I am an experienced sewer but hesitated at classic tailored shirt making wanting the finishes to be be equal to the time involved and fabrics purchased. I purchased the shirt workshop hoping that these fine details (plackets, collars, finishes) would be detailed enough to improve my skill set. It felt like the best masterclass and I could go back and carefully observe as often as needed. I have now made 5 classic shirts and have become addicted to the art of shirt making! I cannot recommend the workshops enough - they are fabulous and for all skill levels. Am just about to purchase the trouser workshop!
I love this pattern and it's so flattering! I made one for me in linen and for mum in viscose and they are gorgeous! yes the pocket instruction was very confusing both times and I had no idea what I was doing but somehow it worked both times like magic. I had to shorten the length by 5cm to fit me properly (I'm 167cm) but other than that perfect!
I recently finished this jacket in denim for my son. It worked out great and was a pleasure to sew. The littIe details such as the hanging loop and the two-way pockets make a difference. I took my time and made this very slowly using run and fell seams throughout. The resulting jacket is just as neat on the inside as the outside. Instructions are very clear and concise too.
I would recommend this pattern as it is could be made to look so different depending on your fabric choice. This is the fifth The Modern Sewing Co. pattern I have used and all garments have worked out well :)
The Cara top was a great beginner project. I found the video tutorial to be extremely helpful as it helped me understand how all the steps came together. Through this project, I learned how to make a button stand and a curved hem. I also swapped the collar out for bias binding --another technique that has helped me tackle trickier projects since. I think the design of this blouse is extremely understated and I did not expect it to look and feel as elegant when worn. If you're just starting out with Hetty's designs, I'd highly recommend starting with this blouse as the instructions are fantastic and leave little room for error. I plan on making matching Spring trousers to match my Cara top!
I haven’t sewed for many years and decided I wanted to make some shirts. I loved the unisex feel to this pattern and felt it would work for office shirts and casual shirts. I found the instructions clear and easy to follow and so far I’ve made 4 shirts. It’s the first time I’ve tackled sleeve plackets. I’m really happy with the finished results and that there are many hack inspirations to make each one unique.
I liked the look of these trousers before I started and I really like them when they are on!
The finishing details were interesting to complete, and I enjoyed making the button fly.
I made these in calico, sort of a wearable toile. I look forward to making more pairs in different fabrics.
I’m interested in the new men’s version, I think my husband will like wearing them too.
I sewed a Darcy coat with in waterproof cotton for the spring. I didn't make any changes to the pattern other than the pockets. The trench coat turned out to be very comfortable and fashionable. I plan to sew a wool coat using this pattern in the fall.
The instructions were clear and easy to follow even if some of the techniques were new to me. The result surprised me in how good it turned out to be!
I got this pattern to make a gift. Not only it was a success, but plenty of my friends requested me to make them one as well. Needless to say I am already working on the second shirt :)
I found this to be an excellent pattern, some of the processes involved were new to me. For instance, I hadn't sewed run and fell seams before but I found the instructions to be really clear and concise. I was a little unsure about part of the sleeve construction, so I contacted Hetty, who quickly responded with helpful advice and instructions, for which I am grateful. I appreciated being able to contact Hetty and will definately be ordering more sewing patterns from the Modern Sewing Company.
The Workshop on how to sew a shirt is an absolute life saver for someone learning. I really appreciated the pace and the calmness of the tutorial. I don’t think I could have completed it without. Highly recommend!
Oh my goodness, I have just made the most gorgeous shirt, my first proper full blown shirt, with plackets and collars. The pattern is so easy to follow, clear and concise instructions. I had made the overshirt a couple of times but really wanted to make a proper classic shirt. I used a lovely chambray which suited this pattern perfectly. There’s no stopping me now, I can’t wait to make and wear many more of these gorgeous shirts.
Such a lovely sew. I really like the instructions and the fit of my classic shirt. It was a joy to sew and now to wear. I adjusted the shoulder slope to my shoulder mold and made no other adjustments.
I really liked the instructions being clear but not to much fussing.
Next time I might lengthen it in to a dress. I can see this in different fabrics ending up very different. Therefore it’s a potential workhorse pattern for me.
These have already got me quite a lot of compliments! I loved making these trousers and took my time in doing so to make sure I was happy with my patch pockets and that I hemmed my seams with a sewing machine (as I don't have an overlocker) and they came out great. I would say that if you are short like me (163cm), the fit would be best if you take a little bit of the height off the top of the trousers, as they are quite a high-waisted look. That being said, I'm still super happy with how they look, the shape of the legs is lovely!
The instructions for this jacket were brilliant. I was intrigued by the double opening pocket and it was all explained very clearly. Most of the instructions were almost mini-sewing lessons in themselves; they would be great for people learning to sew.
Loved the hanging loop and the yoke line that runs across the back and joins the sleeve seams.
I made my jacket in moleskin. I love french classic bleu de travail jackets made in moleskin but went for an olive green. I top stitched with a browny rust heavy weight top stitching thread for a nice decorative effect. I only work on old treadle and hand crank machines so I chose to bind some of the seams as the machines only do straight stitch unless I use a zigzag attachment which is a bit tricky on several layers of thicker fabric.
The run and fell proved the hardest bit on the arm holes but that was probably because old machines don't have the free arm just the solid flat base. Altogether a fun project probably made slightly tougher by my use of ancient early last century machinery (although the advantage is they will sew through loads of thick layers easily.)
Can definitely recommend the pattern as the instructions are very thorough (much more so than the big name commerical patterns.) I'm tempted to go mad and make the Darcy Coat next!
I purchased the workshop with the pattern to improve my dressmaking skills as well as make a pair of trousers that fit me nicely. I'm happy to say I got my wish for both. This was my first pair of 'proper' trousers with a zip fly and I took my time with each stage. Starting with the fitting part, which was really helpful as I usually just cross my fingers and hope it'll fit. I did need to make some adjustments to reduce the size from the one I cut which all worked out fine, following the instructions. I also took in the width of the trousers legs slightly. I'm super happy with the result, especially with the zip fly which looks really neat, both inside and out. I did need to watch some of the stages on the video for the intricate bits a few times until I understood what I needed to do. The bias binding inside the trousers is a lovely touch. Just following how Hetty sews and having her tips and comments along the way was really useful and well worth the price of the workshop. I made the trousers in fine needlecord and have bought some more fabric to make a summery pair and I'm planning on making linen ones too. I couldn't find a suitable 19cm zip anywhere and had to buy a 20cm one. I was worried it might not fit however it was absolutely fine.
