For my Love

My forgotten hero.
He definitely needed to be remembered 

The last few runs of the sewing 'rota, Jed has skipped his turn.
He has gained a little weight and didn't want anything new until he had shed the kilos.
Its hard for him, he is 50 now. Both knees are buggered from years of football.
His job, while labour intensive is far less so then 20 years ago. 
And I am a pretty good cook.
I cook hot meals everyday, it is cheaper to make from scratch. With five hungry children I always have food ready to go. I use full fat milk for cooking as it is cheaper, ditto coconut milk and cheese.
And Jed likes to have seconds.

He probably only needs to lose 10 kilo to look great.
But men suffer from body issues too so I decided he was having some nice new things in the transition. 

He really needed a new rugby.
The last one I made was a wee bit snug.
I picked up this great Canterbury/heavy weight rugby knit as a remnant from here 
It is 'proper' thick and warm!

The pattern is a vintage KwikSew 1242 it regularly pops up on eBay.
It has a one piece collar but a seriously snappy two piece tab front.
The instructions are fabulous!

I often look at RTW clothing for finishing details, I noticed a lot of rugby's use labelling tape.
I like the look!

To break up the yellow
(Cause Baby, this is yellow)
I stencilled the sleeve.
Another knock off from RTW.
He looks so nice in this.

When its your turn you get two things made!

Jed requested a new shirt with a bit of tummy ease.
I went with another vintage Kwik Sew, 1202, this time.
He chose his fabric, the pink colour way of this.
Good to go, but then I checked my pattern properly.
It called for a stretch fabric.
Bugger.
I decided to size up to an XL (his chest put him in a L) and I knew I had this super stretchy cotton poplin I picked up in a BullRush sale. I thought it might work and that is was pretty similar.

So I went for it.
After I had completed the collar I was a bit worried it was a bit, well, girly!
So I put out a SOS and my awesome sewing Gal Pals waded in.

I think the touch of navy was just what it needed.

It just broke up the candyness of the soft colours.

The pockets and tab are a stunning detail.

The pockets are made of four pieces and have this nifty peek-a-boo gusset.

It has a one piece back but I think I may make it with a back yoke and centre back pleat next time.
The collar is also one piece, which is a quicker option, but I will make that as a two piece.
It just a bit dressier on a mans shirt.

I am not so keen on the cuffs, they are a funny fold-back-on-themselves- and button jobby.
But Jed reckons he will just roll them up.
I will definitely alter those to a two piece placket.

Overall, a win/win situation.
Jed has some new things, the fabric was not dear/or from stash so if they end up too big, he can wear them as farm clothes.

Sorted!

xx N