As, promised – here’s the new shirt I just finished for my DH:

I don’t think that the extra seam on the front facing is going to be missed… and the button holes look pretty good too (okay, so I should have ironed it again)!

Noreen left an excellent comment, reminding me of another favorite short-cut. When you’re cutting out shirts, place the back on the center fold of the fabric, instead of cutting out two halves of the pattern. You’ll save an extra seam down the back – and I think it looks just fine:

images: C Findlay-Harder

I will freely admit to being an impatient seamstress – I won’t cut corners if it’s going to negatively affect the finished piece… However – tips & tricks that save a little time – are just fine with me
I’ve sewn quite a few men’s shirts over the years, and generally the patterns call for a separate piece of facing for the front of the shirt. I’ve always cut the pieces out, interfaced them and then stitched them together.
But is it really necessary to have that extra seam in the front of the shirt?
I came across a …read more

I’m trying to get my sewing table cleared off (I’m a world-champion stacker!) as well as finishing up some of my UFOs (un-finished objects)
I’m actually doing pretty well!  I’ve got my DH’s new bathrobe done (it needed a belt):

And I got the buttonholes & buttons sewn onto my Dad’s corduroy shirt:

I probably should have ironed the shirt before I took photos – oops!
I still have one more big UFO for someone else to do… but I’ll get it done