The flannel shirt A/B test

On March 18, 2016April 21, 2016 By qplourdeIn Sewing Projects, Uncategorized4 Comments

Pattern: Grainline Studio Archer shirt

A/B testing is kind of my thing. I did this a lot at my former job and it’s always exciting to me when I get real results from an idea or theory. I’m a total nerd for data. Back when I was just toying with the idea of making a flannel shirt I had bought two different independent shirt patterns and couldn’t decide which one to use.

I did some initial reading up on both patterns, and made the decision to start with the Sewaholic Granville shirt because the pattern was designed for pear-shaped bodies (like mine). I liked the result, shown in my previous post, but I couldn’t help but wonder how the shirt would look using the other pattern. Well, the only way to know for sure is to test it out.

Hypothesis: The Sewaholic Granville shirt pattern is the better pattern for making a plaid flannel shirt

Now this obviously cannot be a real A/B test since there are a lot of factors in this test that make it imperfect and not scientific. We all know that the first attempt at something has the most learning curve and so some techniques that were new to me when making the Granville shirt, were more familiar when making the Archer shirt. Also the material I used for the Archer shirt was a lot cheaper, in price and quality, so the overall result would be slightly different no matter what. There is no way to hold all conditions equal for this experiment, but I decided to still test out the following parameters:

Ease of pattern directions
Garment details
Overall fit and look

Ease of Pattern Directions

Both patterns have clear directions that could help anyone making their first button-down shirt. The drawings are all well done and precise. I did find it strange that the Grainline pattern didn’t specify which drawing referred to the interfacing cutting layout. There is Continue reading “The flannel shirt A/B test” →

Waffle Knit: It’s not just for breakfast anymore

On February 20, 2016February 28, 2016 By qplourdeIn Sewing Projects, Uncategorized1 Comment

Pattern: Sewaholic Renfrew top

What do you do with mis-matched fabric?

I bought this fabric a while back because I really liked the waffle-like knit texture it had. It reminded me of one of my favorite winter shirts. One that now has a giant hole in it – probably from over-wear. However, when I brought the fabric up to the register, I noticed the colors were off. There was a whole section that was missing one of the colors. The fabric was so soft and perfect for a thermal shirt I wanted to make, that I negotiated a price reduction and bought it anyway. It would be at least be good to make as a muslin, right?

I was able to cut out the front and back out from the fully colored section, but I had to cut the arms out on the faded Continue reading “Waffle Knit: It’s not just for breakfast anymore” →

Coming back from leave…with a leaf skirt!

On December 16, 2015November 27, 2017 By qplourdeIn Sewing Projects, Uncategorized7 Comments

Pattern: Sewaholic Crescent Skirt

New Skills Acquired:

Bound seams

Well I don’t know what happened. I got super busy in August and September and put my sewing on hold. Then all of a sudden it was December and I hadn’t gone near my blog, not even to read posts from my favorite bloggers. It’s not like I haven’t been sewing – I have been working on projects here and there when I find a spare weekend. In fact this skirt I am writing about was actually made in September and I had even started a post about it. Well these things happen. Sometimes you get so focused on the constant making that you don’t take a step back to write and reflect on what you have accomplished. I felt so behind in the projects I wanted to finish this summer that I kept pushing through and I let my laptop collect dust. But now we return to our regularly scheduled blog post, already in progress…..

What a difference the right pattern makes! With my last skirt a fitting failure, Continue reading “Coming back from leave…with a leaf skirt!” →

Anti-fashion in a new age: the improved flannel shirt

On August 10, 2015August 22, 2015 By qplourdeIn Sewing Projects6 Comments

Pattern: Sewaholic Granville shirt (1501)

New skills acquired

Plackets
Collar & collar stand
Flat-felled seams

I grew up in the 90’s. This was the decade where I awkwardly lived out my teen years and a few young adult years as well. Say what you will about the grunge music movement, but for a self-conscious pre-teen who had spent most of her childhood bullied mercilessly, that music felt like ecstasy inside my head. I remember spending many hours listening to Nirvana’s Nevermind over and over to try to numb my pain. And I actually spent an entire family vacation to Arizona with the Pearl Jam Vs. album constantly pumping into my ears. People say that music was depressing, but life can be depressing when you become a teenager. The music mirrored all my thoughts and feelings about growing up and trying to find my place in a world that didn’t seem to want me. And the flannel! Flannel shirts were the style – a part of the anti-fashion movement that was sweeping the country. We were no longer going to spend money on brand names and store logos. We would look in thrift shops and re-purpose old clothes from our parents. It was casual and comfortable and a way to rebel against corporations.

I miss my flannel shirts.

Anyways, this fashion craze was all finished when I went on to college. Continue reading “Anti-fashion in a new age: the improved flannel shirt” →