I really enjoyed making the Dinosaur Hoody last Christmas so I cut out the pieces for a shirt with a snazzy bear pattern. Life got in the way and the pieces sat in a box waiting to be sewn together. After getting a new sewing machine for Christmas I had no excuses to delay any further!
This was definitely the hardest thing I have made. Overall it probably took about five working days to make. A fair amount of that time was fixing mistakes, recutting bits that were upside down and scratching my head in first-timer confusion. But it did give me an appreciation of how ludicrously cheap and well made our clothes are.
For it to be worth making your own clothes you have got to love the fabric and the pattern. I chose Bear Brigade Cotton Poplin because although it is apparently perfect for “Childrens Clothing” and “Pyjamas”, I think it is suitable for all ages!
The Jenson shirt pattern is from WardrobeByMe which has an accompanying video that really helped during the sewing stages. The instructions were good although in my opinion the collar orientation in the pattern is upside down if you have a design you want to be facing the right way (like my bears). I found the slit and cuff making stage very confusing but that’s probably my experience speaking more than anything else. The first sleeve was a bit dodgy but the second came out wonderfully! Hopefully my notes will help me to get it right next time I try it.
