The challenge: #4 Circles, Squares, and Rectangles
Material: 100% cotton
Pattern: Simplicity 4923 View E
Year: Nonspecific 18th century, but it’s intended for a costume based on the early 18th century c. 1720s-1740s
Notions: thread
How historically accurate is it?: Maybe 50/50, but the accurate half is pretty decent. I’ve heard good things about the pattern from people who know more about it, and the material is a natural fiber. The thread was poly though, and it was all machine sewn except for handstitching the inside edges of the collar and cuff.
Hours to complete: I didn’t really keep track (bad habit), but I worked on it intermittently for a few days.
First worn: Pirate Invasion 2017
Total cost: The fabric was a sheet that I think was $2-3, and I got the pattern on sale a few years ago.
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First step towards piracy is shirts.
It’s pretty basic, and having a pattern to follow made it even easier. I did do a few alterations though. It was cut in size small, and the torso front and back were shortened about 3” and the sleeves shortened by 1.25”. I initially did collar interfacing as instructed, but it made the collar kind of wonky (it felt too stiff and puffy, and didn’t lay right). So I ripped the interfacing out and skipped it on both the collar and cuffs. I didn’t think about the length of the neckline slit before I marked and cut it, so it ended up way too deep for me and I whipstitched the bottom 4” closed. I also did some extra topstitching just because.
Despite being so simple, or maybe because of that, this is actually one of my favorite things I've sewn in a long time, and it's refreshing to finish something that I don't see a million flaws in.
