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Our 212 Five Frontier Shirts pattern does not have the popularity I think it deserves. This pattern is one that I get glowing praise about, from the few people who make it. It is well drafted, with great instructions, and it comes together easily because of this. And, with five options for shirts, and all the fabric combinations (not to mention embroidery possibilities), there are endless shirts that can be made from this pattern. The plackets get the most compliments, with one customer telling me that she uses the placket from this shirt for all the shirts she makes now.
You can read quite a bit about this shirt from Wanderstitch who made it for her partner, three times! Her blog post about the first version is here (View D), second version, and modified for short sleeves here.
Also, Joanne Banko has used this pattern to create an embroidered version which she featured on her TV show It's Sew Easy (itsseweasy.com).
With this pattern, you don't have to have the front yoke parts, on any of the views. Views B and C have a buttoned yoke over the slit front neck, but they can be left off, and Views D and E have curved yokes added on top of the shirt front and back. They can be left off for a traditional-looking button down shirt.
I have been wanting another button down shirt as I don't really have many and I like to wear them. At first, I thought I would make a flannel shirt, View E, without the curved yokes, and I even ordered the flannel and was about to cut it out when I passed by our collection of organic linen and I new I had to make the shirt in linen - and in two colors so that it would be a bit more "western" and a little different than my normal button-downs. I decided to just do the curved yoke without piping, and to make the cuffs, cuff plackets, and collar with the second color.
I added snaps (but did not add the collar stand snap because I'll never use it) and it adds a bit more western feel, but not over the top. This will be in regular rotation in my everyday wardrobe. It looks cute tucked in or out!
It was a fun pattern to use and I have lots more ideas about what to make with it! You can see some on our Pinterest board. Maybe the flannel, maybe an embroidered yoke, or plaid with a solid yoke, or View A without the laces/eyelets in a linen or silk . . . .
What would you make?
Meg
March 24, 2021
I think if this version were the photo I first saw while browsing the patterns, I would buy it in a heartbeat! The super-fancy guy’s version that is currently the first photo on the pattern’s listing definitely made me think this pattern wasn’t for me. Thanks for encouraging me to take another look!