SAM4 – Not for the faint hearted!

Well I have stuck to my intention of working 30 minutes at the end of my working day on something for me. Or mine. As ‘The Management’ had a birthday recently and had no ideas as to what he might like as a gift I suggested a handmade shirt. In addition to solving my gift dilemma I also managed another SAM. Score!

I was kind of hoping that I might broker a deal such as Pauline has with her beloved (make 10 shirts in exchange for a designer handbag)  but not being a good negotiator – or really a designer handbag type (what I really want is a new set of diving fins….) I didn’t even try. I’m not sure this is the shirt to do that on anyway. What do you think?

Birthday shirt

Fabric detail

The fabric is a 100% cotton print that I saw a few weeks ago and just loved. It is a print that will divide opinion but you can’t not have an opinion on it. I pre washed it to prevent shrinkage, and lined the yoke with a plain white cotton to prevent the pattern showing through from the inside. All the seams are tidied up inside and topstitched outside so it looks  like a felled  seam which I liked (nice not to have to re-thread the overlocker). The buttons are a re-use from a shirt that was damaged and thrown away so I feel quite the thrifty dressmaker. The request was for a casual, short sleeved shirt for the summer so I think this fits the bill – and if it ever stops raining it may even be worn.

There is probably enough fabric left over to make a pair of boxer shorts – but I don’t have a pattern made for those yet. I may collect a selection of ‘bad taste’ cottons and make a batch for Christmas!

The 6PAC is proceeding very slowly (as I have been working on this shirt) but should get more attention now. Other hot news is that after Melissa posted about the ‘Pattern Magic’ courses being run at Morley College in London I have enrolled for PM1. I am looking forward to having someone else’s  input on these amazing patterns. I now have PM1 and 2 as well as Drape Drape which I think are wonderful, if a little baffling. Anyone else going to be there in November/December?

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