Yes, that’s right! Another Style Arc pattern and I actually made this one before the Hope dress and also took it to Greece with on holiday – I just didn’t get decent pictures the days I wore it. In fact, this is probably the project that really got my sew-jo racing back after a rather lacklustre 2022. The project is the Style Arc Blaire/Blair shirt, which I’ve had on my to-do list for literally years. I had the pattern already printed in A0 version, the fabric washed and primed and even the perfect buttons ready to go, so there was absolutely nothing stopping me. And how happy am I with the finished product? Very, very happy. What a great return project to get my teeth into.

Pattern and Sizing

The Blaire pattern is described as “a two in one pattern; they both share the same bodice with a gorgeous small shirt collar and cute turn back cuffs. The Blair shirt has an interesting overlay which falls from the bodice. The Blair dress has lovely shirt tails with a very clever in seam pocket which becomes a modesty underlay so as when the sides of the shirt tails open the leg is hidden.”

The overlay is indeed an interesting feature and, I must admit, not one I really clocked at first. It’s a nice detail and something I’ve come to expect from Style Arc. Their patterns always seem to feature really thoughtful extra details and, more often than not, they give them a certain professionalism that means that Style Arc patterns, of all indie patterns, are the projects I’ve completed that feel most like a (high end) garment I’d have bought in a shop.

Style Arc’s sizing comes in a wide variety of options and I had previously purchased a multi-size pdf. However, the sizing range I bought was 4-16 and at the moment I am more of an 18 on the Style Arc chart. To compound matters, there’s no dart in the pattern as it’s oversized and so, after much scrutiny of other people’s projects and final measurements, I decided just to go with the 16. And it turned out really well! Whew! I would definitely make the same size again, unless it was perhaps a fabric with a lot of drape or some sheerness.

I used a beautiful striped Merchant and Mills cotton lawn I’ve had for a while. It wasn’t exactly an original idea to use the stripe in two directions as it’s one of the examples in the pattern, but, boy, it’s a nice one. The body is split horizontally, which gives you a great contrast and the collar ends up somewhat on the bias for another directional change. I happened to have these buttons in my stash and was so delighted when I spotted them. Aren’t they perfect? Great quality too, from L’Etoffe Fabrics in CA.

Instructions

Well… look, let’s just say this is an older Style Arc pattern that hasn’t had the more recent upgrade to instructions and a sewalong. If you’ve made a shirt before you’ll be golden. If it’s your first shirt… just be prepared to look a few things up. The title of this post refers to the fact that the pattern is referred to as Blair and Blaire alternately and at some point the instructions start talking about “underskirts” – not helpful in a shirt, heh heh. But ultimately it’s fairly straightforward and everything matches up beautifully.

Construction notes

A few notes I took during this project:

With Style Arc patterns, a lot of the information is on the pattern pieces themselves – so make sure to mark everything and scrutinise them closely

Note that the armbands are turned up at the end of the process. A lot of people mentioned they’d missed this first time round

Overall, I’m very happy I made this long lusted-after project and I have a feeling it won’t be long before there’s a dress version on this here blog.