Grainline Hadley

The newest pattern from Grainline Studios is a super simple shirt pattern called the Hadley. There are two views - a sleeveless (deep) V neck version and a long-sleeved jewel neck version with a pleat in the back. I made the long-sleeved version.

Both versions feature a slight high-low arrangement with the back about 4 inches longer. The front is fairly stright but the back angles out to create an overall A-line shape.

Both versions also include lots of facings - facings for the neckline, facings for the sleeve hems, and a facing for the body hem. I cut out all the facings but, in the end, decided to bind the neckline and sleeve hems. I do like the use of a facing on the shirt hem. This is a loose fit and needs the deep facing to ground it, I think.

The binding and facing fabric is a blue and black window pane plaid with a white background, left overs from another shirt. I think it adds a little something to the overall look. Or, it may have taken it into pajama territory. The proof is in the wearing.

I cut off about 2 inches from the sleeves. This is unusual for me. I often add 1/2 inch to long-sleeved patterns. I think that maybe the idea is for it to pool at the wrist? It's hard to determine the intent from various pictures of the Hadley online. I'm assuming the model is 6 feet tall so it hits her at the wrist, but reviewers on Pattern Review have also mentioned that the sleeves are quite long.

These sleeves have an inch cut from them. After this picture I cut another inch from them.

The Hadley has a center front seam and a center back seam. Each follows the grainline. Normally I like extra vertical lines, but with this cotton print fabric, I decided to cut on the fold. I would have felt guilty about not matching the print down the center front where it would be obvious. Just kidding. I would have matched the print. But why? So that the center front seam won't be so visible? Yeah, cut it on the fold.

The sleeve is an interesting draft - far more than I expected from such a simple pattern. It has a high sleeve cap and requires much fiddling to fit into the armscye. The sleeve hem also has a graceful curve to it - something I almost never see in a pattern with such a plain sleeve. I am impressed.

I've followed the Grainline blog for a while and I also enjoy her posts on Instagram. The Archer shirt has 127 (!) reviews on Pattern Review. And they named it a Best Pattern for 2013, 2015, and 2016. I think I'll try it next.