My next project was the Amy Butler Liverpool Shirt that seems to be getting so much buzz lately. It's an interesting pattern that can be altered to wear as a shirt, a tunic, a short dress, or a long dress. The sleeve also has options of short, elbow length, 3/4, and long. I made the tunic. I was unsure if the look was a bit too young for me, but figured that if I really didn't like it on, my daughter might take it off my hands. It has a nice shape, with not only a bust dart in front, but also two sets of vertical darts that cinch in the waist nicely. It has two vertical darts in back as well. I cut out the medium, but added an inch to the back (and therefore to the collar and collar stand) and also added a little along the side seams. I probably could have done an FBA, but I've not had a lot of experience there and was really feeling out of my league redrawing the vertical darts. It fits well, especially if the top button is left open with a tank top underneath. But, the bust on this pattern is definitely on the smaller side. Usually my problem area is hips, not bust, but I honestly didn't even need to add as much to the hips as I did.
I loved the way the placket came out. It really was a breeze and ends up looking very professional. I was less happy with my collar stand. Although it looks okay, the seam allowances didn't fold up into the stand at either end as nicely as I would have liked. I didn't think the drawings on the stand and collar installation were great for someone who's not done one before. I definitely need to work on that and have printed off a couple of tutorials to experiment with so I can perfect it. I saved my muslin, and had not put the collar on it, so I'll use that for practice.
I also had some trouble edge stitching at the very point of the collar. I ripped out stitches a couple of times. Louise Cutting has a good tip which involves, pulling the opposing point under the back of the pressure foot when you approach the tip. The points are a mirror image and it provides the shim you need to keep your machine from struggling so much as it works the point. It's also a very pointy collar and mine aren't quite as crisp as I would want. Aren't we hard on ourselves?? Although my seams were sewn with a 2.0 stitch length, I did my top stitching in 3.0 and liked that on a light weight cotton. I often go longer on a top stitch, but this seems like the right look for this piece.
I really do like the look. It's a flattering shape and will be good to throw on over skinny jeans (lol) or capris for the summer.
