Difficulty: Intermediate
Shown in: Dovestone Mustard Rayon, Size 2
I love this shirt pattern by Colette; it’s so versatile, able to be worn casually or professionally depending on what you put with it. For me, this is a nice invitation into the world of making shirt, which can often seem very daunting. It has many features of a traditional shirt, but the collarless design gives it a softer, more feminine feel.
Here, I chose to make version one, which has short, cuffed sleeves, in our Dashwood mustard rayon. Mustard is definitely one of the great loves of my life and, as we are now approaching spring, the lightness and fluidity of the rayon is perfect for keeping me cool in the warmer months.
I made the size 2, without any alterations, but I would recommend checking the finished measurements of the pattern against your body measurements thoroughly before you cut out. The pattern has a relatively boxy design, but is sized up fairly largely and you will likely find yourself making a size much smaller than you are used to. You may want to consider slimming down the sides of the pattern if you prefer a more fitted look.
The pattern is self-bound around the neckline, however I chose to deviate slightly and engineer a facing, as I had not left myself enough fabric to make bias binding. However, you may choose to self-bind or even add a contrast bias. Finally I added these beautiful, flower-patterned shell buttons from The Textile Garden to fasten the final garment.
This was a fairly uncomplicated make, the rayon handles beautifully and the instructions are clear. However, some of the techniques, buttonholes, attaching the yolks and binding may be new to some beginner sewers. However, this issue can be easily rectified with a few handy articles or YouTube videos and the result is fantastic. I would definitely recommend this project to anyone wanting to improve their sewing skills