Sunday, April 5, 2009

G-Star knockoff - The first muslin

This is the shirt that I traced last week:



And here is the first muslin:



Overall I'm pretty happy with it but there are a few things that need tweaking:

The sleeves are traced from a different shirt (Tim liked those sleeves better), but they have major wrinkles pointing towards the underarm. I think I need to change the angle of the sleeve downward for such a close-fitting shirt. I had a major epiphany the other day when I read David Coffin's explanation of how the sleeve cap relates to sleeve angle (page 55 of Shirtmaking). Wow! Sleeve cap height (low vs. high) and its effect on sleeve fit used to be such a mystery to me. It seems so obvious now that I know.



I'm going to carve out a bit of the back bodice armhole. And I think it's a teensy bit tight in the chest, so I will add some width there.

I also pinned out back darts but I think that's fitting overkill, so I won't include those in the final shirt. Back when I showed you BWOF 3-2009-131, which includes back darts, Dawn commented that her husband thought darts were only for women. In Shirtmaking, DPC rants about back darts in men's shirts, saying they are sign of poor shaping at the side seams. I assume he is referring to dress shirts, as many of Tim's non-dress button-ups that I examined have back darts or back princess seams. Pamela noted that darts are indeed a current trend in fashionable menswear. BTW Pamela, if you noticed on your live traffic feed last week that someone from Seattle, WA, was going through and reading your entire blog, it wasn't a stalker, that was me trying to learn more about shirtmaking!

Now I'm off to Gorgeous Fabrics to pick up a couple of shirtings during Ann's well-timed sale on cottons this weekend!

9 comments:

Dawn said...

For a minute I thought the first shirt was your muslin. I was shocked and excited for you. Then I realized that was The Shirt and that your muslin was below. lol. Your muslin looks great too. I think your adjustments will make it a very nice shirt for him.

Gay McDonell said...

Not many men would have someone fussing over a tailor made shirt - good for you - can't wait to see the end result.

poplin said...

What a great looking copy! Excited to see your finds at Gorgeous Fabrics.

Sewingadicta said...

I really think that the darts are fashionable tendency in the men.
The fabric that is going to use is rigid? Tim will be happy man with his shirt.
I want see your shopping in Gorgeous Fabrics

gwensews said...

You have a very good start on the shirt. Your post prompted me to get out my DC Shirtmaking book and check p. 55. I need to keep this book out and read it again.

Good luck with the shirt.

Pam Erny said...

Way to go Christina!

...and glad to know I don't have a blog-stalker..though it might be kinda exciting, LOL.

BTW....I read my previous comment...OY! sorry for all the typos....I was tired, not drunk, LOL!

Gretchen the Household Deity said...

The muslin is looking good!

Tany said...

You're doing great!!!

Wisy said...

Hya, just found your blog and loving it!

I'm making a men's shirt myself (fo the hubby) and although I have made a muslin from the Jakob pattern from Burdastyle, the back is still too big so some darts will have to be put in place! (Hubby is small and short and finds it hard ti buy ready-made plain shirts). It is nearly finished and I have enjoyed the whole process and my 'costumer' seems happy with the (near) end result!

I must take a leaf out of your book and try a knock-of one of his (few) well fitting shirts...