We were delighted to collaborate with Duane of the sewing blog Mainely Menswear as part of our ShirtFest. He’s hugely talented and incredibly generous with his knowledge, like the late David Page Coffin (a true sewing idol for many of us). Just a peek at Duane's blog or his Instagram feed reveals the depth of his skills and his devotion to details, as well as his sense of humor!
For the ShirtFest, Duane was inspired by everything from the stripes of French sailors’ jerseys to the pleated fronts of tuxedo shirts. He put it all together with our Ocean Stripes handloom cotton fabric and his favorite self-drafted oversize shirt pattern to make this summery gem. Isn’t it fabulous?
Fabric manipulation, like Duane’s tucks, is a cool way to add dimension and visual interest to an otherwise straightforward project. Read more about his design and constructions processes for this shirt on his blog post at MainelyMenswear. Then brush up on your techniques, like those gorgeous mitered corners on the side vents, while watching his new YouTube channel! And for more ideas than you can use in a lifetime of sewing, look for “The Art of Manipulating Fabric” by Colette Wolff.
See more of Duane's work on his blog, MainelyMenswear, on Instagram @MainelyMenswear, and on his YouTube sewing channel.
Shop our shirting fabric collection and find more shirtmaking ideas in the ShirtFest posts in our Article Index.
Thank you SO much for including me. I won’t lie, I love this shirt. The fabric literally screams Summer. I wore it to a family gathering recently and it was a hit. When the “fam” gives me the nod, I know it’s good!