I’m so happy I could help! I thought I was losing my mind too LOL. 😅

I get the advantages of not cutting the pattern, especially if it’s a pattern you intend on remaking. I buy most of my patterns for $1.99 at Joann so it’s not a big sacrifice to permanently cut it to my size. And, I have SO many patterns that I rarely remake the same one. Finally, I believe in making the process as easy as possible for beginners. Tracing a pattern adds an extra step on top of a process that already feels exhausting to a beginner. I taught beginners IRL, and many found it difficult to so much as draw a straight line with a ruler. I’m pretty sure for some of these students, to be expected to trace a pattern using tracing paper would have led to them deciding that sewing was not for them. I fell in love with sewing and obtained excellent results as a day-one beginner through learning the process shown here, and so that’s the process I’m choosing to share. It would be a much longer video if I were to cover all the ways to do it. I do some things a little differently these days, 6 years into my sewing journey, but I would not change a thing about the way I learned. Some of the refinements to my process would not have been available to me as a beginner, when I lacked the fine motor skills and intuition gained from experience. But definitely appreciate your thoughts, and certainly did not mean to suggest this is the only way to do things! ☺️

I am so happy you found this helpful. Thank you for your lovely comment and congrats on leveling up your skills! 💕 I can certainly relate to how that feels - all those little bits of added insight stack up to form huge gains in our sewing skills over time. 💪

Congratulations. May it be the first of many! Best of luck with your sewing journey. 🧵👗

I am so glad you found these helpful! It’s one of my favorite patterns of all time and I wanted to help others who were interested in trying it. I don’t recall the instructions saying that - are you referring to an illustration alongside the text instruction? Often illustrations are intended as “action shots” showing the step while still in process, but not quite complete. But if you are seeing something in the text instructions, please copy them in a reply here and I’ll take a look!

@@elianasews thank you for taking the time to reply, you're right it was in a picture, I'll keep that in mind from now on 😄

The pocket is pattern piece #2, and preparing the pocket and then sewing it on to the shirt front is covered in Steps 2-4 of the written pattern instructions (and in this video). Hope that answers your question, but let me know if any further clarification is needed. Thanks for watching, and I am glad that you are finding these helpful! 😊

I’m so glad this was helpful! Sometimes it’s the little finishing touches that make all the difference in how your project turns out. Happy sewing!!!! 🎉

I’m so glad this is helpful! Pattern: simplicity.com/new-look/n6197 😊 (Or you might be able to grab it at your local Joann Fabric, if you live near one)

Thank you so much Tracy! I work hard to make these as clear and helpful as possible so I appreciate this feedback. Happy sewing! ❤️

Glad to hear it was helpful! 😊

I’m so happy this was helpful! I worked hard to try to break it down so as to show all the nuances in the process because I remember all too well how it felt to be new at this and scratching my head over sewing pattern instructions. 😂 Sounds like you’re getting the hang of it. Keep sewing and - most importantly - hope you’re having fun!!! :)

@@elianasews Actually, YOU ARE the other You Tuber that fixed the S9157 pattern issue with the collar, DOH!! ☺️ I’m ready to start this shirt as my NL6197 pattern arrived. Your videos are like being right there watching. Hope to see part 4 soon. Cheers 😊

@@racrx7 Hehe I’m glad my other vid was helpful. And I’m glad to hear your new pattern has arrived, yay!!! On sizing, my advice is to pay close attention to the body size chart on the back of the pattern envelope. Measure around your chest, waist, and hips carefully with measuring tape, then compare your numbers to the body measurements chart to pick your size! Keep in mind that sometimes the garment is intended to have a lot of “ease” (extra inches above body measurements) - just depends on the style that the pattern designer was going for. Often you can get a feel for the style by examining the photo on the front of the envelope. And the back of the envelope sometimes tells you the number of inches above body measurements that the designer added. Finally, often times, but not always unfortunately, the finished garment measurements are printed on the pattern tissue pieces (typically on the front garment pieces, at the chest, waist, and hip points). Subtract those numbers from the body size that the garment was designed for and that will give you the amount of ease that the designer added. If it’s too much ease for you, you could try sizing down! Or choose a pattern that is designed to be more form fitting. I know it’s hard, though - not a ton of patterns for men out there, compared to what’s available for women! Hope that helps a little. Good luck.

I am so glad this was helpful Jann! Hope your shirt turned out wonderful. ❤️

Hi Jon, I’m so glad you found this helpful! Part 4 has been almost done for quite a while. 🙈 I’ll try to get it up soon!! I’m so glad you’re planning to give this a try. Making your own clothing is one of the most satisfying things EVER!

I’m actually working on a video now, on inserting sleeves into New Look 6197! The sleeve insertion process varies a little from pattern to pattern, but my upcoming video might help. Which pattern are you making?

Eliana Sews Hi, thanks for responding. ❤️ I'm using Simplicity 8180. I went ahead a sewed the sides & closed the sleeve & for some reason the sleeve is bigger than the arm hole.

Amazing, Lisa!!! Well done. If you’re like me, you’re now officially addicted to making button up collar shirts!!! 😜 Happy sewing.

Not sure if this answers your question, but for preshrinking fabric, there’s no substitute for just washing it first - then iron to prepare for cutting, as shown here. Historically, I have not often prewashed my fabric, and I’ve gotten away with it in that my stuff has remained wearable after washing, even though there’s been a bit of shrinking here and there. But four years into my sewing journey, I’ve recently gotten a lot pickier about proper fitting and tailoring, and prewashing does help to preserve the shape of a garment after being washed for the first time, so I’ve started to do it. My tendency in the past has been to be forever in a rush to get to that magic moment when the thing is done, and not prewashing the fabric has been a shortcut I’ve taken on the road to completion. But I’ve come around to the truth that there is no sense in working as hard as I do to ensure a beautiful fit only to ruin it after washing - even a subtle detraction from my results is not worth it when it can be avoided by something as simple as throwing the fabric through a wash cycle in advance. It’s not like I don’t have other sewing projects to work on while washing, LOL!

@@elianasews That all makes sense, thanks 😄

I am so glad that you are finding these helpful! It’s such a thrill when you make your first button up shirt, and all the better when it’s for someone you love. You’ve GOT this! Pay attention to the details, take it a step at a time, and you will get there. From experience (and as a so-called “visual learner”), the hardest part the first time around is that it’s tough to fully visualize what it is that you’re supposed to be doing based on those black and white still diagrams in the instruction sheets, and that’s the gap I’m trying to bridge by making these videos. Shouldn’t be too long before Part 4 is out - I’ll do my best! Inserting sleeves is a skill unto itself and I’ll try to share my best tips on the topic. In the meantime, I really appreciate you taking me on your journey, and your kind words. 💕

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