I know that Sally names her patterns after cocktails and I’d never heard of Cuba Libre, so I looked it up. Guess what? it’s rum and coke! Oh well I’ve heard of that cocktail, and possibly even imbibed a few…
The shirt is loose fitting and is designed to be made from a silky material, so I used silk that I bought at a designer sale earlier this year. This is one of the garments that the designer made with this fabric. I like my shirt much better!
The fabric is described as being designed exclusively for the designer, but I should mention that I keep meeting other Perth sewists who also bought this fabric so I expect to come face-to-face with lots of different iterations!
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The shirt has a centre back pleat falling from a yoke. When I do a pattern test I slavishly follow the directions and was quite impressed that Sally does her yoke with a one step burrito method, whereas I always take two steps. I shall have to remember this method for future shirts.
I made the pattern according to my size with no adjustments at all. During construction I became anxious that it was going to be miles too big as it has a lot of ease and it looked massive on me. However, once the collar was attached and the buttons sewn on, it miraculously fitted me!
The shirt can be dressed up or down very successfully. Here it is with a skirt, which coincidentally is the Champagne skirt also from Capital Chic Patterns!
This is a beautifully drafted pattern, with the pieces fitting together with absolute precision. The collar and collar stand have extra pattern pieces for the lining, which are slightly smaller. I really appreciated this little thoughtful touch as it makes getting a precise edge so much easier.
I thought the pockets would emphasise my bust, but they don’t at all, so I will definitely include them the next time I make this shirt. I have a chambray version planned next, which I thought might double as a light jacket. We’ll see.
Shirt is Cuba Libra from Capital Chic Patterns 2016 Collection
Skirt is Champagne from Capital Chic Patterns 2014 Collection