Shirt Instructions.

These are basic instructions for the shirt i made.

• The first thing to do on this shirt is the pleats. So spray starch the fabric and tack the center point of each pleat. Press each pleat when its been sewn.

• Once the pleats are done, sew each panel to the front of the shirt. When turned the right way top stitch it down. Tack each pleat down to the shirt, with a fine needle.

• Just under the pleats cut along the marked line, so you can the gather the front enough so the pleat fronts lay on top of each other. Make sure the actual gathers lay flat too and tack them in place.

• Get the two rectangle pieces and fold and press the seam in, and place these over the bottom of pleats and top of the gathers so it covers the raw edges. There are two of these for the inside and the topside so make sure these lay on top of each other. Then top stitch them down. Also tack them to keep in place.

• Next is the shoulder pieces, put both pieces on either side of the front of the shirt and sew. turn them the right way, press and top stitch them.

• For the top one sew the back piece in the same way and press. For the one on the inside, turn in the seam allowance and tack along that line so it stays in place, then top stitch through every layer.

• Trim the seam allowance of the hem and double turn the hem and top stitch until the notches.

• Sew the sides seam together, press towards the back. Over lock to 1cm and top stitch the seam down.

• Sleeves: The bindings go 1cm either side of the opening, the smaller side is the closest to the seam. Sew these down, then cut the line of the opening, cut at the top like a welt pocket to the stitch line.

• With the smaller one trim the seam allowance, and fold over the opening edge, turn in the seam and top stitch it. 

• Do the same for the bigger one but make a box with the excess fabric and sew around the box, and top stitch.

• Sew the underarm seam and press towards the back. Over lock the seam to 1cm and top stitch the seam down.

• Put in the gathers for both the cuff and the top of the sleeve.

• Cuff: Tack in the button placement lines. Fold over and match up the seams, sew down the seam lines. Trim the seam allowances and cut the corners, then turn it the right way and press.

• To put the cuff onto the sleeve, on the right side and open it up and sew the cuff on. turn the other side down, fold over the seam, tack and top stitch all the way around.

• Insert the sleeve into the shirt, so the sleeve will be on the inside. Pin the underarm first, then the head where the gathers start and finish, then the sides and then pull in the gathers, and sew the sleeve in. Press the seam towards the body then top stitch it down.

• Collar: sew it together like the cuff, sew the sides and the top edges, turn it the right way and press. again like the cuff with right sides together pin and sew it along the marked lines. Then bring the other side other collar to the inside of the shirt, turn under the seam pin and top stitch down. top stitch around the other edges of the collar 

• The last thing is the button holes and buttons.