I made more Grainline Archer shirts. Despite the look on my face, I'm not disgusted by this, I was just getting over whatever sickness is going around and this was the best face I could muster.
I don't think this look much like an Archer. But it is! It's actually a muslin for a linen one I wanted to make. I changed some things and wanted to check the fit. I left the button band out and stitched the front closed. I raised the armholes by 3/8" and sewed everything with a 5/8" seam allowance instead of 1/2" like the directions say. I felt that the shirt was too boxy so I curved it out at the hips. Increasing the seam allowance ever-so-slightly gave a better fit, especially in the shoulders
It looks a little tight, because I didn't pre-wash the fabric. I didn't think I would like this shirt as much as I do. Also, I lost about 2" of width across the front by omitting the button band. The fabric is this Merchant & Mills chambray Khadi cotton. It's beautiful, and the color changes in different light.
I also did a small swayback adjustment, but I'm honestly not sure that that did anything.
So after my roaring success with my muslin, I cut into my pre-washed fabric. I used this Merchant & Mills linen twill, which feels like a light- to mid-weight denim. Well, I didn't cut into it just yet. First I had to worry about it. Would this fabric be too heavy for a shirt? Do I actually like this faded color on me? I was only lukewarm about my last Archer shirt, would this one be a dud too? In spite of all my misgivings, I made it, and I really like it.
I made the changes I mentioned for my muslin, except for sewing the shoulders. I meant to use a 5/8" seam allowance, but forgot and sewed them with 1/2". I was so mad when I realized it, but not mad enough to unpick and re-sew flat-felled shoulder seams. Those are haaaaard. I also lengthened the shirt because I didn't like the proportions of my flannel shirt.
Raising the armholes lets me do this without the shirt lifting up over my belly button.
I unfurled this shirt from the crumpled floor-ball it had been in for a week, so this is freshly pressed for these photos. And it was so warm when I put it on! Otherwise, like all linen, it wrinkles. Especially in these hands.
I think this fabric was an excellent pairing with this shirt. The shirt hangs really well with the weight of the material.
After squeezing this shirt out of a yard and a half of this (expensive) fabric (I originally got two yards), I didn't want the leftovers to languish in my garbage bag of scraps. So, in the spirit of the two-piece sets that were so popular last year, here is my two-piece Grainline set:
This picture is too good. These are the Grainline Maritime shorts. I was just able to make a size 4 out of a half yard.
I made a muslin, but I didn't include the waistband because I was antsy to get on with the shorts. So they don't fit as well as they could. The waist is pretty loose, and the back is just a bit too long below the waistband, so the fabric bunches up a little.
All of the seams in these shorts are finished with bias tape, then stitched down to look flat-felled from the outside. And here comes my beef with Grainline. I don't like that Grainline uses 1/2" seam allowances; I don't think it's enough to do a proper seam finish, especially with heavier fabric. The directions are written with the assumption that the average home sewer has a serger. I also find Grainline's directions confusing. I do love the designs though, so I guess I'll just follow my heart and not the instructions. Anyway, this is what the inside looks like:
Lucky me, these shorts were made entirely from scraps! I love to use Liberty of London lawn for pockets because it's so strong and lightweight. These pockets are Lagos Laurel D and the waistband lining and bias tape are Theo C.
And here's my favorite part.
Deciding on a robot button was difficult because they're all so funny. But I finally settled on this one, because it reminds me of my cat. Sometimes when she blinks she looks like a muppet.
from http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Mahna_Mahna_Through_the_Years
I agree with you that a 5/8" seam is important. You could add the extra 1/8" to the pattern so that you have it every time you want to sew the shirt and shorts. You could also add it when you cut out the shorts but I would not remember to do that on every seam so adding to the pattern makes sense to me. I have been sewing for a lo-oo-o oo-ng time and know a lot of shortcuts.