Friday Pattern Company Donny Shirt - Deadstock Animal Print Viscose Challis 🐆
Are you team layers, team seasonal wardrobe or a mix of both? I love layering up all year round and since I started to sew I don’t want to stop wearing my memades when the seasons change so except for some really warm coats, thin summer trousers and beach cover-ups I usually don’t put many clothes into storage for long. Since I’m waiting for my overlocker to return I thought I’ll add a few posts about makes that I finished previously.
🍄 The Pattern:
The Donny Shirt by Friday Pattern Company is an absolute star in my pattern stash. It is a loose fitting boxy shirt with an ingenious collar construction. There are no buttons or fiddly fastenings, it just goes over your head and will probably become a beloved workhorse in your wardrobe. I have completed two in viscose challis so far and am currently cutting out a third (in a linen this time). The changes I made to all of them is to add 10cm to the length because the original Donny is cropped and I personally prefer not to highlight my midriff area. This is an easy change since there is a lengthening/shortening line provided, the only thing to keep in mind when doing this is your hip measurement because the hem needs to go over the widest part of your hips. The other small change is that I overlocked the pocket edges before pressing it to the wrong side and attaching it. It probably won’t make a huge difference in terms of longevity but I prefer a neat inside finish.
When it comes to instructions, I can’t recommend this pattern label highly enough. The accompanying booklet provides clear writing and illustrations and the sizes offered are fantastic with sixes XS-7XL all covered in one envelope, no need to buy the pattern twice if you tend to fall between two sizing ranges. If you’re more of a visual learner, there is also a sew along video by Friday Pattern Company on YouTube. As the original description of the Donny points out, the look of the shirt can easily be changed with your fabric choice, a floaty fabric such as viscose challis or even a silk will make it look more dressed up while cottons and linens provide more structure. If you’re scared of sewing collared shirts, try the Donny! The facing becomes part of the collar and gives a really secure and neat finish on the inside. It looks more complicated than it is to sew :) The burrito method for the yoke is another plus for me and is well explained in both the instructions and the video. I absolutely love attaching a label to the inside yoke and everything looks so neat in the end!
🍄 The Fabric:
I bought this fabric in one of the sales from Minerva in the spring in two different colour ways and this one is still available. I sewed this with a microtex needle in size 80 and didn’t encounter any issues with snagging or pulls. The fabric feels beautifully dense (is that a thing?) and it felt a little easier to handle than other thinner viscose challises I used. It presses well and I haven’t noticed any colour changes after wearing and washing it for several months now.
❤️🔥 I really love this shirt, it was comfortable to wear in the scorching summer heat and is just as nice now layered up with a warm cardigan. The viscose makes it very breathable which I appreciate because I overheat quickly. It is easy to wear casually with jeans and boots or more dressed up with a skirt and tights. For my next Donny, I will attempt to (very slowly and carefully) topstitch the facing from the right side since I’m not overly keen on the bobbin thread right on the front of the shirt. The same print in the other colour way is earmarked for the Donny dress hack (for which you can find the instructions/ inspiration on the Friday Pattern Company blog) and I’m looking forward to many more Donnys in my wardrobe. Hopefully I can post the linen version soon!
Thanks for reading and happy sewing :)