I had grand plans to sew this set for our family cruise vacation last year, but I was only able to cut it out and ran out of time to sew it. Then, when we got back from the cruise, I took a very long break from sewing …then it was winter. So I didn’t have a lot of motivation to sew it.
I also had a hard time feeling motivated because I made these Essential Shorts first, and I got a little overzealous and probably removed too much of the ease. The first ones that I made were really voluptuous because the pattern has about 3 inches of ease in the legs. But I think the real problem was that I used a fabric that was really lightweight and just didn’t have enough drape/weight.
So, I was kind of disappointed in myself when I finished sewing those, and they were a little bit snug in the bum area. This fabric is a linen/cotton blend, so as I’ve worn them, they’ve relaxed and stretched out a bit, and I think that helps. But I won’t make that mistake again. (side note: I have made the pattern again and only removed 1″ of ease, and that seems to be the perfect amount for me.)
These were my two inspiration images from Pinterest (above). The shirt on the left is super boxy, so I was mostly paying attention to the type of fabric which has more substance and was likely a linen, cotton, or mix. I also liked the stripes and white buttons.
From the shirt on the right, I liked the color, style, and shape. It reminded me of the Genra Shirt, but the Genra has a lapel collar not a stand collar. So, I attempted a pattern mashup.
I used the Genra Shirt for the shape and the Cynthia Shirt for the collar/neckline/button placket. I basically traced the Cynthia neckline and then went right into the Genra shoulder seams. So, I didn’t have to make any changes to the sleeves or the lower back piece because they were both from the Genra.
Pattern mashups are a little bit tricky to me because I try to keep it simple and think logically, but I also feel like I’m missing something obvious that I should be paying attention to. I think maybe some schooling on that would help, but we’re out here winging it.
This cotton/linen fabric is unfortunately sold out, which is why I had to get a little bit creative with cutting, because I was running out of fabric on the shirt. One of the sleeves and the inside yoke are pieced together, which thankfully isn’t very noticable.
You can also see in the photo above that I used a white cotton poplin for the undercollar which is nice! I was very proud of my stripe matching on the shorts pockets, as you can see in the second photo above.
The shirt came together really well. I never struggle with the Cynthia collar. The instructions are great and it always goes in so easily. The one thing I’m a little bothered by is the sleeves. When I made my first Genra, the sleeves were perfect, but this time they were too long and I had to shorten them more. My last two Genras have been out of cotton voile, so I was a little surprised by the difference from the linen/cotton.
Thoughts going through my brain after putting the shorts and shirt on together:
Should I have made this is a cotton voile instead? Maybe.
Should I have just used the Genra Shirt and not been so gung-ho on a pattern mashup? Also, maybe.
When I finished and tried on the shirt and shorts together for the first time, I asked my husband, “Pajamas or beach set?” And he immediately laughed and said pajamas. I get it. But I feel like being at the beach you’re supposed to be comfortable, so it’s still kind of giving beach set. What do you think??
I’m hoping that this set will grow on me and that it will get lots of wear this summer. I does look really cute with my Mairin Swimsuit that I made last year. I am relieved to FINALLY have it sewn and not nagging at me in a pile in my sewing area. It will also be fun to see how it mix-and-matches with other things in my closet.
Overall, it was a good learning experience, and it got me back into sewing woven fabrics again! I’ve been sewing soooo much knit fabric lately and when I sew a lot of one type of fabric, it makes me not want to switch over to sewing the other. Is that weird?
I clearly don’t have enough shorts yet, because that’s what I have up next on my cutting/sewing table. What are you sewing right now?
Thank you for reading, and happy sewing!
Sharinig Joy:
This week could certainly use some joy. I started playing Wordle on the New York Times Game app and it’s been really fun. I never played it in 2020 when everyone was playing it. But I downloaded it on a whim last month and Dallas and I have had fun guessing the word almost every day since then. It’s nice to have something to look forward to every day. xx