Would it be weird if I wore the same shirt all summer? I mean, I’d take it off to wash it, of course.

I’m only partially kidding. I LOVE this shirt. It’s comfortable and cool and breezy and everything I want in a summer shirt. I noticed my wardrobe was lacking in casual summer shirts, so I thought it only right that I immediately take steps to remedy the situation.

As soon as I saw Simplicity #8601, I knew it would be the perfect addition to my summer wardrobe. I specifically liked view A, with the three-quarter flowy sleeves and tie waist. We all know how I feel about ruffles and a lot of extra frilly things, so views B and D were definitely out of the question.

The pattern recommends a lightweight or silky fabric, and It took a bit of searching before I found just the right fabric. I wanted to use a print, but believe me when I tell you, I had no idea bright pink flamingos were going to be any part of the right fabric. But, here we are. I found this fabric on Mood.com, and something about it just spoke to me. It’s a bit kitschy, but if you can’t rock a print like this in the summer, when can you?

The fabric is a viscose batiste, and it is seriously some of the most amazing fabric I’ve found in a while. It has a beautiful drape and is so soft to the touch. If you’re interested in this fabric, it’s also available with a green background. Mood also has some other viscose batiste fabrics in different prints, and I’m seriously thinking about picking up some more for a dress or another shirt.

This pattern went together quickly and easily, and the fabric was a dream to sew. I finished all the seam allowances with my serger and used a small pearl for the back closure. I didn’t need to make any size adjustments – yay – but I did make a couple small construction changes. Ties on these types of patterns are never long enough. I like to actually see the ties and not have them all tied up in a tiny little knot on my stomach. To fix this, I added 1.25” to the length of the ties.

The other adjustment I made was sewing the center seam 3” farther down than marked on the pattern. After getting the bodice together, I did a quick fitting. Everything fit great, except, oh hello there navel…didn’t know I invited you to the party. The slit was a bit high for my taste, and by a bit high, I mean my entire navel was on display even when tied. Having a center front seam made fixing this a breeze. I simply extended the seam the 3” I mentioned above, and it was buh-bye, navel.

I really can’t say enough good things about this pattern or fabric. I would recommend both to anyone. The day I took these photographs, the temperature was around 80°, and I was cool as a cucumber the entire time.

In my previous post, I mentioned doing a few mini-collections this summer. This is the first piece of the second one. I have several linens in shades of teal and pink that I’m planning to turn into a shirt, blazer and possibly a dress. I’m still thinking this mini-collection over, and I have a couple more blue and white garments from the other mini-collection to blog. I just couldn’t wait to share my flamingo shirt!

I’m planning to make another version of this shirt, most likely in a solid. I may even make it sleeveless, because it’s only going to get hotter around here…yikes!

Until next time,

Happy Sewing!