I was so proud I was going to have Doc’s anniversary shirt done within two months of our anniversary, not six. I found some beautiful, light, textured Japanese plaid from Miss Matatabi. I cut the pockets twice so they’d be a perfect match. I sewed in a “Handmade” tag at the neck I got from Kylie & The Machine. I was going to review the pattern (Fairfield Button Up by Thread Theory) and compare it to the normal McCalls I normally use for him (in short: more beginner friendly but unnecessarily fiddly in spots).

Well, I need to add “runs really small” to that review because it’s done and it’s TOO DAMN SMALL FOR HIM:

With his arms at his side you can’t really tell how “painted-on” it looks, but it’s too tight for comfort and the buttons are straining across the chest.

I don’t know what happened–I took his measurements, looked at the finished garment measurements, WROTE THEM ON THE PATTERN, and I guess decided he needed zero ease when I picked a size? (I cut a Large for him in this pattern. He wears a large in the McCalls. IT MADE SENSE AT THE TIME.)

***

So that was a big fail. And the whole time I was sewing Doc’s shirt, I was dreaming of when I could sew up another Wiksten Oversized Kimono Jacket for myself.  I had some beautiful jacquard from Stonemountain and I couldn’t wait to work on it.

Well, I dove in Saturday and did pockets and shoulder seams, with tape to stabilize the jacquard and all the edges serged for a clean finish. I got the sleeves and side seams done last night–also taped, also serged–and realized: I SEWED THE FRONTS ON BACKWARDS:

That piece circled in red? Yeah, that should have met up with the sleeve. ASDFjk:#%^@*#

Reader, there was weeping and gnashing of teeth. In both cases. Maybe I should just knit for a while?