Vintage western shirt #3… of the linen kind

 

70s shirt Butterick 5007

It’s been a while since I made Mr Ooobop something. Quite shameful really for all the lovely photos he takes for me. So I’m delighted to have finally finished his latest shirt. And he loves it, thankfully!

The hardest bit for me was being back behind the camera again. Well out of practice I was. But luckily Dan has more patience than me and was very obliging as I got him to mill around on Barnes common!

This is the third version I’ve made from the same pattern – Butterick 5007 – A 70s men’s western shirt.  The kind of shirt you have to imagine beyond the pattern pic:

butterick 5007 pattern cover

Mr O is quite good at that. Non-conformist to a T for Taurus he is, and believes very firmly that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. So all that needed to be altered this time was the choice of fabric. The flowery fabric used in the last shirt I made him was gorgeous but faded so quickly in the wash. Such a shame. So he chose this gorgeous black linen with embroidered details.

butterick 5007 shirt

When we came to buy the fabric. I didn’t think I would have a problem with pattern matching because the little embroidered motifs were quite sparse but that’s where I massively slipped up. Didn’t really consider placement, did I…doh!

Placement isn’t really that difficult if you take time and consider each piece and where it’s going to sit with the adjoining pieces, of course, but when you’ve purchased only just enough fabric for the job and it was end of roll, it creates a problem or ten.

You can move the pieces around to work as much as you like but sometimes that ain’t very economical and you end up short of material for all the pieces. Luckily enough I had some spare plain black linen floating around because what was left didn’t leave suitable areas for the cuffs, collar stands and one of the pockets. I also used some of the plain stuff for the underside of the pocket flaps.

butterick 5007 mens shirt

It’s a close-fitting shirt, which required a bit of fitting but that was done on the first version, which incidentally has disappeared from my blog but here’s a pic of it. I just love the vintage Laura Ashley curtain fabric I rescued here. The beard, not so much!

B5007 with double bass

In all cases, the pointed collar is large. He likes it that way. But I did include a stiffer facing this time so it is even more exaggerated!

The back and front yokes are cut on the bias. Fine for the back but I did some serious head-scratching on the placement decisions for the front yokes. In my head I wanted the design flipped and symmetrical. Why my brain couldn’t let it lie I have no idea!

70s shirt back yoke

70s shirt front yokes

I love how the above picture shows the texture of the linen. It is one of my favourite fabrics to work with. And I’m told it feels great and is dead comfy to wear too! Also shows up some of the painstaking topstitching. I had clearly forgotten just how long this takes. It can’t be rushed. And I couldn’t do it at night-time. Sewing black on black with stupid crap low energy ethical lightbulbs is not good for anyone’s health. So I’m glad I waited for weekend daylight hours to get a neat job.

You can’t see from these photos, and you probably wouldn’t have noticed in real-life and close up either, but I interfaced the cuffs and button band in a white fusible woven interfacing. French stuff. Great quality in fact. But when I cut the button holes it was a little irritating to see the white edges. So I got my Sharpie out and coloured them in… shhhh!

The buttons aren’t an exact match for the blue in the embroidery which bugs a bit but I’m keeping eyes peeled for a closer colour. They can always be replaced at a later date. But I so wish I’d put the buttons on the other side of the cuff. Mr O doesn’t often do his cuffs up so you don’t get to see them side on!

70s shirt shaped hemline

He also doesn’t like to tuck a shirt in much. And so it’s great that the shaped hemline gets a showcase. I used a bias tape to finish the edge because I forgot to lengthen it again I much prefer how it looks.

B5007 in black linen

It was really lovely to catch an hour or so of the sunshine in Barnes, today and especially lovely to spend a little time with this fella. We’ve been like passing ships lately. And he’s off again now to do a gig in Kent! So what’s a girl to do? Crack open a bottle and crank up the sewing machine I guess! Tough life on a Sunday afternoon, hey!

70s western shirt for men

Happy sewing, everyone!

 

35 Replies to “Vintage western shirt #3… of the linen kind”

      1. YES! That was my first thought exactly! Love the streamlined/shorter hair look and the shirt of course, it’s totally rock and roll! x

  1. Oh! Our pattern! I owe MrC 4 shirts right now too, although I am probably going to sew them “by proxy”!! I am loving the embroidered linen – I am addicted to embroidered linens and silks and have an entire cupboard of them.
    Dan does black so well, just like a muso. Are you used to the new hair yet? 🙂

    1. Ha! You know me so well from afar Mrs C!! It’s growing on me. I loved Samson so much and so its taking a bit of getting-used-to. But I guess I’m a teen of the 80s so it won’t take too long!! xxx

  2. You are my sewing hero with this latest shirt. I’m making my bloke a cowboy shirt, too – with PIPING. I know, I know… But I think it’ll work 🙂

    1. OMG! Shhhh….don’t mention the piping!! I know he will want that next! Keep me posted. Something tells me I will be calling on you for future help!! 🙂

  3. Well yes, that’s a great shirt! Gah, there’s no reason I shouldn’t start sewing for my husband is there – he sure moans about the lack of options for mens shirts a lot, and this post has really driven it home that I can fix all of that!

    1. Not at all. It’s great to get experience in making something other than you would for yourself. You pick up new skills on the way too!

  4. Love mr o’s new hair! And a great shirt. I will not be showing it to my hubby since i have 3 pieces of lovely shirting lurking in the stash and he has given up hope of them becoming shirts any time soon!

  5. Best.wife.ever
    What an epic shirt – I want it!
    I’ve stolen my husband’s fishing head lamp on the odd occasion to either sew black fabric or unpick a thread that is almost impossible to see. It’s really amazing the difference it makes!

    1. Ha. Thanks Lizzy. I think I want a shirt in linen too now. Feels sooo good. Yes those head torches are great. Wish I knew where I hid mine!

  6. You keep making shirts like this and he will become a country music legend! I use vintage shirt patterns to make shirts for my husband and he also loves them.

  7. Oh Wow! What lovely fabric for the shirt! The shirt looks fabulous on Mr O. Good going with all that top stitching black on black. Hmmm, not sure I’d my husband a shirt, maybe I’ll stick to pyjama trousers!!!

  8. This shirt screams “designer’s piece”. Such a nonconforming approach, so out-of-box, so unique. Neatest finish. Fantastic post!

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