Make Nine finish #6: a Berwick St. shirt and Valencia pants

I have a handful of favorite patterns that I reuse often. Once the pattern pieces are modified and re-drafted to fit me, it’s fun to focus on variations to these garments—shortening/lengthening sleeves, incorporating color blocking, using different fabrics, adding hand stitching, and the like. These are the times when I feel creative… and why I include a “Make it Again” prompt in my Make Nine challenges.

My Berwick St. shirt in linen/cotton with the pattern.

The Berwick St. Tunic re-make

Back in 2021, I used an eclectic Australian aboriginal print [by M&S Textiles Australia] to make my first Berwick Street Tunic [by The Sewing Workshop]. I wear it often in cooler weather but always thought it would be interesting to forego the gathered lower front panel and make a shorter, shirt variation and extend the button band down the full length of the front. So, here is my Berwick Street shirt, and the sixth finish for Make Nine 2024, fulfilling the Make it Again prompt.

My new linen/cotton Berwick Street shirt.

This Berwick St. shirt is made from a linen/cotton blend from Art Gallery Fabrics’ Inkperfect collection. When I was at Gina’s Bernina, a quilt shop in Knoxville, TN, I couldn’t decide which print to buy, so I purchased yardage of both. I drafted new pattern pieces for the front (to eliminate the gathered lower front panel) and shortened the bodice back about 3.5”

Redrafted front pattern piece.

I curved the bottom hem on the front pieces and matched them to the back pattern piece at the side seams.

Berwick Street shirt: color blocked front and curved bottom hem.

One of my favorite parts of the garment sewing process is choosing buttons from my extensive button collection! (Who doesn’t like mixing and matching and playing with all the buttons in the button box??) Buttons were needed for the sleeve cuffs and the front—and they don’t have to match or be the same!

Button options for the sleeve cuffs.

Small white shirt buttons were chosen for the concealed button placket.

This AGF linen blend has a beautiful drape and was easy to hand sew for the finishing steps—bottom hem, collar facing, cuffs.

To accompany my new shirt, I did a re-make of another favorite pattern—the one-seam Valencia Pants [The Sewing Workshop]—with a nubby, dobby yarn-dyed fabric [by Diamond Textiles] that I purchased on a recent visit to Fletcher’s Homemade in Elizabethton, TN.

Valencia Pants with added patch pockets. Pockets are lined with a voile print.

The pockets are a pattern hack that was added since my first version of these pants. I like to line the pockets with a “surprise” fun fabric like this one—a voile from the Emmy Grace collection [Art Gallery Fabrics]. Using a voile, rayon, or lighter weight cotton fabric for pocket linings reduces the bulk of the pocket and makes it easy to turn. (It’s also a great way to use up smaller pieces of fabric and offcuts from other projects!)

I wore both of these makes at H+H Americas, an industry trade show at the beginning of May. Nothing like a deadline to get something made… and finished!

Make Nine 2024 tracker. May 2024.

Make Nine 2024 Tracker: Make it Again prompt.

The Berwick St. Tunic with Australian Aboriginal fabric, a Make Nine finish

My new Berwick St. Tunic by The Sewing Workshop.
Fabric from M&S Textiles Australia.

This is the Berwick St. Tunic in an Australian aboriginal fabric print—my fourth Make Nine finish for 2021.

This Make Nine finish checks the "New to Me" prompt as this is the first time making the Berwick St. Tunic pattern [by The Sewing Workshop]. I also learned a new construction detail: a concealed button placket.

The fabric is an Australian Aboriginal print called Gathering by the Creek (burgundy colorway) by Janet Long Nakamarra [for M&S Textiles Australia]. I loved this colorway the minute I saw it and knew it was destined to be a garment for me.

The warm Spring weather has turned around this week and the Berwick's long sleeves are a comfortable and welcome buffer against the cool temperature. 

Details about the Berwick St. Tunic
This long-sleeved tunic has a mandarin collar, concealed front button placket, pleated front peplum, side vents, and sleeve plackets with narrow,  buttoned cuffs. I have enjoyed working with The Sewing Workshop patterns—the style, the fit, the instructions are all good—and there are always interesting details or construction techniques included in the making of the garments. This one was no different.

The Berwick St. Tunic pattern. The fabric print is one of the Dreamtime designs by an Australian Aboriginal designer. Fabric from M&S Textiles Australia.

The new garment construction detail for me was the concealed front button placket. The pattern instructions were right on point and I sailed through. Hint: if you're not proficient with making button holes, this placket has it covered (literally!). 

In my case, I didn't have enough of the red colored buttons for the front and cuffs, so I used the off-color buttons under the placket and the red buttons at the top and cuffs—where the buttons would show. I opted not to put a button or button hole in the collar as I knew I would wear this garment open at the neck.

Different colored buttons used in the concealed front placket.

I also sewed the sleeves closed with a non-functioning button. The sleeve openings are sufficiently wide to get my hands through. 

Placket sleeves with a narrow cuff.

The irregular stripe of Gathering by the Creek print runs uninterrupted down the single-piece bodice back. No pattern matching was needed! (Gotta love a great stripe!)

The Berwick, back view.

The side vent allows for ample ease. And I have slightly lengthened the sleeves to suit my style... and long arms.

The Berwick's side vent.

Because of the front peplum, you do have to put the tunic on over your head.

The Berwick St. Tunic, front view.

For the next Berwick
Now that I have one make of the Berwick under my belt, the next time I use the pattern I'd incorporate modifications: 

• give it a full front opening and omit the peplum,
• shorten to make it shirt length,
• eliminate the cuff plackets and just use the narrow cuffs,
• remember the total number of buttons needed.

Me in my new Australian aboriginal Berwick. 

All in all, it was a successful project and another Make Nine 2021 finish! 

Make Nine 2021 worksheet: April update