I’d really like to able to sew properly (to date I have just been following pattern instructions and learning from books and youtube) so have been looking into doing some classes. I found a shirt making course near me over a weekend which I thought would be ideal until I looked at the price, £340.00 non residential PLUS materials. I thought that was rather a lot and would result in by far the most expensive shirt I have ever or would ever own. So I thought I would dedicate this weekend to really trying hard to make a proper shirt with buttons and a collar and some design detail.
I came across V8689 which has the above plus flat fell seams, lots of topstitching and custom fit options.
It looked quite complicated so I bought a relatively inexpensive patterned cotton from Fabricland in Bristol in case it all went horribly wrong.
So many pattern pieces !! Just the front has 8 pieces with 5 more for the back and that doesn’t include the collar.
I tried really hard to follow the instructions to the letter and not read ahead which is a great fault of mine and I was quite satisfied that I had done the best I could do at the end of the first afternoon. I then put the garment on my dress form and burst into hysterical laughter….
I had used the flat fell seam from the front yoke as the centre point for the sleeve insertion rather than the shoulder seam….silly me !
So this morning’s first task was unpicking and redoing.
Th rest of the shirt came together well and I was especially pleased with the exact matching I got at the bottoms of the front bands.
The shirt fits nicely and the only real regret I have is in the fabric choice which is far to busy to show off the panelling detail in the front and back.
I will definitely make this again but in a plainer fabric.
mumokio 
To learn how to sew you need patience and perseverance. It helps to have a sense of humor as you do here. That is possible by using an inexpensive fabric or muslin in the early learning stages.
Yes, I agree that course is expensive but there really is an investment factor in formal training. You do get so much from it and the interactions with a proficient instructor really provide challenges and growth. Perhaps you can save some money gradually and at some future date find a course that fits within your budget. In the meantime, take all the time you need to make very real and noticeable progress.
I like the print and the buttons. They match very well.
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I would love to take proper sewing courses one day too, but just teaching myself from books and Internet in the meantime has been so rewarding. And I cracked up at that sleeve – well done 😆
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I think we have all done a sleeve like that, or something similar. If you’re still laughing you are doing fine! Your shirt turned out well! I signed up for Craftsy courses. Check them out on the Internet. There are many to choose from and if you wait for the sales they are quite reasonable!
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Do you have a local community college which has a sewing course? That may be a less expensive, and more varied, way of learning – and you get to learn from what others are doing too. Failing that the Craftsy classes are pretty good (and often on sale – wait before investing heavily).
Your shirt looks good, and provided you are happy with the fit you can make this again in a more expensive fabric and be confident doing so. Keep sewing – it gets easier, honest!
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