Home for the Holidays with My December White Shirt

 I actually made my December white shirt early in the month.  I figured that things would just get busier and busier as the month progressed and I figured correctly!  It took until now to get a photo (albeit not a great one) and a post written (albeit a scatterbrained one!).

We arrived in Key West for the winter season just before Thanksgiving and had a lovely warm holiday after several weeks of Michigan snowy, late fall.  It's amazing what a bit of sunshine does for my mood. 

Just after the holiday our eldest son arrived from London for a visit.  It was the first time we had seen him since everything shutdown in 2020!  We were so glad that he was willing to do all the extra testing and paperwork that it takes to travel right now.  Having him here was a lovely early Christmas present.  

His Christmas list included a 'shop coat.'  He brought one that he likes with him for me to check out.  When he asked about it I was a bit worried that it was going to be complicated and I wouldn't be able to get it done while he was here. Turned out that it was pretty straight forward and having a sample that fit him in person was a great help!  I really enjoyed making it so ended up making a second!   I may alter the pattern a bit and make one for myself!  Getting him to "pose" for pictures was the hardest part of the project!

This version of the 'shop coat' is made with a brown, heavy cotton twill.  My son says that, "it will wear in nicely!"  Apparently the more worn the better.  It's dang tough so I think it will hold up to the wear and tear.

The second version is made with a really heavy decorator linen.  I love the charcoal color!  My son liked the metal buttons, but it took a bit of head scratching to figure out how to attach them.  I was trying to conceal the ends of the fabric strip in the lapel and facing seams, but in the end I opted to stop the top of the strip at the collar roll line.  I think it works just fine.  They do look pretty cool!

...and here is my final white shirt of 2021.  It is a version of the Merchant and Mills Heron Top.  The pattern is part of their Workbook and, like all the M&M patterns I have tried, it's great.  I think I must be the right size and shape for their patterns.  I really don't have to do too much besides adding some length for them to work.  After all these years of sewing I finally found a pattern company that makes patterns for me!!!  😁

The fabric is a soft cotton lawn with white on white embroidery all over it.  The weight of the fabric is nice for the cross over style of the pattern.  I think heavier fabrics might be a bit bulky and warm.  Although, I have seen it made up in a linen that was very lovely.  It feels very "lady like" with the little back 'peplum' and the side bow.  I think I might make a soft, floaty skirt to wear with it.  

So that is the last white shirt!  I will collect all of the photos and do a review of the "Year of the White Shirt" once things calm down in the new year.  I do have to say that I am pretty proud of myself for getting them all done.  With all the moving and resettling that we did last year I wasn't sure I would even find my sewing machines, let alone use them!  

On our way to Florida in November we ran into the actual house where they filmed "A Christmas Story"...one of my favorite holiday movies... in Cleveland! Who knew!  It felt very familiar and reminded me, as does the film, of what Christmases were like for me growing up in Michigan.  

As we settle in for our second winter in our Key West house I am starting to feel like this whole crazy snowbird idea might just work out!  Christmas looks a little different, but it's still home.  

Happy Holidays....see you in the New Year!