tip of the day - short cuts for sewing shirts
I will freely admit to being an impatient seamstress - I won’t cut corners if it’s going to negatively affect the finished piece… However - tips & tricks that save a little time - are just fine with me :-)
I’ve sewn quite a few men’s shirts over the years, and generally the patterns call for a separate piece of facing for the front of the shirt. I’ve always cut the pieces out, interfaced them and then stitched them together.
But is it really necessary to have that extra seam in the front of the shirt?
I came across a ladies blouse pattern that had the front of the blouse and the facing as one pattern piece - which caused a light bulb to go on over my head.
If they could have the front and the facing as one piece in a ladies blouse, why not on a mens shirt too?
Since then I always combine the two pattern pieces. I lay my fabric out, place the pattern pieces on top like this:
I’ve layered the front & the facing pattern pieces, overlapping the width of the given seam allowance. If you don’t subtract the seam allowance like this, the shirt will be slightly larger in front.
Cut out the fabric like you normally would and interface it according to instructions:
You’ve now saved yourself an extra seam!
images: C Findlay-Harder
Tags: sewing, sewing ladies shirts, sewing shortcuts, sewing-mens-shirts, tip of the day
Related Stories
POSTED IN: How To, ideas, patterns, sewing, tip of the day
11 opinions for tip of the day - short cuts for sewing shirts
Karen
Jun 27, 2008 at 10:38 am
Great tip, now I just need to learn how to sew.
Eileen
Jun 27, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I love tips like this! Thank you Chloe.
I find that commercial sewing patterns are often very wasteful and inefficient.
Art Blog Explorations
Jun 27, 2008 at 3:51 pm
[...] Shortcuts for sewing shirtsChloe from Tangled Thread shares one of her quick & easy shortcuts to save you time when you’re sewing shirts. [...]
So-Artsy Links from the Lifestyles Channel & Beyond
Jun 28, 2008 at 4:03 am
[...] Tangled Thread • Shortcuts for Sewing Shirts [...]
Artsy Bloggers Round-up #18
Jun 28, 2008 at 7:23 am
[...] Shortcuts for sewing shirts from Tangled Thread. [...]
Artsy bloggers roundup
Jun 28, 2008 at 11:55 am
[...] Shortcuts for sewing shirts Chloe from Tangled Thread shares one of her quick & easy shortcuts to save you time when you’re sewing shirts. [...]
Artsy bloggers roundup for June 28-2008
Jun 28, 2008 at 6:24 pm
[...] Shortcuts for sewing shirts Chloe from Tangled Thread shares one of her quick & easy shortcuts to save you time when you’re sewing shirts. [...]
Noreen Crone-Findlay
Jun 28, 2008 at 6:30 pm
This is something that I’ve done for a long time, too.
I also will place a center back seam on the fold if there isn’t any dramatic shaping. Why not take a few shortcuts?
Monday Morning Inspiration from the Arts Bloggers
Jun 30, 2008 at 7:41 am
[...] mixed media pieces at Layers Upon Layers. Chloe from Tangled Thread shares one of her quick & easy shortcuts to save you time when you’re sewing [...]
tip of the day - marking button placement on shirts
Jul 3, 2008 at 7:28 pm
[...] finished my DH’s new shirt (you’ll see it tomorrow) and wanted to share another tip that helps me when I’m sewing shirts with lots of buttons (like men’s dress [...]
the reveal - the new short-cuts shirt
Jul 4, 2008 at 8:40 pm
[...] don’t think that the extra seam on the front facing is going to be missed… and the button holes look pretty good too (okay, so I should have [...]
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: