FINISHED SHIRT + Name That Clutter!

Whoopee -- I finished my shirt, Vogue 8889!

The narrower shoulders and upper back fit much better -- I mean, you do need some room to move your body (unless there's Lycra in the fabric).  I added little bands to the short sleeves, my own rather than the wider ones that came with the pattern.





I used an old flowered cotton scrap for the inside collar stand, to add some interest to what would otherwise be a plain white shirt.





My favorite element is, hands down, the hidden button placket, which is easy-peasy to make, just a series of folds on the front left pattern piece.



The side front and back seams are also a special element, but you know something?  You can add this to any shirt pattern by simply slicing the edge off the fronts, adding 5/8" seam allowance to each edge, and then stitching them back together and adding a flat-felled seam (or as I did, a faux flat-felled seam made with a serger).  The seam connecting front and front side pieces is straight -- no special drafting skills needed.  Of course the seams are only highly visible on a voile-weight fabric like mine.



Of course there were a few oops! moments, the major one being when I realized that my inside back and side back seams had ended up on the outside of my shirt, after I had already attached the back of the shirt to the front.  Fortunately, you'd really have to inspect the back seams closely to notice this and even if you did, they're not offensive or anything.



So what's the verdict on V8889?

While it took considerable refitting to make it fit me properly given my somewhat rectangular build (and there are still a few small changes I would make -- primarily adding 1/4" to the width of the front right and front left pieces from neck to bottom hem), the only real issue I had with this pattern is that the collar stand and collar were not graded properly for the 34" size.  I had to take roughly 1" out of the center of those two pieces.

If you match the notches, center front lines don't match.

Notice too that when I fold the collar stand piece perfectly in half, the center line printed on the pattern is not at the center.  This is another design flaw that could easily throw off a beginner sewer.  I blame computer grading.





In other news, readers, I've noticed lately a number of bloggers exhibiting the sorry state of their sewing rooms in some sort of True Confessions exercise, and I'm always slightly amused...because they have nothing on me and my mess, which doesn't occupy my sewing room because I don't have a sewing room.

Behold true chaos and clutter!



How many people can't use their body form because there's a ratty old mink scarf hanging from it?  How many self-identified slobby sewists can't use their featherweight table because the surface is nowhere to be seen?



I haven't seen my treadle table in weeks and let's not even talk about the baby carriage and 21" doll in the kitchen.

Remember those "hidden picture" puzzles in Highlights magazine?  I thought it might be fun to play a few rounds of a similar game, which I call Name That Clutter.  How many objects amid the towering piles in my living room can you identify?  Of course you may click on any pic to supersize it and make things a little easier.  Perhaps you will notice something of value which I've written off as lost.  If so, it would be a great service to me and make this exercise seem less trivial.

I read this at the dentist's office as a kid.

In closing, friends, I'm happy to answer any questions about V8889 if you still have any.  This is one of those patterns I would "recommend with modifications" on Pattern Review.  It's not perfect, but it has its virtues -- like most of us.

You can see my entire V8889 project picture file here.

Have a great day, everybody!