Just A Pinch

Without the actual pinches.

Cutting Line Designs recently released this pretty shirt and vest pattern. It is a very easy make, a classic shirt with a twist. I used this pattern for my previous shirt, but it was just a starting point for it, as I was trying to use a thrifted man's shirt for fabric.

This time I started with beautiful Japanese cotton purchased from Cutting Line Designs' new online fabric store. There is almost no wrinkling, and yet it presses beautifully.

 If you have not visited the new shop, I highly recommend it. You may know that Louise has great taste. I have always enjoyed shopping her booth at sewing expos. Now we can shop with her on line!

This cotton has a dobby weave and so a soft hand, a lovely drape. It was a dream to sew and I am enjoying wearing it today. Just a perfect shirting fabric, I think. I found just-right red buttons at Gail K here in Atlanta, using one large one at the neckline.

One twist in this shirt pattern is the placement of the side seam. It has been rotated to the front by several inches and angled inward, slightly. It creates a very slimming effect, I think.

I did have to be careful marking the underarm dot that connects to the standard underarm seam of the sleeve to the shirt body. It's hard to tell in my pictures. It is more like a princess seam than it is a side seam. In fact, I'm thinking it might be a place for a FBA, though I don't need that.

I omitted the collar in preparation for the hot weather headed my way. I also omitted the pinches that are used to create an asymmetrical hem line. I inserted a solid red flat piping into the front seam (the quasi-princess seam) to highlight that aspect of this design.

Just A Pinch line drawing

Liberty line drawing

I had thought Just A Pinch would be more similar to the Sewing Workshop's Liberty shirt. The side seam of the Liberty starts at the underarm in the standard location and then the back piece is sharply angled, toward the front, changing the grainline at the side seam by almost 45 degrees. The increased back width pushes the seam forward, visually. It also increases the hip volume a good bit.

You can see here that JAP back (on top, beige) is longer and more narrow than the Liberty back (bottom white)

Just A Pinch has a more classic shirt silhouette and fit. That is, it is more straight up and down. The side seam has been moved onto the front piece without changing the grainline of the seam. As I mentioned above, it is almost a princess seam. Almost, but not quite. An interesting design feature.

This picture shows that the JAP (beige) armscyc is forward of the Liberty (white)

The drawings appear quite similar but the design is different. Even the collars are very different. The Liberty collar is a Peter Pan collar that is folded up, though it does not show up in the line drawing. The JAP collar is a straight stand-up collar, as shown in its line drawing.

I love both the Just A Pinch and the Liberty, and plan to make more of each. Each offers a unique design and silhouette.

I would love to make the vest next. I am enamored of the idea of a vest and shirt from similar shapes. I like the nesting it creates.