I don’t know what it’s like for you, but I have a hard time discarding garments I made myself, even if I rarely wear them. I sewed this dress shirt 10 years ago. It was originally intended for my husband, Michael, and he got a lot of use out of it.

Old shirt needed a face-lift

About five years ago, however, Michael decided the colors no longer suited him, so I made room for the shirt in my own closet. The colors didn’t do much for me, either, so it mostly remained unworn. This month I decided that, since I wasn’t willing to part with the old shirt, I would rework it.

The shirt fabric is a cotton lawn by Liberty of London, a design called Pelagia. The fabric was a gift from a blog reader who had purchased an entire bolt on sale and generously sent me 3 yards. I made the shirt with it using vintage McCall’s 6890, View B, which features a rounded collar.

Less-than-perfect construction

I had less than a year of sewing under my belt. The shirt came out looking good, but there were problems. My collar-making skills were those of a beginner and it showed: The collar didn’t fit the neckline perfectly, and the collar stand wasn’t symmetrical.