Plaid Flannel Grainline Archer (again)

Welcome back, flannel season! Every fall when our new flannels come in, I can't help myself. I need to make a new flannel shirt. I used to have a shirt in a similar colorway to this navy / evergreen plaid that I loved so much, but the fit and quality were terrible and  it had to go.

So I made another Grainline Archer Shirt.

You're probably thinking, "Oh wow, like the internet needs another Archer." Yeah, this'll be the last time I blog about it. Unless I try to combine it with the Alder dress... Though I do find it helpful, when I'm Googling a sewing pattern to see how it fits other people and to imagine how it will look on me and what alterations people have made, to see all the versions of it that could possibly exist.

So here is my latest Archer. This is a size 2.

When this pattern first came out, I didn't love how oversized and boxy it was. But it's really grown on me. I layered a long-sleeved thermal and a sweatshirt under my Archer and I could move comfortably.

I've modified the fit over my last few shirts (see the linen one here and the flannel one here) and I'm very happy with it now.

- lengthen the shirt and arms by 1"
- sew the side seams 5/8" instead of 1/2" like the pattern calls for
- 1/2" swayback adjustment (not convinced it worked though)
- sew a tower placket to the sleeve opening instead of a binding
- raise the armhole 3/8" so the whole shirt doesn't lift up when I move my arms. Even though it still kind of does.

The changes that I've made for this version were to sew the shoulder seams with 5/8" seam allowances (I forgot to last time), giving me more wiggle room to flat-fell my seams. It also lessens the drop shoulder that I wasn't crazy about. And I didn't cut my undercollar on the bias like Grainline instructs. I find that it stretches out rather than pulls the upper collar under like it's supposed to. Or maybe it's supposed to help the collar lay better? I never noticed a difference. Anyway, this picture looks cool.

Also, I sewed my buttonholes on the wrong side of the shirt!

Having done this before on a shirt I made for my boyfriend, it is really awkward to try to button up your shirt the other way! (I had to button his shirt for him) But I am keen to improve my dexterity, and I don't like unpicking and resewing buttonholes, so I just left them as such. I can pull this shirt on over my big head anyways.

My plaid matching is so good, bet you couldn't even see the pockets.

Oh and guess what, I made my leggings too. I traced a pair that wore out a little too much in the bum and remade them with this black ponte. The fabric isn't as stretchy as my original pair, and I didn't make the waistband elastic as tight as I should have so sometimes I get plumber butt, and the fabric pills, but they're thick and opaque and I've got to make more.