Fooling Around With Flannel Jacket — Butterick 6521

Here’s another version of B6521 — my current BFF shirt pattern — in flannel. I alliterate the feel of flannel with the flattering fit of this shirt. There is nothing like a flannel shirt when the seasons turn into cooler weather. My mind shifts into the zen mode of ‘chop wood, carry water’. For me it’s lug logs in for the wood stove, wash the dishes, make a flannel shirt. Personal zen.

Flannel — soft, cozy, comfy, warm, stable weave, easy to sew — perfect for pattern play as zen meditation.

When one has been sewing for a long time it’s great fun (and high time) to experiment with new things. I’ve played with prints a lot over the years, combing stripes, florals, abstracts, geometrics, paisleys, colors, textures and checks. This print shirt is a variation on a stripe; a subtle and soft turquoise line reminiscent of wood grain on a gray ground.

I must confess to be cavalier when working with stable woven fabric. I play with the grain line. I actually ignore it occasionally. Quelle horreur! The caveat here is try this at your own risk. Experiment. Use common sense. Common sewing sense. Sometimes it works better than others. Just saying.

It’s easy to see the grain line in this print. You can see in the different photos how each pattern piece was cut. I like the harmonious variation in each piece as it meets its neighbor.

My method involves using the straight grain, the cross grain and the bias. The bias is the tricky part but when analyzed makes sense and works.

Bias is great used in a sleeve because it offers a little give and extra ease. When used in a collar it provides a lovely soft roll. On the cuff, bias is stabilized by the straight grain on the backside. On the torso pieces, it curves over the bust and floats over the hip.

There are whole books dedicated to play and how good it is for all of us. Sewing is a great venue to play in and stripes, alone or in combination with other prints, always make a good play.