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This Week's Topic:
What is your current sewing avoidance?

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My answer to this question has two parts. A general avoidance/fear, and a specific avoidance/fear.

My general avoidance/fear right now is a tailored oxford shirt. There are lots of things about this garment that make me nervous: altering a shoulder cap and armscye, fitting the waist without throwing off the grain (and, thus, the hang of the garment), making a collar that doesn't flip up on one side (another grain issue)...the list is long and intimidating. Like most articles of clothing that contain more than three separate pieces, a quality men's dress shirt walks a line between art and science. In the case of the tailored shirt, though, I think the weight leans a little more toward the science side. There's also the fact that I do not have anything that even remotely resembles a man's body, and so I'm unfamiliar with the ways an ill-fitting shirt might feel on a man's body. The problems I encounter with women's oxford shirts (buttons gaping over the breasts, cuffs too large around my wrists), aren't an issue with most men (at least not with those dressing as and identifying as men).

But there's also a specific aspect of the tailored shirt that worries me more than any of the others: The Front Placket. Anyone who sews clothing will tell you that sewing a straight seam is not an easy thing. Honestly, I am not very good at it. I'm not saying my seams are crooked, but they have the occasional crooked stitch in them. And a crooked sewing line is not an option on a front placket. All eyes are on that very visible stripe down the front of a shirt, and there's no room for even a hint of wobble. Talk about pressure.

It's interesting that this question came up so early in the game of

auroraceleste's Creative Chat series. Because

mckitterick asked for a tailored shirt for xmas. I bought David Page Coffin's shirtmaking book, but have only made time to skim through it. The whole idea is very intimidating to me.

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I have an old blanket that I'm supposed to be reconstructing. In order to do so, I'll have to use a few principles from quilting. It's ending up being very scary for me, but I will have to face the fear some day.

Shoot! My mom quilts, and she just got into it. I totally have to be able to do this.

I always tell people that sewing is a skill, not a talent. If someone really really want to learn to sew, s/he can learn. It just takes time, patience, and a willingness to screw up over and over again.

Truly, luv, a fitted shirt isn't anymore difficult than the dreaded Ghawazee coat ;)

Do you have either a topstitch or a straightstitch foot for your machine? I hear that makes it masses easier. I use a length of tape for a marker on my machine edge, I used to have a little screw-in guide, but I didn't find it to be all that.
I don't sweat the occasional off-stitch, because honestly?
WHO looks that closely at shirt seams beside the 4H judges and the one who made it? We're too busy looking at the fit and the bod in it, right?

I also learned a long time ago for super-fitted garments, make the first one from small square gingham, it helps to keep the muslin even for fittings. ETA: this will help especially with any unevenness in musculature.
Ooh, and a tip for the collar.. Mum taught me to always sew from the center back around to the front edge rather than doing one seam from side to side.

Edited 2011-11-16 16:17 (UTC)

Mum taught me to always sew from the center back around to the front edge rather than doing one seam from side to side.

THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE THANK YOU.

I'll look to see if I have one of those feet...

Ooh, and I see one of your fave blogs also endorses the Palmer Pletch fitting methods (http://malepatternboldness.blogspot.com/2011/02/mens-shirt-sew-along-14-addressing-fit.html).
I took a jacket tailoring workshop on that years ago, that's where I learned the "do it in gingham to fit first" method.

WHO looks that closely at shirt seams beside the 4H judges and the one who made it?

Ditto, plus the way

mckitterick is looking these days, just tell him to unbutton the top 3 buttons, and no one will notice the seam.

HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

...s'true, though.

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