Actress and former Seventeen cover model Susen Dey who played the cute Laurie Partridge
Susan wearing a McCall's shirt!
I needed to "come on and get happy" after sewing my Vogue jacket. I looked for inspiration from some vintage retail websites and discovered what I call the "Ocean Disco Shirt"
due to its tranquil blue color! Then a light bulb shone! So, I sifted through my recent ebay purchases and found a 70's Kwik Sew pattern. I thought it would be great to try a Kwik Sew for the first time and to sew a button down shirt, but in a knit of a vibrant turquoise-green shade that the camera had could not quite capture!
I borrowed Laurie Partridge's shirt!
David Cassidy fan!
Pattern Description
Shirt blouse with straight sleeves and 2 button cuffs. Version "A" has a one piece collar (to me, looks like a mock stand up collar) and version "B" has a seperate stand and front tab. Designed for light to medium weight knits and stretch fabrics. I sewed version "A".
Sizes
Misses 8-10-12. I sewed a "12" and I am glad I did!
Directions
They came in a very readable and appealing format, similar to that of a fold out mini-brochure or a leaflet. The directions were brief, but still clear and the illustrations accompanied them well. Methods like basting before stitching (i.e. attaching a collar and the sleeves)and finishing seams and hems were omitted.
What did you like/dislike about the pattern?
*Overall a well-drafted pattern.
*It seemed to run very much true to size.
*The bust darts provided some shaping.
*Comfortable shirt with a flattering silhouette and drape. I am so glad that it does not "hug" the body!
*The pointy collar provided a retro touch but not a blaring "I love disco!" *The construction techniques were simple, yet produced results comparable to shirts made with intricate methods.
*The bottom of the butterfly collar piece tapered to the shape of a "built in" neckband. This was great because I was able to reduce my collar construction time by avoiding constructing a neckband and attaching it to the collar.
*Sleeves were sewn in flat.
*The sleeve and cuffs construction was one of the simplest I encountered! The bottom of the sleeve was slashed, a narrow hem on each side of the slash was turned in and stitched. Another 1/2" hem was turned in at the slashed opening closest to the front of the sleeve. At the apex of the slash, I created a small (specific size was not mentioned)dart as instructed, which seems to reinforce the opening of the sleeve and give it an artistic look below the elbow and above the cuff. The cuffs are folded right sides together, stitched at the sides, turned inside out, and attached to the bottom edge of the sleeve, right sides together. I turned the free side of the cuff to the inside and stitched the tucked in raw edge to the seam.
Fabric
Mystery poly knit with a bit of spandex for only $1/yard, but sews like a dream!
Pattern alterations/modifications
I did not alter the pattern. I should have kept the original length of the sleeve because the sleeve came a tad higher than expected (my arms are a bit long for my torso). However, I found a 70's Vera blouse that I purchased from ebay where the sleeves were of a similar length!
Would you sew this pattern again? Would you recommend it?
Yes, in another color or fabric print. This style would nicely complement a floral or psychedelic print. I highly recommend this pattern or something similar if you can find it and especially for making button down shirts with collars and cuffs for the first time. This style is definitely very wearable today!
Conclusion
I really "got happy" after my first Kwik Sew and wished I had tried Kwik Sew sooner! This pattern would have helped me very much when I was constructing shirts with similar styling for the first time. I made my first button-down shirt (included pockets, a collar, neckband, and cuffs) in the late 90's with a McCall's pattern and it was time consuming! It's time to visit the Kwik Sew site and check out their current outfits!
