SewingUpdated: January 14th, 2025
Created: December 31st, 20242025
Time has come, so it seems, to fashion a shirt for my back. For over 50 years I have repaired my garments but only made a few.
Chronology:
1: Cut material for back and yoke | 2: Make the yoke then sew yoke to back ~ Page 1
3: Cut material for front panels and sew to yoke. Page 1 | 4: Sew panels for buttons. Page 2
5: Cut material for collar, make and attach. | 6: Cut material for cuffs and make.
7: Cut material for sleeves. | 8: Attach sleeve to shoulder, try fit ✘Page 2 .
9: Sew inner side of sleeve. Add to width | 10: Sew back and front edges adjacent sleeve.
I have no fitting patterns and so am sketching from old rags that did fit, and using some orange organic cotton I bought from Cwmbran at some £6.95 a metre. I have other cloth bough years before but will try to make an orange shirt for the summer.
1st Jan: Managed to sew the yoke to the back. I could have done it easier and a little tidier, but not bad for my first foray. The issue was deciding to make a yoke, why I'm don't really know but that was like the old shirt. It seems a double fabric to add durability around the back of the shoulder etc. where I could have just added a layer. But now I have, if it fits, a template for the whole back for a second shirt.





Page 5: Stitching | Page 6: Shirt Design