We are so pleased to announce the release of a new Twig + Tale pattern for women and men: the Breeze Shirt. Airy, loose, and perfect for hot summer weather, the Breeze is casual, but still looks put-together, with refined details like a neat stand collar, front slit, and sleeve tabs.
A simple sew that is comfortable to wear, this is the top we will reach for when the weather heats up - we really do think that the Breeze is the perfect summer shirt!
When the Breeze Shirt for Children was released, we received many requests to offer the pattern in adult sizes. We agreed that this top would translate beautifully into men's and women's versions, and are excited that the whole family can now enjoy Breezy goodness! Let's take a closer look...
The Men's Breeze Shirt
The Men's Breeze Shirt is a loose-fitting pullover top with a stand collar, dropped shoulders, and an easy, comfortable fit. The pattern includes two sleeve lengths - short sleeves for a casual, summery feel, or long sleeves for a bit more skin coverage. Optional sleeve tabs secure rolled-up sleeves and add a professional-looking detail.
The Women's Breeze Shirt
With the same basic details as the men's version, the Women's Breeze Shirt also includes some additional options. The pattern includes long sleeves with optional sleeve tabs, but also offers short flounce sleeves for a more feminine detail. The Women's Breeze includes the choice of a straight hem or curved shirttail-style hem, and for some extra shaping, elastic may be added to the back of the body.
Two Women's Breeze pattern also includes two lengths: shirt-length, or a new tunic-length that makes a wonderful beach cover-up.
Designed to be sewn with lightweight, woven fabrics, the Breeze features a faced front slit, allowing it to comfortably pull over the head. Leave the slit open, or add button-and-loop closures. Alternately, have a look at this tutorial for instructions to add grommets and laces for a classic costume look.
Both the men's and women's pattern tutorials also include an intermediate-level option for sewing bound side splits, a lovely detail that adds to the shirt's airy, beachy look.
The Men's Breeze pattern offers a wide range of sizes from 32" to 60" chest, and the Women's Breeze includes sizes to fit a 30" to 51.5" full bust.
The PDF pattern includes options for printing A4, US Letter, and A0 formats. The layered file allows you to print just the size(s) you need.
The tutorial is clear and thorough, offering lots of photos, video clips, and helpful tips to guide you through the project from start to finish.
One of the standout features of the Breeze Shirt is that it is finished with French seams. This technique encloses all raw fabric edges, eliminating the need to overlock or zigzag seam allowances, and gives a beautiful finish to the inside of the garment.
If you're new to French seams, the Breeze tutorial will guide you through the entire process, and we are sure that you will be thrilled with the professional-looking finish. Curious to see the technique used for sewing French seams? Have a look at our French seam primer.
The Breeze Shirt's airy, casual feel really shines when it is sewn with a soft, lightweight fabric with good drape. Linen, muslin, double gauze, cotton lawn, and light chambray are all lovely choices that feel wonderful next to the skin when the weather is hot. Read more about fabric recommendations here.
We hope you enjoy sewing Breeze shirts for the whole family! Please join us at the Twig + Tale Facebook group to look for inspiration, ask questions, and of course, share photos of your creations.
Read more about the Breeze Shirt here:
- Introducing the Breeze Shirt for Children
- How to Add Eyelets to the Breeze Shirt
- How to Add a Reverse Contrast Facing to the Breeze Shirt
- The Breeze Shirt: Fabric Recommendations
- How to Add Pockets to the Breeze Shirt
- How to Sew French Seams
~Lovely photos by Ruth Phillips, Kristie Comarmond, Angela Schade, Sonja den Biggelaar, and Jo Benayoun~