So, I Broke Down and Made an Archer

The day before my birthday this May, my husband and I took a day trip to Olney, IL.  Now, Olney's claim to fame is their colony of white squirrels. It's been on my list of places to visit for years now.  And, I was determined to finish and wear my new Archer shirt for the trip, a project that I began last fall.

I never considered myself a fan of button up shirts.  I think it's because they represent a combination of Catholic school repression (part of the uniform) or they're part of the dress code if I have to attend a trade show for work. I've admired them on other people but not something I would often choose to wear.

Enter the BeachComber reversible cotton gauze from Vogue Fabrics.  I saw this fabric last year during a Chicago blogger meetup.  I gazed at it and debated for a long time before not purchasing any. To me, it screamed to be made into a button up shirt - not my style

About two weeks later I decided I couldn't live without it and went back for some (which it totally my style!)

I sat on it for a while longer before deciding sometime last fall that I would succumb to the Archer pattern from Grainline Studio. I've seen so many cute versions out there and wanted to try it out. I was going to try to make a reversible shirt and use the smaller checks on the outside.

My original plan. This is also the best representation of the shirt's colors.

This took a while to make, through no fault of the pattern. I just hit a wall halfway through.  The side I was using just looked too "90s" to me and it was driving me nuts! I just didn't like it. I put it away for a while before deciding just to flip it and live with the fact that my buttons would be on the wrong side.

That made all the difference in the world!

I do have to say that for my first successful button up shirt project (there have been a few starts in the past, but nothing that ever made it to the buttonhole stage) - this fabric was a bitch to work with! It's a very loose weave and frays like crazy.  I'm lucky that I accidentally sewed the back pleat wrong to begin with, so it's perfect now. I was also attempting flat felled seams (or at least my version of them), but because there's so much fraying I had to go back over and hand reinforce them. Still, it doesn't really bother me and I don't think it's noticeable.

I cut a 6 at the top and graded to an 8 at the waist. Problems aside, I love it.  Sure, it could probably use a sway back adjustment (next time-and there will be a next time), the button band isn't perfect because it's technically the inside (but the print hides it, so who cares! And, the inside does look amazing.)

As for the Olney trip, we must of come at the wrong time, because we only saw one of the little guys! Still, it was worth it :)