Where disability politics, feminism and craft collide.
Just recently I was writing about sewing pattern repeats, and here I am sharing my fifth, sixth and seventh versions of the Grainline Hemlock Tee!* I wasn’t completely enamoured with it upon release, but it’s proven to be an easy to sew and easy to wear wardrobe staple.
I didn’t think I’d be one of those sewists making endless repeats of their favourite patterns, but here I am posting my third Grainline Archer Shirt (and I’m currently sewing my 5th, 6th and 7th versions of the Grainline Hemlock Tee!). When Jen gave me this beautiful red plaid shirting, I had good intentions of muslining a new popover shirt. But when the time came round to sew it, I just wanted something that I knew would work. So Archer it was!
Warning: contains GIFs
I went on a knit-sewing session a while back, resulting in my ponte skirt and a couple of long-sleeve tees. I actually meant to blog them together, but the weather has been so offensively hot this Autumn that I’ve had to wait until it cooled down enough that I could wear long sleeves without swooning like a 20s film star.
When I wrote about my cotton/linen Grainline Archer Shirt, I mentioned it would look elegant in a fabric with more drape. So, here is my second iteration of the pattern, sewn in a lightweight cotton with a fantastic watermelon print.
Would you believe I’ve finally been blogging long enough to start posting repeat garments? These are a couple of winter tops I whipped up to sew through a bit of stash fabric.
This week I shared my linen Archer shirt with you. I’m always curious about how others sew things – not the finished results, but the techniques they use to get there. So this is a catalogue of the techniques I use when shirt-making, as featured in my Archer shirt and others. If you hate detail, turn away now!
Continue reading “What I talk about when I talk about shirtmaking”
Being typically late to catch up on trends, it’s no surprise that I sewed a Grainline Archer Shirt several years after the rest of the sewing world fell in love with it. I actually did purchase this pattern and make a muslin a year or two back, but was so stumped by fit issues that I let it sit in my wardrobe. With the confidence and experience I’ve gained since then, I was ready to revisit my muslin and make a finished garment.
Continue reading “Late to the party: Grainline Archer Shirt”
