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McCall's Men's Shirts & Pants 8165 OOP pattern review by SheBear0320

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SheBear0320 starstarstarstar
MB Canada
Member since 4/8/08
196 Reviews (patterns: 160)
Skill: Advanced
Favored by 38 people

Pattern Description: (from pattern) "Men's Shirt, Tank-Top, Pull-on Pants and Shorts - Tank-top is for stretch knits only. Loose fitting shirt with notch collar has forward shoulder seams, side slits and chest pocket ....." The pattern is from 1996.

I made the Shirt with some modifications

Pattern Sizing: This pattern comes in sizes Medium (38"-40") to XXX-Large (54"-56"). I think each size is in its own envelope - the one I used was an X-Large (46"-48")

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? For the most part - I added a lined yoke as well as pleats in the back.

Were the instructions easy to follow? I thought they were very good with relevant and clear illustrations.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like that this was one size and I didn't need to trace it - I just made the alterations right on the pattern pieces. It's held up fine for 2 makings so far.

Fabric Used: A parrot print quilting cotton for the 2024 version of this shirt (I'm also adding a photo of the one I made in 2023 - sadly I forgot to take photos of it before I sent it off so I only have the one photo my DD sent me. The 2023 shirt was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles print quilting cotton).

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: My adult grandson is quite tall and broad shouldered. He wanted something that was loose and could be worn buttoned up or open with a T-Shirt under it. I made quite a few changes/alterations to the pattern to give him what he wanted:

1. Added 2" to length of front, back & facing pieces - use the "lengthen lines" on the pattern for positioning the additional length.

2. Added 2" to length of the sleeves - length added about midway between the underarm and the hem line.

3. Separated the back piece and created a yoke adding seam allowances to both lower edge of the created yoke piece and the upper edge of the back piece. This was easy to do because the pattern already had the forward shoulder seam.

4. Added 1.5" to the centre back fold to allow for pleats 7.25" from centre on each side - provides some extra range of motion when moving his arms forward.

5. Added edge stitching along the front edges and around the edges of the collar - the pattern doesn't call for this but I think it gives it a more polished look.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Will definitely sew it again as soon as I find another bright and interesting print. If you can find the pattern, I definitely recommend the shirt if you are looking for a good basic camp shirt style.

Conclusion: My grandson was thrilled with the shirt I gave him for his birthday last year and loved the way it fit. He has been working in Early Childhood Development for the last couple of years and the kids really like the bright, colourful shirts with things they recognize. He likes the comfort as well as the versatility. The shirts are definitely suited to his exuberant personality


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6 Comments
Jennylholman said...(1/19/25 10:19 PM ET)   
The parrots make me so happy!!
  
gloucester said...(1/18/25 8:17 PM ET)   
Terrific shirt! Your grandson (and all the kids!) will love it!
  
erikaesews said...(1/18/25 5:10 PM ET)   
Love the print and you did fantastically with the pattern matching!
  
msschiel said...(1/18/25 3:33 PM ET)   
That is awesome pattern patching! So colorful!
  
sammyowner said...(1/18/25 1:46 PM ET)   
Great pattern matching!
  
mrsducky625 said...(1/18/25 1:42 PM ET)   
Love the parrots! This turned out great.
  
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