Curated by ITF - Issue 25
Sewing Shirts Skills Kit
Sewing a structured shirt you’re happy to wear when you’re finished is no mean feat. There’s so many new techniques to learn. And then there’s the accuracy required. (So much accuracy!)
But what if we told you there’s a way you can learn to sew button-up shirts that takes away the overwhelm and stress?
A way that gives you time to learn and practise the skills and techniques you need to know to construct the collar AND the cuffs AND the button placket to the standard you expect.
An approach that will have you feeling confident to cut into your fave fabric because you know you’re definitely going to end up with something you ACTUALLY WANT TO WEAR!
Well, there is!
We’ve broken down the shirt making process into bite-sized chunks that can be easily digested with our Shirts Sewing series. You’ll learn new techniques and sew samplers with the Sewing Shirts Skills Kit. Then, we’ll help you put those skills to use with the Marden shirt pattern. And, in the final instalment we’ll show you how to take that pattern and hack it up into something completely new with the Marden shirt Hack Kit.
By the end of this three-part course you will not only master the skills required to sew shirts, but you’ll also have a set of samplers to refer back to in the future, and the knowledge you need to create the shirts of your dreams!
The Sewing Shirts Skills Kit covers:
- The tools you need to get the finish you want
- Ideal fabrics for sewing shirts
- Fusing and interfacing
- Grainlines
- Cutting stripes and plaid
- Seam finishes and top-stitching
- A range of sewing tutorials, including cuffs and cuff plackets; collar and stand; button plackets, buttons and buttonholes; yokes; patch pockets; and hemming.
These tutorials have been created so you can use them along with the other resources we are rolling out for this shirt series, but they will also help with any shirt sewing you do in the future! With these resources you will feel confident to sew a range of different shirt styles and have confidence to pick the right technique for the situation.
Skills library
With our holistic view of skill-building it is our goal when designing our resources that over time you will build up a Skills Library that you can access whenever you need. With each Curated by ITF project we aim to provide you with new resources that you can add to your Skills Library, and the Sewing Shirts Skills Kit is going to be another fantastic resource to refer back to again and again.
Mighty Networks community
By purchasing this issue you will gain access to the extra resources we shared in our online community when we released the project. This means that you will be able to ask questions, share your makes and connect with other makers who are also on a mission to learn new skills and sew clothing in a slow and conscious way.
Difficulty
This project is ideal for the adventurous beginner and beyond. Due to the nature of sewing samplers, you can choose to start with the easier tutorials (like sewing a curved hem) and build yourself up to the trickier ones (like sewing a collar stand or sleeve placket). Because you don’t need to think about whether the shirt will fit you or not, sewing samplers allows you to focus solely on the sewing experience and perfecting the finish. As always we suggest you slow down and enjoy the process!
Are you new to shirt sewing? Start gaining confidence by sewing a curved hem.
Ready to level up? Give the collar a go (or sleeve placket and cuff).
For those of you who want to learn a whole heap of new skills, work through the resource from beginning to end! You will be able to download the Skills Kit as soon as you receive it and will be able to refer back to it as much as you like, for any shirt project you make in the future.
Digital Product Details
The Sewing Shirts Skills Kit: 91 pages of sewing tutorials and content. The booklet is suitable for printing on both A4 and US letter sized paper, or can be viewed onscreen using a PDF viewer.
More Info
The Sewing Shirts Skills Kit is not currently available as a standalone product and is only available for purchase to current members of Curated by ITF. It will be released as a standalone product in 2024.
Have a question?
If you have any questions please see our FAQ and Digital Product Policy.