Replies

1. 
   Becky-book | Oct 05, 2006 03:25pm | #1

   "geometric, my dear Watson!" (my kids like to mangle famous quotes, and it rubbed off on me)

   Did you make up your two rectangles of embellished fabric as mirror images of each other? (if not, go back to square 1 and start again)

   Assuming you have a line marked on your pattern for 'center front', place this mark a set distance from your first line of embroidery or tuck; leaving enough blank cloth for whatever placket construction you need. The center front on the left should overlap the center front on the right, so make sure the fold line (edge of finished placket) doesn't cover your first tuck. Clear as mud?

   The distance from the fold line to the center front (say 1/2 '') is the distance to allow on the other side of center front to allow for overlap.

   If you have a separate placket and not a folded back one, you will need to measure the finished width of that, but I think most placket fronts overlap exactly so the shirt fronts would be identical.

   Hope this helps,

   Becky

1. 
   mem | Oct 06, 2006 02:13am | #2

   I can feel my heart racing as i read this !! Its just a button through shirt and I have made 2 rectangles which allow me to cut out my shirt fronts in mirror image.

    

1. 
   Becky-book | Oct 06, 2006 03:38pm | #3

   Let me know how it comes out, please!

   Becky

1. 
   mem | Oct 09, 2006 02:20am | #5

   I will . Its just a case of having the time and head space to do it.

2. 
   Teaf5 | Oct 07, 2006 02:48am | #4

   Becky's post is very complete, but if like me you are math- or explanation-challenged, it always helps to put on a snug white t-shirt, hold the rectangles up to your torso, and see where you would like the tucks to fall.  You can use safety pins to hold the rectangles on either side and fold the center part back (you can temporarily hold that with cello or masking tape).

   You might find you want to center the tucks over the bust point rather than the center front or that you like the two sets very close together for a bib effect or farther apart for two strong vertical lines.  Once they look good, pin them securely, carefully take off the whole t-shirt/rectangles "mess," and lay it flat.  You can use the t-shirt shoulders, armholes, and side seams as a guide for where the shirt pattern pieces should be. 

   Anytime I'm placing motifs or embellishments, I copy the original shirt front pattern piece onto another piece of tissue so that I have both a left and a right.  I put some identical reference marks on each, and then I can line them up on the fabric to see where the motifs or embellishments will fall on each side.  I cut them separately but know that I have a left and a right and that the designs look right on each.