I’m back with another Grainline Archer! There’s endless versatility with a good, well-fitting shirt and I knew I wanted something more lightweight than my last one, both in color and fabric.
After my first make, I knew there were a few adjustments that I wanted to make to see how it’d feel. The most substantial change I made was to raise the armhole by 1/2 in. I’ve never made this adjustment before, but it’s changed the fit so much. The sleeves are more comfortable and snug, the shirt doesn’t raise nearly as much when I raise my arms. Another change I made was to grade down the size of my sleeves, down 2 whole sizes at the wrists from the rest of the garment. Together, these changes make it feel more snug and less like I’m swimming in it.
Another adjustment I made was to finish the hem with bias tape. I made this tape up from the scraps of my most recent Kalle shirtdress, and I love the clean finish it has to the bottom of the garment. And, rather than keeping the angled cuffs, I went with a clean square cuff.
I’m not sure if this is “the shirt” pattern I’m looking for. It fits nicely, but it’s not as slim or sharp looking as I’d like. I’m going to need to experiment with more patterns to find that good, sleek button up. Oh well, more excuses to sew!