Deer and Doe Bruyère

This pattern is so great! I’ve made it before, as a wearable toile, but hadn’t got around to sewing the actual thing until last weekend. My husband surprised me with this unusual fabric and I knew straight away it would become a shirt. I had already planned on buddy sewing a Bruyère with my friend Mel so it was a no-brainer.

I made a straight size 38 and I love how it fits. The instructions, as usual, are good but a little sparse. However, the finish is second to none. I followed their suggestion to french seam everything and I could wear this inside out. It’s really lovely and clean inside. The Bruyère is a great first shirt  since the collar is a one-piece, no stand affair. It’s very easy to sew and it’s finished with a yoke that functions as a facing, which is something we all encounter fairly early on in our sewing adventures.

I struggled with the sleeve placket this time but I remembered it being dead easy last time, so I’m not entirely sure what happened there. Sadly, I attached my cuffs the wrong way around but I think I got away with it, as I just switched the button and buttonhole.

I didn’t so much pattern match it as I levelled the stripes. I tried to centre certain bits of the pattern and the effect is very good for my first attempt at doing this. I was terrified of screwing it up because of my non-existent pattern matching skills but I absolutely love the finished shirt and will wear it LOADS.