Sewing Leftovers: Reeta Shirts

#sewingleftovers
I have a trio of totally game changing shirts to show you today, all made and worn aplenty during (Me Made) May - if you caught my round up posts then you'll have already seen them pop up a number of times. As ever, I realised my desperate lack of tops early on in the month, so whipped up my first cropped hack of the Named Clothing Reeta Shirt Dress with some #sewingleftovers. Then came another, also in leftovers, and finally a third version in fabric bought from Stoff & Stil on a recent trip to Berlin. It's a really easy, quick and versatile hack, and a new-to-me wardrobe staple.
Reeta Shirt in white crepe
Reeta Shirt in leftover suiting fabric from a recent project

Fabric: The white one is made of a leftover crepe/poly mix that's been in my stash for years and the black pinstripe version is a cheap suiting poly/viscose

 Original garment made: The white fabric is leftover from a failed attempt at making something for someone else, and the pinstripe is leftover from my absolute fave M7661 trousers (I was given lots extra as it has a few faults to it)!

Leftover fabric amount: Just over 1m in both fabrics (this hack takes about 1m)

Sewing Leftovers make: Named Clothing Reeta Midi Shirt Dress, hacked into a cropped shirt

Leftovers-wise what did I learn?: Skip details to save on fabric - I left out the pockets and turn up on the sleeves. The back yoke can be cut as 2 separate pieces rather than on the fold if you're restricted by the length of your leftovers (I actually did this by accident for one of mine and it turned out fine)! I also learnt the great joy that having matching separates can bring to your life/wardrobe (scroll down for more on that)!

About the make:

White crepe Reeta with corduroy Landers
Funnily enough, I don't like my Reeta Shirt Dress and I hardly ever wear it. It's a combination of the length, sleeves and waist gathering that just don't sit quite right with me, which is pretty disappointing as it seems to look great on everyone else! After seeing a Reeta Shirt hack by @craftwerking, I was inspired to make more use of the pattern, and I'm really pleased that I've finally found a way to make the Reeta work for me!


My pattern was already cut out at a size 42 so I stuck with this. I could have downsized, but I opted to keep it bigger for a sort of boxy, oversized fit. To make it shirt length, I cut the pattern 3" below the waistline (marked out for the waist casing/gathering on the dress). Once hemmed, this is a pretty good length for me - let's say a 'gentle crop' - which can be worn loose or tucked in without too much bulk, depending on the mood/outfit. 

Back view of the white crepe version
Losing the length was obviously the big fabric saver for these shirts, but simplifying the sleeves also helped. I really dislike the longish turn up sleeves on my Reeta Dress - so much so that I recently cut them off to try and make it more wearable. The turn up is quite bulky when made in anything other than lightweight fabric, so it wouldn't have really worked with my mid-weight leftovers either. I cut the sleeves as long as I could, and hemmed them much shorter after trying on the nearly finished garment. I now know that I prefer the sleeves pretty short, so this should help to minimise waste at the point of cutting for future versions!

The original version worn over a Nettie top, with Landers and Doc sandals
Finally, I skipped the pockets as they're just too fussy for me, particularly on a boxy cropped shirt. Each finished shirt took around 1 metre of fabric, and could probably do it in slightly less with some thoughtful pattern tetris.

*I got a tripod, hence the funny angles of these pics!
If I find a pattern that I really like, I'll make repeat versions of it quite quickly. Perhaps this is down to the pattern being fresh in memory when I'm out fabric shopping. I've tried to limit my fabric shopping and concentrate more on my stash and leftovers recently, but as these two Reeta Shirts worked out so well (in cheap leftovers), I decided it was fine to treat myself to this beautiful Stoff & Stil wiggle print cotton for version 3.

Version 3, in wiggle print cotton
Worn with a particularly bold pair of B6178 culottes
And finally, I wanted to show you my favourite way of wearing my original Reeta Shirt hack - and the real reason that I made this shirt in leftovers. I've always wanted matching separates, but never had either the right length of fabric or motivation to make it happen. I'm over the moon that I've finally managed it with my matching Reeta Shirt and M7661 trousers. I guess I'm biased, but I think they make THE BEST faux jumpsuit around!

Reeta/M7661 faux jumpsuit
Reeta/M7661 faux jumpsuit
The cropped hack of the Named Clothing Reeta goes with pretty much everything. Though each shirt carries a slightly different quality - the white version is a bit more boxy as the fabric is thicker, the wiggle one is lighter and more summer-y - they all serve the purpose of filling a huge wardrobe gap. I couldn't recommend this simple hack more, particularly if you can squeeze it out of your #sewingleftovers.

Which version is your favourite?

Check out #sewingleftovers on Instagram for loads more inspiration!
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M7661 Trousers

finished project
Having made a soft start at the Curated Closet process - i.e. I've only got as far as making a Pinterest board - I realised that I really only want to wear trousers, something that isn't quite reflected in my wardrobe. I finally got the Lander Pants to fit on my 4th attempt (more on these soon!) so I needed a bit of respite with a trouser pattern that was hopefully a little easier to fit. I chose the M7661 pattern as a prize for winning star make on The Fold Line, and the pair I've made have fast become my go-to bottoms!
New favourite trousers!!
The pattern offers 4 variations on the high-waisted, wide-legged culotte/trouser, with a concealed zip fastening at the back and a tie or belt at the waist. All versions have pockets and a generous amount of gathering around the front, which is surprisingly flattering and relaxed enough to accommodate a fair sized food baby. I cut View A with the leg length of View B, but I ended up hemming them at around A's length anyway.
McCall's M7661 pattern
Texture/detail of fabric up close
I used this stripe poly/viscose with a slight stretch to it. It's only a cheap suiting fabric, but I thought it would be good for testing out the pattern before committing to something more expensive. I was keen to make the most out of the contrasting side panel using the fabric I had, so I cut mine out on the cross grain to make the stripes horizontal (these panels would also be a good use of long, thin #sewingleftovers)! I'd say they've turned out part Pirates of the Caribbean/part Vivienne Westwood which I'm totally ok with! For future pairs, I'll be looking towards the Orageuse Patterns Bruges trousers for inspiration - the red stripe on their sample pair looks amazing.

Showing off that side panel!
Pocket placement appreciation
The inseam pockets that sit along the front of the contrast strip are roomy and feel really perfectly placed, whilst the contrast panel is more visible from the back, which I think that makes the design of the trousers all the more interesting. The waist ties are sewn into the side seams of the waistband and are more decorative than anything, though I imagine they could easily be switched to a full belt depending on personal preference. I made the size 12 and the fit is just about perfect apart from a tiny bit of excess in the front waist, so the belt does help to pull this in, almost creating a paper-bag effect with the depth of the waistband.

Back view (excuse my extreme paleness)
The finished trousers feel both smart and relaxed to wear. The tiny bit of stretch in the fabric, paired with the deep and high-sitting waistband make them the ultimate comfort bottoms. I'll definitely be using this pattern again, and I think View C might become my new go-to culotte pattern (sorry Butterick 6178 - it's time to switch it up)!

Thanks Chris for photo-taking!
The fabric had some slight faults in it, so Lucky Fashions (in Dewsbury) cut me loads more than needed. I see some definite #sewingleftovers coming up! There's about 1.5m left, so I'm thinking a matching top for the faux-jumpsuit/mix and match separates look, but I'm not sure which pattern would be best. Something without too much volume that can be easily tucked in would work well - if you have any suggestions, please send them my way!!

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