Cherry Picking Shirt

Is there a type of garment that you always buy patterns for? Even though you know that the stash doesn't need another. You might resit for a few minutes but a new pattern finds it's way home with you in the end. I'm like that with button down shirts. The variations between them are usually small but I love them just the same.

I also love bitchy looking fashion illustrations, so it's no wonder that Simplicity 2195 was recently added to the pattern collection. These girls are like, "Sew? We don't sew, we have people sew for us and bring us drinks. And we don't eat cake...ever. *With judgmental stare at my waistline.*"Ha haa haa! You judgy snitches are a  riot, excuse me while I finish my cake.

Not too much to report on the fitting and sewing process on this one. My fitting process on button down shirts works for most patterns and this one was no exception.  (All the fitting details are in the normal spot below.) I will mention that the ease in the bust looks just fine with sleeves on, but wouldn't work for the sleeveless version.  There would be way too much armhole gapping without any adjustments.

With the sleeves on the shirt has an area appropriate blousey feel without being oversized. I did feel the back had a little too much fullness and converted the tucks into fish eye darts to take some out.

I'm pretty pleased with the body but have some issues with the collar.  Instead of being being drafted like a standard all in one collar, the upper collar and facing are attached. I feel this shortcut keeps the collar from folding over nicely. It also limits how low you can button the blouse before the facings start flipping out.  If you like the period appropriate button placement then this wouldn't be an issue, but for me it is. (I'll be discussing this further in a sewing notes post.) 

Pattern
Simplicity 2195 (This one seems to be easy to get your hands on.)

Fabrics used
Vintage flocked cotton that was probably also a polyester blend. It has a stink that is only now fading. Sneaky cherries.

Pattern changes/alterations
1. Dropped bust dart 1 1/2".

2. Shaved off 1/4" at the top of the side seam and added the same amount in the hip area.

3. It felt like the pattern was drafted for a longer torso, but I didn't want to shorten the length. Instead I moved the top of the tucks up 3/4".

4. Turned the back tuck into a fish eye dart.

5.  Made a 1" sway back adjustment.

6. Made a 1/2" forward shoulder adjustment to the sleeve cap.

7. The pattern does not have a shoulder seam so my usual 1/2" wide upper back and forward shoulder adjustment had to be done creatively.  Usually I would add the extra width to the lower part of the back and then put a dart in the shoulder seam of the back yoke.

Here's a picture of my adjustment before the excess areas were cut off. The lower part of the back was adjusted like normal.  Then I slashed and spread the entire yoke 1/2", so that the two back seams matched.  On the front of the yoke I took off 1/2" at the shoulder edge so that those seams would match.  For the forward shoulder adjustment I moved the yoke seam line forward and reduced the front as normal.  The shoulder line mark on the pattern also needs to be moved 1/2" forward but that's not shown here.

Confessions/Advice
- I checked the suggested buttonhole placement before sewing them and decided the placement was great. After the garment was completed I changed my tune and wished that the buttons had been shifted lower.

- Pattern is only drafted to have 3 buttons, I added some extra on the lower portion of the blouse.

Husband Comment
"I like it. I like the apples, the pairs of apples." - They're cherries, are we talking about the same thing?

My Final Thoughts
I think this pattern has good bones, but that it needs further modifications before it matches my preferences. Having the collar and facing as one unit doesn't work for me. It doesn't fold the way a collar with a seam does and the facing want to flip out. I also have an issue with wearing tucks. In theory they are fine, but on my body I'd rather have a fish eye dart. All these issues are easily fixable on the pattern. I should go back and tweak it and make another version. In conclusion, decent first attempt but needs a little more work. Hey don't we all. ;)