When I saw Rifle Paper Co. post their image of a dress shirt in their new Strawberry Fields print from their new Primavera collection on their Instagram I knew I had to make one. I quickly ordered some from my one of my local quilt shops (Stitch Supply Co.) and threw it in the wash as soon as I got it in the mail.
I’ve had the Archer shirt pattern from Grainline Studio for quite a few years and hadn’t yet made it. I’ve made the Alder Shirtdress which is sort of similar, but the Archer patiently waited for me. I typically don’t wear a lot of prints, but the strawberries were calling and it was Spring! Time to celebrate all the new growth that it brings. Also, I haven’t sewn a garment using quilting cotton for years, but this is a very soft quilting cotton and it’s perfect for this type of shirt.
I thoroughly enjoying making this shirt. I don’t think I worked on it for more than 45 minutes at a time, it was nice to space things out and really enjoy the process. So over the course of about a week and a half I finished my shirt! I asked a friend for some buttons and that was that! I did manage to sew the cuffs on the wrong way at first with the overlap/cuff buttons on the wrong way. Lucky for me that was super easy to take off the cuff and put on a new one. I’m so glad I did because even though it was a fairly insignificant mistake on my part, I knew I’d always be a little bit mad at myself if I didn’t fix it. So there you go, lesson learned! It’s great to know when to stop and fix something and when it’s okay to let it go. Of course that threshold is different for everyone. But when you know, you know!
I’m hoping to get a few wears in before it gets to hot and humid here. I’ll wear it in the fall and winter, too I hope! I think I’ll throw it in the wash, too before I first wear it. I can’t remember where I read that tip (or maybe I heard it on a Love to Sew podcast episode), but I think it makes a big difference for me. Washing a garment after its sewn, and it’ll have that more lived in feel. It makes total sense in my crazy world!
Pattern: Archer Button Up Shirt from Grainline Studio (I made a size 8, graded to 6 at the hips)
Fabric: Strawberry Fields in Blush (Primavera collection by Rifle Paper Co.) purchased from Stitch Supply Co.
I really like this shirt. I’ve never sewn a garment, would this be a good pattern to start on?
Thank you Lisa! I think this would be okay if you’re willing to learn a lot of new techniques (collar, buttons, cuffs can all be a bit tricky). If you’d like, something simpler might be a better starting point, I’d suggest the Shirt No. 1 pattern: https://shop.100actsofsewing.com/products/100-acts-of-sewing-shirt-no-1-sewing-pattern or the Ruby Top/dress: https://shop.made-by-rae.com/collections/womens-patterns/products/ruby-dress-topGrainline is doing a video sew along right now, so that would be very helpful if you’re ready to jump in with the Archer!Hope that helps! 🙂
Beautiful! I loved reading about the cuff issue I did the same thing last year when I made my first placket cuff button down blouse for my daughter. I had to order more fabric to fix it! ☺️ This is a timeless button down you’ll enjoy for years. Lovely work!
The archer has been calling to me for years. Your beautiful shirt just may inspire me to jump in!
This is so gorgeous!! Well done!
I had exactly the same thought when I saw that shirt photo! I bought the fabric, I washed it immediately, and…I just cut it this week. I picked the Archer, too, but am doing their popover version, and have made the collar wider and cuffs narrower. Now that I’ve seen your shirt, I’m extra excited to get going, although I didn’t finish it in time for Spring like I had hoped. For three (four?) years…Thanks for sharing!
Yayyy! So glad you’re getting going on it! I think it’ll be so cute in the popover version!