Twinsies

Following on from my Outlander and all things tartan obsession came plans for a Grainline Archer popover in a gorgeous brushed cotton blue and green tartan again from Minerva crafts. Although I had this shirt in mind when I bought the fabric I realised that there was a special little guy's first birthday and I wanted to make him something. 

I was little burnt out from the bulk of stitching for the wedding but frankly a shirt for a one year old is so teeny what's the harm? I used the free pattern and instructions from small dreamfactory available here.

Maybe the fact I had to do it twice because I didn't pay attention to the instructions? Yeah, probably that.

This is why you concentrate when clipping the collar curve. Yep cut a gash straight through the shoulder. Hasty patch for the win.

Anyway the little boy the shirt was intended for I refer to as my nephew. He's my best friend's little boy so no actual blood between us but sometimes family is more than blood. I think of this as my twins shirt as frankly the best advice I can give him in life is the secret to everything (not just take away eggplant Parmesan) is add more cheese.

So details of the popover. I wanted the popover rather than the proper button up as A. it's rare I find a button up that doesn't gape at my bust and B. I'm always wary of too boxy silhouettes as I think it makes me look manly. The popover seemed to me a nice combination of the masculine style with feminine details.

Olive my dress form wears this necklace as the first time I put it on I broke it. Yep I broke Feminism. Doh!

Turns out no matter how many times I read the instructions for the tower placket that said DO NOT cut off the little triangle...I did. My plackets therefore are not perfect but I think they're acceptable. 

The sleeves have also been through some variations as initially I found them much too long  and so flappy that they didn't roll up nicely. No matter, I thought, I shall just cut them off at elbow length as it's very rare I wear long sleeves not pushed up to my elbows (you can take the girl off the ward but you can't take the ward off the girl).

Unfortunately that gave me a loose t-shirt like sleeve which is a look I really really dislike. After a couple of wears it occurred to me to unpick the cuffs from the discarded length and stitch them back on to the shorter sleeve with pleats put in to make them marry up. Perfect. The sleeve is taken in and once again looks like a shirt sleeve. I didn't add buttons as cuff is the perfect size for that part of my arm and can't be taken in any further with a button.

It still gapes a teeny bit at the bust but meh. I like it so much I'll forgive it it's foibles. Much like a good auntie.

Oh also on a side note. In order to take these photos I had to commando style around the fence because the fella is seeding the grass. As you can see below however it's one rule for one and another for another in this dictatorship of cats.