8.20.2015

ain't no hat for that

oonaballoona | a sewing blog by marcy harriell | linen guayabera | colette patterns negroni

I have recently become aware that blue is my Dad’s favorite hue, and so for his birthday, I attempted a linen Guayabera that compliments his (*not* blue, *not* pictured) eyes.


Thaaaaaat's right, my model was willing to pose only with a stealthy straw hat shield. At least I didn't slap a horrific visage on him like last time. Here endeth the Live Human Model shots for this post. Sorry, but Big Daddy is a child of the sixties, and not so into putting his good looks on the internet. Bright side: for once, you get actual detail shots of actual sewing!

oonaballoona | a sewing blog by marcy harriell | linen guayabera | colette patterns negroni

This loose woven linen was unearthed on Mood Fabric’s lower floor, a level that I must admit, I don’t frequent! Jerseys & Shirtings live there. I banned myself from Jerseys vis-a-vis MSN, and banned men from asking me for shirts vis-a-vis my sanity. But this past 4th of July weekend, everyone was gearing up for the holiday and it was a party atmosphere in Mood. I visited every floor, and found a small pile of linen bolts languishing by the Liberty prints (I also don't understand Liberty, guys, I just don't get it!). I snatched several linens up immediately, although I thought the loose weave and solid color of my Dad’s bolt might give me brain pain. But with proper handling the yardage was a pleasure to work with, even without a technicolor print to keep my attention.


Though I did go technicolor on the under collar and inner yoke, teehee and traalaaa! The bits and pieces of my birthday-come-anniversary dress made my eyes happy. Here it is flipped inside out. I did NOT try and turn that button loop, nosiree bob, not on this loss weave, that's a topstitched bias strip. 


Colette’s Negroni is like, the only man's shirt pattern I make. Mayhaps I could mix that up a bit. I’ve previously modified it into a Hawaiian shirt, and now into a Guayabera. The mods included boxing out the side seams & adding little 3 inch vents (to accommodate the hem). I chose coconut buttons for a summery feel, and added an extra to the inside of the turned-under-and topstitched side seams.


There are several seam finishes going on, depending on what the seam needed to do. I serged the sleeve seams for fear of fraying (and fear of my life during serging) but turning & stitching was best. Here, on the facing, I turned under 1/2 inch and topstitched along the raw edge with a zig zag, so that it would lay flat under the shirt.


My newest needle obsession: the wing needle. SO MUCH FUN. Three rows of machine hemstitching (courtesy of my new purple lover) in rayon 40w with a wing needle down either side of the shirt gave it a Guayabera(ish) feel. I was going to get way more fancy with that stitching, but decided to keep it simple once I realized the shirt might…never…get…worn…


Let me explain. Whilst pondering how many pockets to add, Ruggy had a feel of the fabric. Um, oona…he began, with great hesitation, knowing he was poking a violent beast with a dull stick, after all, I was sewing MENSWEAR…this seems a little heavy for a summer linen shirt.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, I bellowed, IT’S LINEN AND LINEN BREATHES. SILENCE CITIZEN.

Yeah, it’s a little heavy. Adding two breast pockets meant adding two more layers of this awesome, but heavy, stuff, right across the chest. And as you can see above, there's already two fairly wide layers right down the front. No bueno. (Hey man, at least I’m picking a more manly shade of fabric. You should see the stuff I try to put Ruggy in.) Pockets abandoned, I decided to call it a Fall/Winter Dress Guayabera, and presented Big Daddy with his prize– along with the promise of another summer shirt before he even opened this one. But he put it on immediately and called it good!

(He’s still getting a lighterweight shirt, because I don’t trust him.)


NOR SHOULD HE TRUST ME! Whoops, sneak attack back view! Look, he should know better than to turn his back on me when I’ve got a camera in my hands! Don’t worry, Dad, the internet still doesn’t know who you are. Your secret agent persona is safe.

(I am going to get in so much trouble for that last shot.)

this guayabera, and my impending punishment, was made possible by my monthly fabric "allowance' as part of the mood sewing network.

29 comments:

  1. Looking good, Dad! The detail of the stitched stripes are a nice touch. Also, I don't get Liberty either. The prints just don't appeal to me. And I'm too cheap to pay their prices when I know I could easily get 4-6 yards of more fun fabrics for the cost of one of theirs!

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    1. i know, sooooo expensive! i often wonder if i was in london at their flagship, would i be able to refuse a souvenir? probably not. i get crazyeyes around fabric.

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  2. Cool shirt, love the fancy yoke and under collar...what dad doesn't need a bit of fun? Liberty...dainty prints and washed out colors and high prices...I can skip it too. Did you make samples of the wing needle stitches before you did them on the shirt? Can you show that too?

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    1. i mean, i like liberty on other peeps... but it just feels so stiff!

      i DID do samples, in white and gold, as a matter of fact! i had ruggy choose the color :) let me see if i saved them! oh, and i used a wash away stabilizer too.

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    2. That would be great to see for all of us...samples and a wash away stabilizer to make things easier! Thank you!

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  3. Beautiful! Love the fabric and the wing-needle work. Is there actually a button for that loop to go over? It's a nice addition either way…

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    1. i flaked on the collar button! he never uses one, tho i like to have one there for the look of it. but, i forgot to get a little smaller version ;(

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  4. I think this turned out great! And skipping the pockets was a great 4th quarter call. Love the wing-needle stitching!

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  5. Absolutely wonderful! Reading the bit about it being a fall guayabera got me thinking that in my hometown, where guayaberas are worn ALL the time, they even have long sleeve versions, for the cooler weather... Something to consider :D NellywithWings

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  6. oh, ruggy, always trying to apply logic to your sewing... :-)

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  7. Fabulous shirt for your Dad. Love the wing needle row art! I'll join you in the 'what's up with the fascination over Liberty prints'? Karen

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  8. The decorative stitching elevates this beautiful shirt to a whole other realm.

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  9. I don't get Liberty either! I thought I was the only one. Those ditzy little prints? No, no, no.

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  10. That is such an incredibly beautiful shirt! You need to make more menswear! All the mens in the world would be happier. Seriously.

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  11. I LOVE this shirt Oona! The fancy stitching and the contrasting print! Fantastic! I made two Negronis for my husband earlier this summer, and still haven't got the okay for blog photos...sigh..maybe your Pa and my bloke are in the same top secret biz?

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  12. Love the colour pop! And the decorative stitching is beautiful. Hope he wears it loads!

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  13. You hooked pops UP!! I don't even know what a Guyadooba shirt is, but it sounds Latin and looks baddass!

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  14. LOVE IT. WORN WITH BLUE OR EVEN WHITE JEANS...WOW! LOVE THE "RUSTIC, COUNTRY LOOK OF THE FABRIC. VERY NICE.

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  15. Çok güzel olmuş.Elinize sağlık...:)

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  16. oh, the negroni is GOLD. and this shirt is fantastic. I love it. I'm going to be in NYC next month...I'll have to venture to this floor of linens you speak of....

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  17. This turned out amazing! I love the pop of color inside and under the collar!

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  18. Looks amazing! Nice linen fabric too!

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  19. Oh your daddy is cute. Outside of the bowtie, I haven't made menswear for AGES!

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  20. What a great shirt - I love the see detail down the front, much better than the pockets!

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  21. Ditto to all previous comments + my own: The fit is AMAZING. Wow.

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  22. What an awesome daughter, making such nice shirts for Poppa Oona... :)

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  23. What a gorgeous shirt!!! Menswear sewing convert, perhaps? ;)

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  24. You are such a gifted writer. Thank you for "taking me" to the exhibit. I simply haven't found the time for this one...

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i thankya truly for taking the time to comment, i love a good conversation-- and hope you know my thanks are always implied, if not always written!