Cold Shoulder Drawstring Shirt
Introducing a chic women's sewing pattern for a collared shirt featuring two-part sleeves with an open slit in the upper arm, full-length sleeves, and an adjustable drawstring above the hem for a customizable fit.
When To Wear
This versatile shirt is perfect for adding a touch of modern elegance to various occasions:
- Casual Daywear: Offering a relaxed yet stylish option for everyday outings and comfortable fashion.
- Smart-Casual Gatherings: Sophisticated enough for brunch, lunches, or social events where a polished look is desired.
- Spring & Summer Styling: Ideal for warmer weather due to its breathable fabric recommendations and unique open sleeve design.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Relaxed, straight fit through the body, cinched just above the hem by an adjustable drawstring that creates a short frilled edge below it.
Collar & Neckline: Features a classic pointed shirt collar without a separate stand.
Closure: a front opening with a cut-on (folded) placket, secured with six functional buttons.
Sleeves: Unique long set-in sleeves made of an upper and a lower part; the seam joining them is left open between the notches, creating a 'cold shoulder' slit on the upper arm. The sleeves end with a simple stitched hem.
Hem: a drawstring threaded through casings stitched on the inside above the hem, with the ties coming out through buttonhole-style openings on the fronts, allows versatile styling, from a gathered, bloused look to a straighter finish.
Back: a clean back cut in one piece, incorporating the internal drawstring casing.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Requires familiarity with collar and placket construction, creating buttonholes, setting in sleeves with easing, and assembling drawstring casings.
Fabric Recommendations
Choose light to medium-weight woven fabrics that offer good drape and breathability:
- Cotton fabrics
- Linen fabrics
- Cotton blends
- Linen blends
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing
- 6 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Front – 2 pieces
- Back – 1 piece
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Upper Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Lower Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Back Casing – 1 piece
- Front Casing – 2 pieces
- Drawstring ties – cut to the required length (no pattern piece)
- From fusible interfacing: upper Collar – 1 piece.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the placket area of the fronts and to the upper Collar.
- On the fronts, work the drawstring openings like buttonholes, first pressing a small scrap of interfacing to the wrong side.
- Press the placket to the wrong side along the fold lines. Press the double-folded plackets to the wrong side, baste them along the neckline edges of the fronts and stitch them across at the lower edges of the fronts.
- Stitch the shoulder seams of the shirt.
- Stitch the side seams of the shirt.
- Stitch the under collar and upper collar together around the edge, press the seam open and turn the collar right side out.
- Stitch the under collar to the neckline, turn under the open edge of the upper collar and stitch it in place along the under collar attachment seam.
- Stitch the Upper Sleeve to the Lower Sleeve, leaving the seam open between the notches. Topstitch along the seam joining the sleeve parts.
- Stitch the sleeve seams.
- Press the sleeve hem allowance to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Set in the sleeves, easing the sleeve cap.
- Stitch the Front Casings and Back Casing together into one strip.
- Press the long edges of the casing strip 0.8 cm to the wrong side. Place the strip on the wrong side of the shirt, turn under the ends and baste. From the right side of the shirt, topstitch the strip along the markings on the fronts and back.
- Turn in the ends of the ties. Fold each tie lengthwise and stitch 0.7 cm from the fold. Turn the ties right side out and press. Sew the ends closed. Thread the ties through the casing.
- Turn up and topstitch the hem of the shirt.
- Work buttonholes on the right front and sew buttons on the left front.
