Thursday, February 23, 2012

The Cocoa Beach shirt...... some details


It was a rainy day here in Maine, a good day to work on the Cocoa Beach shirt.  This is a shirt that I would make again in a heartbeat.  I keep fantasizing about all the $2 / yard seersucker that was in one of the fabric dives in NYC last year.  I'm hoping to get back there next month, and hope some of that stuff is still around.  I'm willing to put up with the incense and newspapers spread all over the floor.  

Here are some details of the sleeve tabs on McCall's 7590. 




The tab is basted to the outside of the sleeve along the edge where the hem is turned up.  It will eventually point forward, but at this stage it point towards the back.  




The hem is turned up to the outside of the sleeve so that the right sides of the fabric are together.  I had originally tailor tacked the stitching lines and for once they stayed in.  Here I've chalk marked the stitching lines.  





Stitch along the lines catching the tab.  Then slash up through the middle of the triangle up to the point.  




Turn right side out and....   voila!   tres retro! 





This is the back pleat detail.  I made a non functional buttonhole and sewed the button over it.  



The pattern calls for topstitching all around the shirt fronts and collar.  Um,  anyone who has followed this blog knows I'm not a big fan.  I think it would be more interesting, and more in keeping with the retro vibe, to have a handstitched detail.  Using two strands of embroidery floss I'm doing an enlarge pick stitch.  I've placed masking tape 1/4" in from the edge to help me stay on track.  This is so much fun to do, and silly as it may sound it really makes this MY shirt.  




Here's the whole collar taped and ready to be stitched.  Next week I hope to show the completed shirt.  

If anyone's interested, the fabric I've used is currently on sale at Denver Fabrics for $4 / yard.  It comes in several different color ways and is 60" wide.  It's been easy to work with, hasn't frayed like crazy and has a crisp finish almost like linen.  I imagine it will wrinkle like a linen shirt.  Enter " voile" in the search and you should find it.  

5 comments:

  1. Pick stitches? Basting? Tape? These sewing methods are putting me to shame!

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    1. Blame it all on Claire Shaeffer's "Couture Sewing Techniques " which arrived in the mail last week!

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  2. Oh my! What a great idea to pick stich with tape as your guide. I will have to use this in the future!

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  3. There's a product called Tiger Tape that has little tick marks on it so you can space your stitches evenly. I think this shirt is going to be fabulous!

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    1. Thanks for that tip! I had never heard of such a thing.

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