Just Under the Wire

I baaaaarely squeaked in a Grainline Archer before December was up! I’ve still got a few hours to post about it here on the West Coast, but I didn’t want to miss Archer Appreciation Month! Jen creates really beautiful patterns, and the Archer button-up is no exception.

Things got a little crazy around here this month, thanks to making holiday gifts. In the midst of that storm of fabric and yarn, I decided to head out to Mill End for a few supplies. I spotted this cotton double-gauze I remembered seeing there last year. I was so happy there was still some left! It’s one of those fabrics that you always regret not putting in your shopping cart once you get home. It feels like butter, especially after it’s fresh out of the dryer. Heavenly!

I’ve been meaning to make myself a few button-ups for the longest time. I don’t buy them because they always gape at the bustline, and if I get one to fit my bust, it’s much too large all over. I knew that I wanted something loose, but not too slouchy. I check my measurements against Jen’s pattern, and although  my bust called for me to make a size 14, I ended up making the size 10 instead, because the pattern has so much wearable ease. I think for my next one I’ll go down to an 8 to make it a bit more fitted.

I didn’t do any other pattern alterations this round. I have a bad habit of completely changing patterns right from the start, and I wanted to see if I liked Jen’s original design before I tweaked it. It’s really nice! It’s roomy, comfortable, and perfect for hiking. When I make my next one, I’ll shorten the sleeves (I should have done that this round but I forgot), shorten the shoulder seam and recut the back neckline to fit my rounded shoulders better, so that the yoke seam comes forward as much as it’s meant to. I already have my fabric and I’m excited to add another Archer to my wardrobe!

The opposite side of the plaid is a red and white stripe. It’s a nice detail when I rolled up the sleeves, but meant that I had to be particularly careful when cutting out my pieces. If you’re using a plaid that is one-sided, you have even less room for error! Buttons were not easy for me to pick with this fabric. Rob helped me to find these marbled buttons, and I really like the way they look.I was concerned that the fabric would shift quite a bit while sewing, as it has some loft to it. I used my walking foot and very carefully pinned all of my matching seams. Lucky for me, it worked really well and saved me lots of time with basting. I was quite pleased with the matching along the side seams and sleeve seams!

I didn’t want to put too many details on the bias with this plaid. I think it would have been too busy had I put the front button band on the bias. Instead, I cut it out to match the plaid, but I could have simply used the same left fold-under placket piece instead. Next time! The back yoke is on the bias though, along with the pockets.

I love this shirt so much! What’s one of your favorite patterns you’ve ever made? I’m always looking for new ones!