Chambray Traveler Shirt

I sewed Simplicity 2246/Lisette Traveler last in 2014. It was actually one of my very first sewing blog posts.  I wore both versions constantly until I got pregnant later that year and couldn't fit into them anymore.  I packed them away into a bin of "skinny clothes," and there they sat until a couple of months ago, when I had finally lost enough weight to integrate them back into my wardrobe.  Once again, they are my favorite shirts to wear, so I decided it was time to make a new one.

I still had the pattern pieces that I drafted for my second version from five years ago, so that is what I cut.  It's a size 14 with an FBA, graded to a 16 waist and hip, and a size 16 armscye and sleeve.  The sleeve is still a bit tight, so I sewed the bicep area and upper bodice with a 1/4" seam allowance instead of 5/8", blending back out to 5/8" a few inches out.

As I was cutting the pieces, I noted how high the sleeve cap is on this pattern.  You might remember my musings about sleeve folds in this post about my Lonetree jacket. A couple of people commented that perhaps the sleeve cap wasn't high enough in the makes where I had folds. I wasn't sure about that, however, I don't really have folds in this pattern and the sleeve cap is quite high (and a little tricky to ease in, actually). I set it in flat instead of in the round so that it would be easier to take in/let out in the future.  Since this sleeve doesn't give me giant folds cascading down my arm, I will probably use it in other garments in the future.

I realized as I was cutting the pattern that I had somehow lost the chest pocket pattern piece. So I drafted my own. I'm not sure how I feel about them - they are a tiny bit too big and I couldn't figure out exactly where to place them.

The fit on this is pretty good. I do find that the mid-upper-back area is a little bit tight, and the sleeves are still a little tight, too.

I sewed the mandarin-collar view and inserted a little ruffle which I made by cutting a piece of fabric about 1.5 times the length of the area I wanted to insert it into.  This pattern only comes as a tunic or a dress, but I shortened it into a shirt.

I used shank buttons from my stash (originally from a thrift-store button bag).  I probably should have spaced the buttons closer and added a couple more, but it's done now.

I'm pretty happy with this piece; it was sewn from a piece of chambray that has been in my stash for three years, and that matches several of my skirts and my green Ginger jeans.

And that's all I have to say about that. Thanks for reading, ad see you next time!