When I started sewing, I only sewed for myself.
Little by little, my friends started asking me: "and wouldn't you make that for me..." When I gained confidence in the results of my sewing projects, I wanted to offer handmade gifts to my loved ones and friends for a birth, a birthday... or simply useful clothes for my man that he wears daily, namely the shirt ;-)
The shirt is a complex garment to make; there are several technical points:
- collar assembly and collar stand
- button placket and buttonholes
- cuff assembly with slit...
It is therefore a garment to sew when experienced if you do not want to be disappointed, especially regarding the finishes.
There are a huge number of shirt models, as the variations are numerous between collar types: Italian, English, round... and cuff types: broken, Neapolitan... the variations are endless.
To create my designs, I therefore used a resource book, a true marvel of support; I named it "Les chemises" by Ryuichiro Shimazaki. This book is published by Editions de Saxe and sold for 19.50 euros.
In this book, you will find explanations to make 26 men's models in 4 sizes (S, M, L, and XL).
14 models are dedicated to so-called "dress" shirts and 12 to so-called "casual" shirts.
Note, as this book is translated from Japanese, the sizes are therefore adapted to that audience.
The height ranges from 1.55m to 1.95m. The chest circumference ranges from 90 to 98cm, the waist circumference from 78 to 86cm, and the neck circumference from 39 to 43.5cm.
If you or your partner is of a large build, this book would probably not be suitable unless you know how to grade a pattern to adjust it to the right size. You can also make a toile if you are unsure about taking measurements or want to test the model before cutting your "good" fabric.
The 26 models are richly illustrated with excellent quality photos that allow you to grasp the final result.
the types of shirts offered
Beyond the patterns, you will find a set of expert advice by Mr. Shimazaki concerning:
- the history of the shirt and its details
- the history of the collar and its different models
- types of cuffs
- the history of buttons and the types of buttons to use
- fabrics to prefer
- maintenance, ironing...
- bleach and dye a shirt
- choose a shirt and take its measurements.
All of these tips were very useful to me to make shirts adapted to my partner's needs. Indeed, the right type of collar must be chosen if he wants to wear a tie (added to this is the type of knot but let's not complicate things further), a bow tie, or no accessories. The choice of buttons is also essential for the shirt to meet the expectations of the person who will wear it.
classic collar - shirt no. 1
Cuff
The 26 patterns are included on two large pattern sheets, extremely well detailed with seam allowances varying depending on the pieces. This can be confusing, since most of the time we add 1cm everywhere. Copying the first shirt therefore takes time to properly decode the allowances. Nevertheless, the result is worth it, as it allows us to have a result truly worthy of haute couture.
The assembly instructions start with shirt model number 1, which is the classic dress shirt. All the assembly steps are well detailed there; it is in a way the basic method. You can refer to the explanations and drawings which are clear. One could almost do without the explanations as the assembly diagrams are so precise.
For the other shirt models, only the steps that differ from the assembly steps of the first shirt will be detailed. These steps will also be explained and illustrated so that they can be easily carried out. So it is quite simple to follow, you just need to refer to the number of the shirt you want to make.
It should be noted that the pieces are relatively interchangeable, you can for example take the cuff pattern from one model to reassign it to another. This allows you to let your desires run free.
All the fabrics of the illustrated models come from the Maison Dorée in Ixelles. There is a beautiful selection of excellent quality fabrics to make shirts. The mustard fabric used for the collar and cuffs comes from a small coupon purchased at Créacorner in Woluwé. The wooden buttons were bought at a craft market in Kyoto, Japan. The other buttons used come from recycling buttons from old shirts.
Do not hesitate to leave me your comments and to share your creations.
