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This year, I have had to make a chefs hat, apron, dress and bonnet. So many of the instructions were ridiculous, not to mention the amount of raw seams left out! And since three items required gathering/shirring, the amount of wasted time and thread - OMG.
I hate pattern directions. I do find that for everyday wear that Quick Sew patterns are great. They are often labeled for serger but you don't have to have a serger to use them.
I have never purchased a McCalls pattern that didn't have at least one error in it. I can't stand them.
Once you get this first one done, any other you choose to make will be a cake walk!
You can do it!! We need a monkey in Hawaii. lol If you got past the collar you are home free:)
I feel for you. I use to sew a lot of my own clothes and clothes for my 2 daughters when they were little. I haven't sewn any clothes for myself in years. I have been wanting to make DH a couple nice "western" looking shirts to wear at his gun shows but a man's shirt just seem such a daunting task that I am not sure I would have the patience.
This pattern is by 'Island Wear', which I had never heard of before, but they had a sample done up at Fabric Depot and it's a nice looking shirt. However, some of the seams are 1/4", then some are 3/8", and others 5/8"!!! I clearly remember seams being 5/8" and nothing else when I used to sew...what the heck!
Thanks for all your words of encouragement.....I'm off to get my haircut and then you know what I'll be doing!!
SAYING MORE BAD WORDS!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!
I agree completely - used to sew lots of garments, but not for a long time. I really thought it would all come back to me easily, but I think todays patterns are very skimpy on instructions. I've had a ridiculous amount of trouble with what seems like should be simple things.
Its the directions and the way they write them. If you have sewn garments in the past then go by how YOU know it should go. I sewed lots when the kids were small and all my own clothing yup til about 7 years ago, not so much anymore but still quite a bit. When I was teaching garment construction , I taught my method and it is not always the way the pattern reads. and the *for dummies* patterns were the worst. I wouldn't let any student use them. Mens camp shirts are a breeze . Like Lorie says once past the collar you are home free.
Donna western mans shirt is not hard at all, they usually have a fancy yoke front and back but thats usually and overlay. I can whip hubby or the kids who ever wants atm a shirt up in about 2 hours from cutting to buttons and buttonholes and hems.
Of course I have seasoned patterns and have not tried a new one in ages. Can;t wait to see the monkey shirt!!
I'll tell you, the collar was a breeze!!! The only troubling part, and I had to rip it out once, was the back yolk. You sewed the yolk bottom to the back then the outer top yolk to the front. Then you rolled the shirt to do the lining yolk and then pull everything out so the seams are so enclosed (like the pillowcases!). Anyway, the first time I did it, the front was all inside out or vice versa....That was about a million dollar minute!
My husband had favorite shirts that he wore out. I just took the shirts apart and made a pattern using 1/4 seam allowance.
Kwiksew does have serger directions, but also how to use an overlock stitch on your sewing machine.
Met someone today who loves the new patterns - she hates to finish seams.
I cut out a simple A line child's dress today, not happy so far. It calls for interfacing and I really, really dislike interfacing. I am thinking of self lining the facing which would finish the raw edges at the same time. Is this a good idea?