Today I’m sharing a couple of repeat makes: a new Olya Shirt (pattern by Paper Theory) and Gilbert Top by Helen’s Closet.

And since I’ve made these patterns before and don’t have much by the way of new insight – I’m hopeful I can keep this shirt story on the short side!!

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Olya Shirt #1000000

So let’s start with my millionth version of the Olya Shirt.

It’s not even my first ever striped Olya Shirt!

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I really love this pattern – if I had to use one shirt pattern only for the rest of my life, it would be the Olya Shirt. No hesitation.

This version is very slightly hacked. It’s based on a the size 12 of the pattern, but I’ve hacked it a bit over time – giving it a slightly more a-line shape over my hips and it’s been lengthened it by 12 centimetres – you can ready the details about it in this blog post.

I’ve also shortened the Olya Shirt sleeve by a couple of centimetres, as I’ve learned from experience that the original length is a bit too long for my arms.

After a few versions, the other thing I’ve decided on with the Olya Shirt is that I prefer to skip the pockets – they are an interesting design feature but I find that they gape a bit and aren’t really useable. So I prefer to keep it more streamlined.

This version is made out of a simple lightweight cotton shirting fabric that I got from The Fabric Sales in Belgium. It’s as classic as it comes…

I’ve sewn the Olya Shirt so many times that I really have nothing much to say about it. It’s always a pleasure to sew – interesting lines and details. Always need to concentrate a little but consistently proud of the results!

Gilbert Top (and sewing copy cats)

And the other make I’ve got to share is a Gilbert Top by Helen’s Closet.

In six years of blogging and sharing my sewing online, one of my favourite things is when people get in touch in order to let me know that they’ve ‘copied’ one of my makes. It feels like I’m managing to do something right when something I make inspires other people!

And so, this Gilbert Top, is an unashamed straight-out copy of a make by the wonderful Nisan who shares on instagram @the.social.fabric or on her lovely blog.

If the magical sewing fairies could give me the wardrobe of another sewist (but all in my own perfect size), I think I would choose Nisan’s wardrobe. Her makes are always so stylish and inspiring.

And I’ve been meaning to try to make a version of the Gilbert Top using this double-sided gingham double gauze from Atelier Brunette ever since I saw Nisan’s version about a year ago!

And then I recently stumbled across a fabric store having a closing down sale, so I was able to pick up this fabric for 60% off.

So I knew the time had come to pay homage to a sewing icon by, ummm, copying one of her makes…

The Gilbert Top by Helen’s Closet is a great choice of pattern for this double-sided fabric. The camp-style collar means that you can showcase the contrasting gingham perfectly!

I’ve made the Gilbert Top before, so if you want details about making the pattern and the sewing experience – I’d suggest you could check out my earlier post on it.

I love the end result here but I still must admit that there is just something about camp collars that still feel a bit pyjama-like to me. Full disclosure – my first Gilbert Top in double gauze has become a go-to summer pyjama but I don’t wear it outside of the house. The Gilbert Top also has a variation with front waist ties – maybe if I try it again, I should give the ties a try to mix up the vibe a little.

I do think this latest version is interesting enough to avoid pyjama town but I think I have come to the realisation that I prefer a traditional shirt collar to a camp collar. Only took me a few shirts to figure it out…

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