...and awaaay we go! The men's flannel shirt project

And we're off.

Yesterday I got started on my plaid flannel shirt.  I did a lot of online research to see what people were doing with plaid flannel these days -- not a whole lot.  The options are pretty straightforward: yokes/no yokes, pocket flaps/no pocket flaps, bias-cut button placket and cuffs/straight-cut button placket....  and so on.

I toyed with the idea of using princess seams (or Viennese seams or whatever they're called for men) in front and I have a men's shirt pattern just like that -- but it was just too much.  It might work if I were using a contrasting solid flannel.

I cut everything out and I'm ready to start stitching.  I think I'm going to make this one on my Pfaff 30.



Here's how I lined up the plaid for the two fronts (which are two different pattern pieces on this vintage shirt pattern, Butterick 4712).



The facing edges are selvage, but now I'm thinking of using black cotton sateen for the facings as a contrast -- it will look cool where it will be visible (and the inside collar band in the same black cotton).



To avoid screw-ups I carefully labeled my sleeves in chalk on the wrong side.   The fabric is the same on both sides, which can cause confusion, especially when I'm making sleeve plackets.



I tried a method I read about on Sherry's fine blog, pattern - scissors - cloth, which is called blockfusing.  You interface a big block of fabric and then cut out things like cuffs and collar bands from the interfaced fabric, rather than cutting and fusing each piece separately (as I've always done).  This way you know everything will match up perfectly and you won't have to worry about fabric shifting or anything as you fuse.  It worked, though with my little iron it's a drag to fuse a big block.   Clever, Sherry!



So that's the shirt so far.  Snaps or buttons, what do you think?

Friends, look what I found at the flea market yesterday:



Did you know this book existed?  I didn't.  It's lovely and pocket-sized (for a big pocket) and much more fun to read than the blog.  Looking at images on the Internet will never be the same as seeing them in print, I don't think.   I love this book.  I don't read men's fashion magazines so it's great for inspiration.





Readers, we're out of time.  I hope you're getting off to a good start this new year but if you're not, don't forget you can wipe the slate clean at any time and start again -- I do.  Don't let the whole New Year thing rule your world.

That said, what's your first project of 2011?  Any plaid-matching out there? 

Happy Monday, everybody!