Jalie Chambray Tunic

I have a confession to make……..I have never sewn a button down dress shirt before.

Don’t be too shocked though, I’m sure there’s lots of things that you haven’t sewn yet. When I received the 3130 Button Down Shirt Pattern from Jalie from our Janome Education department, I have to admit I was nervous. I had never done a collar before, or a whole line of perfectly placed buttonholes. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about! Jalie patterns are very well written with step by step instructions and diagrams.  

Creating “on trend” garments is really fun. With a few simple techniques, I was able to create a garment worthy of a Winners find.

I love the shaping that the two different styles of darts provide: bust darts and double pointed darts to bring in the garment at the waist.

I also loved the construction process from Jalie that had finished seams on the inside, and also on the collar stand and points. Finishing the seams was quite simple using the overcast foot and the corresponding utility stitch. Click here for a great video about it! 

The other super scary part for me was the buttonholes. But again, my fears were totally unfounded. With our amazing buttonhole foot that holds the button in the back of the foot,  I had identically sized buttonholes for all of my buttons! And these cute wooden buttons from my stash worked beautifully on the garment.

This pattern also featured tabs to hold up a rolled cuff, which is so nice and versatile for days when the weather changes every 5 minutes.(Fellow Albertans, I’m speaking to you haha!)

So if you have never tried a button down shirt before, I highly recommend it! It will definitely build your skills and help you create the perfect wardrobe basic.

PS the handbag shown is also one that I made, it’s called the Sierra Zip Top Handbag from the Carried Away Pattern Collective.

Until next time,

JanomeGirl