Simplicity 2627

As I mentioned, Myra has a serious need for some summer gear, so I hit up my stash and came away with an impressive stack of cotton prints and jersey, all in a hot pink, green or orange colorway.  I decided to do a sort of SWAP for Myra in an attempt to make a wardrobe that was a little bit more mix and match.  This is my first piece of that.

I knew I was going to need a pretty simple pattern for this crazy print.  It is actually somehow even more bright in real life.  I've had Simplicity 2627 in stash for some time, as I actually bought it for Logan, but since I mostly sew Ottobre for him, it has been languishing.  I have to say that I actually was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this pattern.  The instructions were very logical for the Big 4!  The sleeves are even set in flat, and y'all know how I love that.  There was an excess of ease in the sleeve cap, so I'll shave off about a quarter inch next time and it should be fine.  It is a serious cheater placket, which I am OK with as long as I don't have to match any stripes or plaids across the front seam.  It made for a really easy sew.

And so cute!!  I'm definitely going to make this up in Logan's size.  I have noticed that unisex patterns tend to actually be designed for girls, so to make it for Logan, I'll make a few alterations to "man-ify" it for him.  If you look at a man's short sleeve shirt as compared to a woman's, you'll notice that the man's sleeve typically has a slightly extended shoulder with a longer sleeve that hangs almost to the elbow and has at least a one inch hem, which helps the sleeve to hang well.  A woman's shirt, on the other hand, typically has a fitted shoulder line with a shorter sleeve and a narrow hem.  This shirt is designed more along the lines of a woman's shirt, and in my experience, no matter how "manly" the fabric, your little guy is going to look a little girlie in a shirt like that.  So, just cut the shirt a bit bigger to extend the shoulder line, and cut the sleeve longer, so that it hits near the elbow with a nice deep (3/4 to 1 inch) hem.  You'll be glad you did!

Next up on the Singer will be some denim pants to coordinate with this top.  I find that I really enjoy sewing my kids clothes on that old machine.  Sitting at that table, knee to lever, machine whirring, I feel a bit of solidarity with the mothers who have sewn clothes for their wee ones on machines like this one.  I'm starting to really see the appeal of the vintage machine.  I also have to say, that girl can sew!  She is so reliable.  She may not be fancy, but what she does, she does really well.  And her buttonholes are a thing of beauty.