Alrighty, folks. I'm back! I've actually been doing lots of unselfish sewing of late, but haven't blogged about those makes because I have to send the final products around the world to the recipients and then wait for photos in return. So, coming soon(ish) on those.
But in the meantime, my most recent make is for myself. And I've got mixed things to say about it.
This is the Wenona shirt by Named. I was somewhat intrigued by the pattern when it first came out, but sold on it when I saw this beautiful version on the Stitch 56 blog and then the cute colorblocked gingham sample on Indiesew.
Let's say the good things first: I love the detail that make this buttondown stand out from the pack.
- I think the sleeve stripes are a really cool feature. They require some interesting construction that means you don't have to set in the sleeves- hooray!
- Opportunities for colorblocking abound. Here I went with a fabric combo I have used before for my BHL Polly tank: some pretty green shirting combined with a Belleboo cotton print for the accents.
- Opportunities for colorblocking abound. Here I went with a fabric combo I have used before for my BHL Polly tank: some pretty green shirting combined with a Belleboo cotton print for the accents.
- I also love the cute pointed and buttoned collar detail, as well as the slightly angled back yoke:
And my dislikes: let's be honest... this thing is less shirt than shent.
What is a shent, you may ask? Ina shall explain:
What I mean by "shent" is that the style is quite oversized and has no shaping whatsoever- no bust darts, no waist shaping. The shirt's side seams literally go straight down from armpits.
I always want those simple boxy shirts to work for me, but rather than looking laid back and casual, I look like Ina (bless her heart). Look at all that excess fabric in the back!:
I may try to fix this shirt a bit by taking it in at the waist. Not sure how that will go...
For future shirts: I may consider going down a size or two on the top (although I think I would have to keep this size at the hips). Alternatively, I wonder if there is a way I could combine the cool details from Wenona (sleeve stripes, funky shaped yoke and collar) with a buttondown pattern that has more waist and bust shaping. Maybe I'll experiment a bit...
One final note: what am I doing with my hands here?!?:
#soawkwardinfrontofthecamera
