to make him a pair of trousers for playing golf in. He said the fabric needed to be tough enough not to tear if his ball gets into the rough where there might be brambles. My answer was simple... don't hit the ball off the fairways in the first place. Why do men have to make things so complicated?