Camisa en curso/ Shirt in progress B5526 (Buddy Sewing)

I'm using this jungle print from my
fabric inventory, to make a test garment

 ¡Ya es hora!

Ain't it about Time!

You don't want to hear all the challenges my buddy Susan and I had getting Butterick 5526 to this point. The experience reminded Susan of the old expression "A camel is a horse designed by committee." Enough said on that front. Although I would add that we're not alone in our fitting challenges. Look at what this Pattern Reviewer , Sarah Sew and Sew,  wrote. Yes Sarah, we can relate to those too-high sleeve challenges. And I'm glad we went through all those muslins before I got to this looks-like-it's-wearable stage.

At this point 

* No cuffs - It's going to be a 3/4 just below the elbow fastening sleeve. 
* No collar or collar stand. I'll do a standard set this time, but I'm thinking about trying out that idea from the current Threads magazine on the lilac version. More about that when I actually do it!
* It looks like I need to design my own curved front facing. The pattern simply has a turned over twice facing which means I need to keep it buttoned up higher than I normally do to avoid having the back side of the fabric show. I'll test that on the muslin to make sure it comes together right.

We are so gol durned happy that the front and back bodice pieces and the set in sleeves are finally working with me and each other, that we're ready for a party. OK, a sewing party for collars and cuffs maybe.

In celebration of getting to this stage I reviewed my button inventory and realized I don't have any that look good with either the test garment fabric, or the lilac one I'll be making next. I was sure I would, because I have tons of repurposed buttons and a goodly number of new cards as well. But no dice. So, I put in an order at LotsOfButtons.com. They have free shipping after $15.00. So I'll see how that order works out and get back to you.

I want to wear this shirt for awhile before I cut out the beautiful lilac checked material I have planned for this shirt. For the lilac one, I'd like to try out several of the seams I've been practicing in class. Flat felled with french underarm seams perhaps? Rereading this it sounds like I think that French people have different kinds of underarms than Americans, so I couldn't resist leaving it in. Sarah Sew and Sew mentioned she used those seam types on her non-fitting but beautiful one.

At this point I just want to get the basic pattern working and wearable for my body and wear it enough times to see how I might tweak it.