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I made M6044, my first ever men’s shirt. Our brother Karlos requested that I make him a shirt. Of course I was eager to jump on his offer, since he didn’t want me to knit him a sweater (like the lopapeysa I knit my dad).
I already had M6044 in my pattern stash, having picked it up during a pattern sale a few years ago. Having never sewn a man’s shirt before, I decided to make a toile. I made one to not only check for fit, but for practice. I started with a Medium toile sewn out of muslin. That fit Ryan, but Karlos needed one size bigger.
I bought the fabric from Fabricland in St Catharines when we were in the Niagara region for a weekend. Since I didn’t want the shirt to look bad, I had some fabric requirements: not solid, and no stripes or plaids for pattern matching. I found this navy cotton poplin with a surfer girl print. This will make what our family calls a ‘Chinatown Shirt.’ It’s a proper shirt but has a busy enough pattern to not show drips of food or small stains! I ended up buying three metres of the fabric, since Fabricland had a deal where you buy one metre, you get two free. I have enough fabric left over to make either me or Ryan a matching shirt!
Karlos had his own requirements: he wanted a short sleeve shirt with a breast pocket. He always needs a breast pocket for work, but I did him one better and gave him two pockets! I sewed View A with no alterations. To make sure that the shirt held up to wear and tear, I added flat felled seams. Instead of regular seams, I sewed the side, shoulder, and sleeve seams with flat felled seams. This gives the shirt a nice finish, both on the outside and on the inside. I want this shirt to last, so I didn’t want any unfinished edges, or even zigzagged edges.
I spent a few hours one day sewing the body and sleeves, and then I let it sit. Having sewn a shirt collar before, for my own shirtdress, I knew I needed to take my time. I read reviews and tutorials, and then tackled the collar one week after. The last thing to sew were the buttonholes. My buttonhole attachment is very loud and Ryan was working in the next room.
The M6044 pattern came out in 2010, but it’s still available because it’s a very popular pattern. The pattern includes four views, each with a collar and collar band, front band, pockets and sleeve variations.
You can get the M6044 pattern here.
Great shirt. I will look at this pattern, as I wasn’t happy with the finish inside the neckline on the last shirt I made for my other half. Love your choice of fabric!
I love the pattern that you did for Carlos’s shirt. Back in day, when we were struggling students, I use to make my husband shirts. That has been decades ago! I did just get a new tee-shirt pattern from Ellie & Mac for men but a tee shirt is greatly different from a real shirt. double pockets is always a “necessity” around here. As usual, I enjoyed reading your post. Terri
I love that fabric! I have never tried a mens shirt. I am passing this on to Mrs. L. She is always sewing.
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Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn
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Smart looking shirt on smart looking model !
Beautifully done! You have inspired me to make a shirt for my husband. Which I haven’t done for many years. Picking out fabric! Thanks Marie
Oh how great! I love the print on the fabric. Thanks for linking up with me!
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[…] DIY: McCall’s M6044 Men’s Shirt for Karlos […]
Ooo! You did such a nice job! That fabric is super fun, and he makes a fantastic model. 🙂
Love the idea of a China Town Shirt, my husband prefers plain ones with long sleeves. Thanks for joining in with #pocolo and hope to see you back again soon
What a smart fit. It’s super flattering and I just love that colour and print. Thank you for joining us for the #DreamTeamLinky
[…] warm, so he has declined either of us knitting a sweater for him. (Instead, Meinhilde sewed him the M6044 Men’s Shirt in 2020 here). But his ears tend to get cold, especially if it’s windy out. This hat is perfect for him […]