Elbe Textiles – Cornell Shirt (with Gathered Sleeves)

I have had the Cornell Shirt on my sewing list since 2022 when I added it to my ‘Make Nine’ for the year (2nd photo). I you haven’t heard of Make Nine, it’s the nine patterns that you really want to make next, and most people post it at the beginning of the year.

I have now made every single item in that year’s make nine, although it took longer than one year to sew all of them. The Cornell Shirt was the last one that I couldn’t get myself to sew. My inspiration photo was SO close to the Cornell style and fit, and I even had fabric just like it. But it just didn’t feel very “me” after a while, and I didn’t want to make another thing just to pass it on to friends/family or have it shoved in the back of my closet.

I bought this fabric at the beginning of this year, and didn’t really have a pattern in mind for it (I usually do when I buy fabric). So, it sat for a while, until I decided that it might look really nice as a Cornell Shirt with some small changes.

Now that I had fabric that felt more “me” and that I was excited to sew, I was hung up on the style of the sleeves. The Cornell sleeves are loose at the top but go narrower and have a traditional shirt cuff. It wasn’t really the style I was going for, so I went to my Pinterest board, where I have tons of shirts pinned that look just like the Cornell — but the sleeves are different.

A lot of them are from Boden, and they have a gathered cuff that is either finished with elastic or a simple, thin fabric cuff. I wanted it to be a little more flexible, so I went with the elastic option. I also used the Roscoe Blouse sleeve to figure out the best width for the sleeves. When I compared the Roscoe to the Cornell, I basically just needed to draw lines straight down from the width of sleeve cap. Super easy.

My inspiration photo from my Make Nine also had a half placket, which I do want to try some day, but I decided to go for the full button placket for this shirt.

I really loved the instructions and illustrations for this pattern. This is my second time making an Elbe Textiles pattern, but I’ve been impressed both times and the making process has gone smoothly.

One thing I realized that I did differently after I finished the collar was that I interfaced both of the collar pieces instead of just one. But to be honest, it helped it come out so much cleaner and neater. I used tricot interfacing, so it isn’t overly stiff either. I’ll probably still do that again in the future since it helped a lot.

I made size C which matches up with my bust measurement, and I didn’t add any length because this a unisex pattern, and I think it’s already long because of that.

I really love the curve of the hem on this shirt, and I used bias tape for the hem like I usually like to do. I also found the most perfect matching beige buttons at my local fabric store. I’m so happy to have finally made this pattern and that I was able to make it in a way that felt true to me and my style so that it will get worn and that I’ll feel good wearing it.

Pattern & Fabric Details
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Cornell Shirt by Elbe Textiles + Hand Block Indian Cotton from Fibers to Fabric + “bee-autifully handmade” label from The Cosy Club Handmade

Free Range Slacks by Sew House 7 + Washed Cotton from Style Maker

Thank you for reading today’s blog post. I hope that you have a great day and that you can find/make something that makes you feel good to wear and is true to your style too. Happy sewing!