Men's shirt

[Diane]

My Hubby likes wearing the checked flannel shirts but it's impossible to find one that actually fits, he's a gravedigger so has rather big upper arms, shop bought are always tight even if you go up a size  . Well he's asked me to have a go at making him one, never made a man's shirt before and i know there is a lot to it after watching the construction of one on the sewing bee. Any recommendations to an easier sewing pattern would be appreciated, i can make the sleeves a bit larger to accommodate his his arm size.

[toileandtrouble]

@Diane I would suggest Simplicity 4760.  It has no yoke or collar stand - it seems to be a one piece collar. I'm guessing he won't be wearing a tie!  All sizes in one envelope.  Sew Direct have a half price sale and free postage  for a couple of days (16th-18th)

[toileandtrouble]

@Diane also M6972, Kwik Sew 3484, Simplicity 8180 if you want a short sleeve.   
Get the chest size right, you can cut the neckline and collar for a different size if necessary. DH now needs a larger collar size but the corresponding chest size drowns him  and the sleeves are far too long.  It is easiest to measure the pattern against a shirt that is a good fit. If the body is too loose around the waist you can always put a dart in to make it more fitted.
Shirts are much easier than they make them seem on the sewing bee.  The hardest part for me is to stiffen the collar of a formal shirt enough.  A flannel type shirt doesn't need such a heavy interfacing and the fabric is more forgiving.

[Diane]

@toileandtrouble Thanks for all the info and thats a very good point about getting the chest size right and then swapping the collar size, never thought of doing that, he likes the shirt a little bit loose as he only pops it on in the evening over his t-shirt if he’s feeling a bit chilly. Last night i bid on pattern on eBay which was a vintage pattern and more of a regular fit rather than a tailored fit, the sleeves look more roomy as well, glad to see i won it this morning. Just need to find some navy checked flannel fabric now  Also i will replace the buttons with press studs and leave off the epaulettes
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[BrendaP]

If you are serious about making shirts any of the David Page Coffin books are good.  I have this one and the illustration of the illustration of his sport/work shirt is very similar to the schematic in your pattern - shallow sleeve head and no shaping in the side seams.

The important thing with a shirt is to get the back yoke right.  If that fits how he likes it to the rest should be easy to adjust if necessary.  Compare your pattern piece (without the seam allowances) with an existing shirt which fits well.

[fajita]

@BrendaP Proofread needing, Brenda. 

[BrendaP]

@BrendaP Proofread needing, Brenda. 

@fajita
Oops!  Blue pencil applied!

[Tiggy]

I make shirts for my husband, and my future son-in-law.  Both are tall, so I lengthen them, And SIL is quite specific about his shirts.  He is a farmer, and is tall with broad shoulders, a tummy, and snake hips.  He likes long sleeves.  To me, the shirts look huge, but that’s how he likes them. 

[UttaRetch]

As this shirtmaking post has floated to the top again, the death of David Page Coffin has been announced.

[Tiggy]

What a shame, I’ve got a couple of his books on shirts and trousers.  He was very talented and humble.

[realale]

I have a class or two of his from Craftsy. Very knowledgeable and easy in transmitting his knowledge. Sorry to hear of his passing.

[Ohsewsimple]

So sad to hear this.   I have a couple of his books, a DVD and Craftsy classes. 

[Esme866]

Here's a bit more on David Page Coffin. He has definitely left his mark in many ways.

https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/20979566/David-Page-Coffin/Brookings/Oregon/Redwood-Memorial-Chapel

[UttaRetch]

It's the same information contained in the link I made about his death.

[Esme866]

So sorry, I post on a couple of other sites where touching "heaven-only-knows-what" on my phone creates what looks like a hyperlink from a single word - but isn't. Others do it, also. So now I don't even notice them unless the written text designates it's a link.

Technology stopped being fun at some point.