Intro to Sewing Shirts: Ultimate Shirt & Hackney Shirt

Learn to sew both a classic women’s shirt and men’s shirt in our Intro to Sewing Shirts course! This course includes two classic shirt patterns – the Ultimate Shirt for women, and the Hackney Shirt for men.

Part 1 – Ultimate Shirt
A favourite of our London class customers, the Ultimate Shirt really is the ultimate in classic women’s shirts. A timeless wardrobe staple, the Ultimate Shirt features a dartless bodice, collar and collar stand, back yoke with inverted box pleat, bound cuff placket with traditional shirt cuffs, grown-on button stands and a gently curved hem. Easy to wear tucked-in or loose, and with a gentle, flattering fit, it’s a great all-occasions shirt. Pair with a pencil skirt for a chic work look, or wear untucked with a pair of Ultimate Trousers to channel a bit of Audrey Hepburn.

Part 2 – Hackney Shirt
The Hackney Shirt is our brand new men’s shirt. A classic design, it features a collar with collar stand, back yoke with box pleat, traditional shirt cuffs with a tower placket, flat felled seams, grown-on button stands, slightly curved hem and patch chest pocket. Contemporary and cool, it’s slim-fitting yet comfy, and because the collar can be worn both open and with a tie, it works for everyday casual as well as keeping you smart at the office.

What is included?

• downloadable PDF patterns (in both tiled and copyshop formats)
• start to finish step-by-step video tutorials taught by Lisa Comfort
• written instructions to accompany the videos
• a series of written PDF guides on fitting and alterations
• size charts, layplans, supplies list

Who is the class for?

Intro to Sewing Shirts is designed for intermediate sewers who want to build their skills and learn advanced shirt-making techniques. You’ll need a good understanding of basic garment construction and a familiarity with simple sewing techniques such as topstitching, yokes and buttonholes.

What you will learn

For the Ultimate Shirt, we cover:

• interfacing the required shirt pieces
• sewing a grown-on button stand
• constructing an inverted box pleat and yoke using the burrito method
• sewing and attaching a collar with collar stand
• sewing a continuous bound placket cuff opening
• creating and attaching the cuffs
• inserting set-in sleeves
• sewing the curved hem
• stitching the buttonholes

In our Ultimate Shirt Fitting Surgery we also cover:

• shoulder width adjustments
• full bust adjustments
• small bust adjustments
• grading between sizes
• shortening and lengthening the shirt

For the Hackney Shirt, we guide you through:

• interfacing the required shirt pieces
• sewing a grown-on button stand
• attaching a patch chest pocket
• constructing a box pleat and yoke using the burrito method
• sewing and attaching a collar with collar stand
• stitching a tower placket cuff opening
• attaching a sleeve flat
• sewing flat felled seams
• creating and attaching the cuffs
• sewing the slightly curved hem
• stitching the buttonholes

In our Hackney Shirt Fitting Surgery we also cover:

• how to identify common fit issues
• full abdomen adjustments
• shoulder width adjustments
• full hip adjustments

Fabric suggestions
For both the Ultimate Shirt and Hackney Shirt, you’re looking for light to medium weight woven fabrics. Cotton poplin, lawn, chambray, lightweight denim, oxford cotton and cotton shirting will all give a crisp finish, whilst linen, rayon, fine needlecord, brushed cotton, flannel and barkcloth will have a more casual feel. You could even try silk or chiffon for an extra special, dressed-up version.

Sizing & Notions Requirements

The Ultimate Shirt covers UK women’s sizes 8-20.

The Hackney Shirt covers men’s sizes XS-XXL.

See the sizing charts (pictured) for measurements, plus details of fabric suggestions and requirements.

As well as fabric for each project, you will also need:

• 9 buttons per shirt (approximately 11mm wide)
• 0.75cm interfacing per shirt