What I've been sewing lately ...

This pile of stuff on the chair is bits and pieces of six shirt muslins and a pattern that has been chopped and restuck so many times there is more tape than paper. This is part of an outfit I am making for the too muscular man in my life. When I say too muscular, I don't really mean that he's TOO muscly, it's just that he's too well built for a regular shirt pattern. His chest and shoulders are about six sizes bigger than his waist, so to get a pattern to fit his chest, the waist goes around him three times. So I've chopped and redrawn, done a sloping shoulder adjustment - years of weight lifting have created a big wedge of muscle near his neck that has become the biggest fitting problem I've ever encountered - and now I think I have a reasonable fit.

I was a little suprised to find that there is a complete dearth of sewing patterns for men. I can find voluminous business shirts and basic pants, but what about funky, modern wear for modern men who don't want to dress like they're off to the RSL or Bowls Club. BWOF has the odd shirt and jacket, but even they are not too exciting.

Where are the panelled, fitted shirts for men, the knit shirts and tops? I couldn't even find a vintage body shirt pattern for jersey. Are the only people who sew for men making clothes for middle aged men with beer guts and no arse and no interest in how they dress?


My muscle man has chosen this fabric for his shirt. It's a little more loud in the flesh. There is quite a bit of glittery gold in it. The ladies in the quilting shop (it's a quilting cotton) where he bought it were quite excited and he's promised to model it for them when it's done.

The shirt is part of an outfit that DH has wanted for some time. It is to go with a buttercup yellow safari suit that I am in the middle of making. It's from a vintage pattern Simplicity 7647 which I forgot to photograph to include here.

I was relieved and pleased to find that the pants fit straight from the pattern, with the exception of the six inches I had to chop off the length. (DH is a little height challenged). You'll see a picture of his perfect little behind in buttercup yellow suiting very soon. The jacket had to be widened about 50cm, but it's been a relatively simple alteration after the shirt. Two days worth of top stitching has paid off and tonight I will put in the sleeves and lining.

It's been fun and the results are worth the effort, not to mention the fact that DH is thrilled. The ladies in the shop where he bought the yellow fabric are convinced this outfit is for a fancy dress party, but no, he just wants a yellow 70's safari suit and I didn't have the heart to refuse.