Named Quinn shirt

The Quinn shirt by Named collection was a pattern that I got for free with the new Stella raglan blouse pattern. The pattern was in Finnish but it is available also in English. It is a relaxed fit button-up with some interesting details. The button placket is shorter than the shirt and is rounded up at the bottom leaving an open vent. The collar is overlapping and the French cuffs are finished with cuff-links made of buttons.

The sizes range from EUR 32 to 46 (US 0 to 14 / UK 4 to 18). My measurements came between the sizes 36 and 38. I measured some of my old blouses and decided on the size 36 since I generally like my shirts a little more fitted. Generally the sizes for the Named clothing tend to be snug, so if I were unsure which size to take, I would take larger to be sure.

All the people that are used to having seam-allowances included in the patterns might be surprised with the fact that the paper pattern doesn’t have seam-allowances. Apparently only the PDF Quinn pattern has seam-allowances. I noticed that nowadays Named patterns do include seam-allowances so, you’d better read the instructions carefully if you are moving between older and newer patterns! As a Finnish sewer I am used to adding my seam-allowances so I’m fine in either way, as long as the instructions make it clear whether the seam-allowances are in there or not.

My fabric was this lovely Art Gallery cotton called Mimicry Hazel that is probably meant for quilting but is soft enough to be used in a shirt, too. After this experience I am ready to buy more Art Gallery fabrics since I really liked how this fabric behaved. The only thing to beware with Art Gallery cottons is that they are only 115 cm wide, so you need to buy enough. I had two pieces: one that was 1 m and another that was 70 cm and it wasn’t enough. I might have managed with careful planning but I forgot to cut the second back yoke and after I realised that, there were only small scraps left. Luckily the inner yoke could be made out of any fabric, so I used white lawn for it instead.

Sewing this blouse was a bit of a puzzle for me for all its unusual details. I guess I have become used to making things my way and reading instructions for once felt strange! However, the instructions with all the images were clear. I had to do the first cuff twice, but only because I didn’t realise that the outer cuff is to be sewn agains the wrong side of the sleeve because it is later turned upwards. I was just thinking that “the interfaced piece is going on the wrong side, so there must be a mistake”. Well, that taught me to trust the instructions! Even after having understood that I still sewed the buttonholes inside-out, luckily that is something that only I notice.

The final shirt fits very well and I was right to choose the size 36. I like the French cuffs but the front vent is something that I will probably leave out the next time, since every time I lift my hands my belly button peeks out! My collar didn’t turn out just quite right. I can’t button it up like in the original envelope and have it look even. Taking up the ruler, I measured the sides of my collar and noticed that I had managed to make them close to same size even when the left-hand side was supposed to be longer. I think I might have confused the right and left at some point in the making of this shirt… Anyway, I rarely button shirts all the way up, so it doesn’t really bother me that much.

Anyway, I will definitely make this shirt again, perhaps with some small modifications. The fit is exactly what I want and I don’t own any other patterns that I could use for this kind of straight-cut, loose fitted cotton shirt.

So, all in all, a great pattern that I can recommend for sewers that have some sewing experience behind them!

Thank you for visiting my blog and subscribe to get notified on my future posts! And thanks to my daughter S for taking the photos! Happy sewing, everyone!