A Summary Of A Summery Ilford Shirt Jacket

We “summer-ized” the Ilford Shirt by Friday Pattern Company.
Martha, Michelle and I needed an easy-to-sew shirt to get through these hot summer days, so we hacked the pattern a bit.

Michelle, Jamie and Martha

Martha’s Summary

My favorite way of making and wearing the Ilford Jacket is actually as a cropped summer blouse.  I have four versions of this summer shirt and I love wearing them with a high waist, wider leg pant and also with skirts.  For this version, I made multiple changes.


I went down two sizes from my "true" size.  According to my measurements I should be in a size Medium but I made this one Extra Small.  

I cropped 3" from the length of the body.  The pattern doesn't have a shorten/lengthen line but it is a squared off shape so I simply removed 3 inches from the bottom of the front and back pattern pieces.  Don't forget to move the notches at the bottom front if you decide to do this too!

I made the sleeve 3" long using the boxy sleeve pattern.  I measured 3" from the top of the sleeve at the weird pointy bit and drew a perpendicular line across the sleeve pattern 3" down to leave me with a short sleeve.  

I also went a little crazy with the buttons just because I like the look of a bigger button on pretty much everything.

Gail’s Summary


For the Ilford pattern I opted for the longer version in a lightweight linen/cotton blend.  I used a contrasting pattern for the inside of the cuffs, and underside of the collar.  I found the pattern to have too much ease, so instead of a Medium, I used the XS sizing.  Using a tape measure with the finish measurements helped me decide what size to cut out.  I usually have some errand to run after I work out, so I use this 3/4 jacket to slip over my gym clothes.  Nice pattern, lots of variations.  I used large snaps for closures.

We love this pattern because it is so easy to make changes for any weather.

Jamie’s Summary

I was looking for a super light-weight fabric and decided on a double-gauze. The sleeves were removed and I added some binding with the same fabric at the dropped-shoulder.
It’s so comfortable and very nice on hot summer days because the cotton is so breathable!

Michelle’s Summary

I chose this adorable chambrey because I love fun pattern designs. This one has cute peacocks on it, which needed to be carefully matched up, so I took time when cutting the fabric to make it work. The length was shortened to my hip and I made the sleeves much shorter for a breezy summer look. Love it!

The Ilford Shirt Jacket is one of the patterns you’ll use to make your first top. You’ll also be making a skirt and have a personal shopper meet you at the fabric store to help you get the patterns and fabrics. This class is recommended for those who have had Stitch-Style-Create 1 or equivalent. It’s a five session course called Stitch-Style-Create II. Register today!