In the bodice top waisted dress with a gathered skirt, does anyone know if I'm supposed to cut one or two of the skirt piece indicated? I know it seems big enough to be the whole skirt but I'm just checking!

If anyone remembers our previous productive discussion, I've put making my son a shirt on hold until the linen place I love posts a men's shirt pattern. I managed to draft a flat sleeve for something for me, and will use what I know to draft this pattern, but will reduce the adjustment by one 1" as the resulting blouse was slightly too big across the chest and back, even for me who likes loose, especially in linen. I can't risk blowing it on his as he's picky.

Hello, thanks, happy Fourth to everyone! Janet

For a man's shirt, let the linen fabrics store know what you're looking for. The one that I buy linen from had a woman's shirt - which could have the buttons & buttonholes installed "backwards" - but the linen is too pretty & too pricey to run up a shirt *hoping* it would fit.

I've also found some shirt patterns for men in Kwik Sew and Stretch & Sew patterns that I kept when purging my pattern stash. The biggest difference in sewing a shirt now compared to twenty or thirty years ago seems to be that some men will wear colors now that they wouldn't wear then.

DH is retired, I make him Hawaiian shirts - we vacation along the Gulf of Mexico & they seem to be popular right now. The pattern is upstairs and I have no idea which company printed it - but it is clearly a casual shirt pattern for wild & crazy prints. He loves it.

Renee Graham

Renee Graham

The pattern doesn't say, although it indicates that the pattern is to be cut on the fold. That looks like sufficient fabric with one piece. However, it is gathered, so there are no rules. Make it as full as you want.

quote:

Originally posted by Carolyn:
The pattern doesn't say, although it indicates that the pattern is to be cut on the fold. That looks like sufficient fabric with one piece. However, it is gathered, so there are no rules. Make it as full as you want.

I agree. I would also add, in case it's useful, that in my experience, for a gather to be "meaningful" i.e. to look like a reasonable gather and not just some wrinkly fabric , the gathering ratio needs to be at least 2.5:1 (e.g. gather 2.5 yards into 1 yard) and ideally 3:1.