{Butterick 5526} Pink Plaid Flannel FTW

I used to buy button-up blouses when I first started working because it was the easiest way for me to feel professional in such a conservative setting (I work in the engineering field). I didn't mind the weekly pile of ironing although I did mind the fading colors of my cotton blouses after one too many washes. Over the years my patience with ironing has waned to zero and now I can't remember the last time I bought a button-up blouse. These days I tend to favor the easier pull-on blouses, either the breezy, silk-like ones or knit tops. Ones that don't require a lot of pressing. Ones that don't require such precise fitting.

Another reason I have strayed from buying button-up blouses is that once I started to focus on fit, I realized they weren't fitting all that well. Even the blouses in the petites section don't fit me well. Even though I've been sewing for several years,I put off trying to make my own because they looked like so much work. But after making a couple McCall's 6696 shirt dresses, I realized it wouldn't be so bad after all.

Sorry for the derp/bitch face above, not sure what I was thinking when the camera clicked. But this side view shows all the extra fabric pooling at the base of my back. I think I need to either take out width from the center back (grading to zero at the bottom of the yoke) or do a swayback adjustment....anyone have any suggestions?

I bought Butterick 5526 because Lauren of Lladybird has made so many that I wish were in my closet. I didn't want to tackle a close-fitting blouse on my first try, so I made View A, which is a looser fit blouse with sleeve tabs to keep your sleeves rolled up! It looks very similar to the Grainline Archer, which I don't have, but have seen many wonderful versions. I decided to use this opportunity to try my hand at matching plaid. I bought a fairly inexpensive pink, black, and white plaid from Jo-Ann Fabrics and, as I had expected, the fabric was tricky to work with. It was not perfectly on grain and the fabric kept stretching very easily in all directions when I tried matching the plaid.

I made a new sleeve pattern because the original had so much ease in the sleeve head and at the time of making it I could not understand for the life of me how one "eased in" the sleeve head. Since making this shirt, I have made it again and I did some research into how to ease in a sleeve head and now I totally get it.

Overall I really like this pattern. Unfortunately, the shirt doesn't quite fit well enough that I'm 100% comfortable wearing it out buttoned up all the way. My full bust measurement is about 33.5"-34", but the blouse bust measurement is 34.5" so it's definitely too tight. You can't tell in the photos because I'm not standing super straight, but the blouse is pulling across my bust. If I hadn't placed the button right at my bust line there would be major gaping. Also, there's a lot of extra fabric just above my bust/armhole area, but there's also some pulling at the sleeve cap because when I redrafted the sleeve pattern I didn't make it wide enough.

This pattern has a one piece back, but I really wanted to play around with plaid placement on the yoke, so I drafted a two-piece yoke, which I'm quite pleased with :). I like the sleeve tabs, but I really dislike the "sleeve placket". It just seems so half-assed. Maybe next time I'll draft my own sleeve placket using the menswear shirt patterns that I have as a reference.

My husband really likes this shirt on me, like really, really, really likes it. I think it's so funny that he likes it so much considering I thought he was going to yak upon seeing pink plaid. I can't remember the last time, if ever, I had a flannel shirt, but I'm loving it and I can't believe I haven't had one in my closet at all times. I know I've tried them on at stores, but I think I usually had the thought of "am I really going to spend all this $$$$ on a fucking plaid flannel shirt?". Well, now I can make my own for a fraction of the cost.

The sleeve tabs are supposed to be cut on the grainline, but I got carried away with trying to place things on the bias so I cut just this one sleeve tab on the bias and I totally love it.

I finished making this shirt in December 2014 and wore it all the time during the holidays when I was home. It's so comfortable to wear even if the fit isn't 100%. I've washed it several times and I'm bummed that it's noticeably less soft and cozy compared to the scraps I have left:(. As long as I wear a camisole underneath I don't mind wearing it outside. I really need to make another one that I feel comfortable wearing at all times. I bought a lovely plaid at Britex when I was there in November and once I have this pattern modified just right then I'm going to cut into that pricey stuff!



When I put on my new glasses I totally look like a fucking dipshit hipster. Time for me to go walk around Silver Lake.