Summer Top Week, Day V

Today you're in for a real treat -- menswear! Here's a summer shirt I made for the best guy in the universe (my husband Nate):

Pattern: Simplicity 4287
I find it really hilarious that every single men's pattern that exists also has a matching little boys pattern included. So I guess that means I should make a matching one for Elliot?

Fabric: Freshcut by Heather Bailey
I was so thrilled that a fabric designer had finally included a guy-friendly print in her line (fabric designers, are you listening?!) that I bought it online, not realizing that it was almost a fluorescent green. OK maybe not that bright, but certainly not a green my husband would be caught dead in. So I soaked it in tea overnight. That's right. And it worked; I'm much happier with the muted hues, although with each washing it seems to be getting brighter, so we'll see...

As I anticipated, this pattern is ginormously oversized, which isn't exactly the most current style for guys right now if you know what I mean. So I made a medium even though he would normally wear a large because I wanted it to be a little more fitted.

This pattern drove me a little crazy with all the little meticulous steps, so if you're more of the look-at-the-pictures type than the read-the-directions type or if you typically rely on divine inspiration for sewing direction, this is NOT the pattern for you. However, it produces some really sharp results, like little notches on the sleeves and sides of the hem and a nice looking cuff if you're willing to baste a little (learned that one the hard way).

I don't know if you can see it, but it has slightly western details on the pockets and shoulders. I almost got pearl-covered snaps but chickened out.

He likes it, so I'll probably be making more of these. It's nice to have a good solid basic pattern in your repertoire.