Pattern Description:
Theirs: The plaid shirt has a button placket and a flapped patch pocket on the front. There are also small vents at the sides.
Mine: A woven, collared shirt in the right size, that can be modified to make the little dress shirt I am envisioning.
Pattern Sizing:
92-128. I made the 92 for my 18 month old grandson.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Not really, I modified it quite a bit. i basically needed the pattern as a starting place. And Ottobre is a wonderful place to go for a pattern to modify, because there are no seam allowances on the patterns.
Were the instructions easy to follow?
I did not use the instructions. But all the information I needed was there.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
Likes:
Basic woven shirt pattern.
In the size I needed.
No seam allowances on the pattern pieces.
Fabric Used:
A men's shirt from our local thrift store in a really lovely fine all cotton stripe. $2 on half off day!
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I used the pattern as basic sizing for the body and sleeves. My changes were extensive, because what I really wanted was a classic dress shirt, and I was upcycling an existing shirt. Here is a summary of my changes:
I layed the front pattern piece out on the front of the men's shirt, preserving the button placketfrom the original shirt.
I taped the back yoke and back pattern pieces together and layed them out on the back of the men's shirt, preserving the yoke and back pleatof the men's shirt.
I used the sleeve pattern for the shape and size of the sleeve cap, and used another long sleeve pattern in the correct size as a guide for length (I wanted long, cuffed sleeves), and I preserved the sleeve ventfrom the men's shirt.
The collar piece, I used as a guide, but I made a two piece collar with standinstead.
I used the cuffs from the man's shirt, but cut them down a bit in width, and shortened the length to fit a toddler size.
I also used the original shirt pocket, cutting it down to size, and preserving the little embroidered figure.
I changed the shape of the hem to a shirttail hem, curved up at the side seams, instead of straight with side vents.
On the whole, using the men's shirt required just a little bit of ripping out (on the pocket and sleeve cuffs), but saved a whole lot of work on the sleeve plackets, yoke, and button placket front.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I love Ottobre patterns, they are so versatile, and easy to use for this type of project.
I think the little shirt is also adorable in its original intended version, and if I have the time, I would love to sew it out of plaid.
Conclusion:
Very satisfying project! Ottobre gets high marks for versitality. I love upcycling, because you can often find better fabric in an existing garment than you can at the fabric store, and at a much better price. I also loved all the work I saved by using elements of the original man's shirt. The little shirt is going to make a very cute addition to my grandson's Christmas outfit.
Pictures of the shirt on a "live model" here! |
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Wow...this looks so nice. Nice job!
12/8/12 1:16 PM
Thanks for sharing a great review. I save DH's shirts when the collar gets worn and didn't realize I could incorporate the button bands into another garment. The shirt looks great!
12/8/12 1:34 PM
Great work! Your grandson's shirt is adorable and cleverly put together.
12/9/12 3:35 PM
WoW on all three of these upcycles! The outcome is awesome, and professional, and doesn't look like you used the original components!
12/19/12 11:17 AM
How smart! And cute!! You've convinced me to finally look into Ottobre patterns.
1/1/13 2:44 AM
Outstanding!!
1/5/13 8:38 AM