The warmer weather is slowly approaching, and with it, the desire to sew lighter, easier-to-wear, and quicker-to-make garments. How about transforming your Clémentine pattern into a summer shirt ?
In this article, we explain step by step how to transform the pattern of the Clémentine shirt, a timeless shirt, into a summer version, with short sleeves, ideal for the warm season, in all elegance.
A very simple sewing hack, which only requires a few quick and accessible adjustments, even for beginner seamstresses.
What supplies are needed to transform the Clementine shirt into a summer shirt?
The basic equipment
Here is a list of essential equipment to get started:
Before you begin, here is a list of the supplies you will need:
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The pattern for the Clementine shirt
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140 cm of fabric by 140 cm wide
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A 17 x 90 cm piece of iron-on interfacing
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6 buttons of 12 mm
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A pair of sewing scissors
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Pattern paper
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An erasable pen (like FriXion) or a piece of chalk
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An iron
Recommended fabrics
For a short-sleeved shirt that is light and comfortable to wear, opt for natural and breathable materials such as linen , lyocell , cotton poplin , Oxford woven cotton , or even a simple lightweight cotton .
What if you opted for upcycling?
The making of a summer shirt lends itself very well to upcycling!
Here are some ideas:
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Vintage sheets or tablecloths : often made of cotton or linen, they are soft, breathable and perfect for summer.
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Scraps or placemats : use them to create unique details like front pockets.
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Sleeves, collar, collar stand, or button placket: let your creativity speak by cutting them from scraps of fabric, even contrasting ones, for an original and cheerful result.
⚠️ Quick technical tip : avoid sheets that are too thin (which could be transparent) or fabrics that are too slippery, which would complicate the sewing steps of the shirt.
For our part, we sewed our Clémentine summer shirt in a superb blue and white striped fabric, a blend of 81% cotton and 19% linen (140 g/m²), made in Italy and from the end stock of a large French fashion house .
An elegant, breathable and comfortable material, perfect for a unique summer piece.
Want to get started?
This project is available in Complete sewing kit available in our shop, with everything you need to make your own version.
The modifications to be made to our Clementine pattern
To transform your Clementine shirt into a short-sleeved shirt, here are the main modifications to make to the pattern before you start sewing:
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To shorten the bottom of the shirt : Draw a horizontal line on the "front" and "back" pieces , perpendicular to the notch on the pattern - see drawing below.
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To shorten the sleeves : To do this, measure 20 cm from the sleeve head, then draw a line parallel to the wrist line across the entire width of the sleeve, and cut.
The wrist pieces (piece no. 5) and the capucine slit (piece no. 8) will not be useful to you to make the short version of Clémentine.
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Hem the bottom of the sleeves and the bottom of the shirt : for a neat finish, hem the sleeves and the bottom of the shirt.
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Pre-fold with an iron, on the wrong side, once over a distance of 1 cm
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A second time over 1 cm.
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Stitch 0.8 cm from the edge to hold the hem in place.
Repeat these same steps for both sleeves and for the bottom of the shirt.
Now that the pattern modifications are clear, it's time to get down to business: preparing and sewing your summer shirt .
The steps for sew your short-sleeved shirt
Preparing the pattern pieces
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Choose your size on the Clémentine pattern. If you are unsure, you can refer to our size guide.
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Apply the length alterations , explained in the previous paragraph, to the sleeves as well as to the lower body.
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Cut out the pattern pieces directly or trace them onto special pattern paper if you wish to keep the original intact for other versions.
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Cut your pieces from the chosen fabric, respecting the grain line.
Sewing the summer shirt
Everything is ready, now all you have to do is start sewing. It couldn't be simpler: just follow the steps in the guide. And to help you along, a video tutorial is available , perfect for visualizing each step.
Outfit results and inspiration
And there you have it, your summer shirt is ready !
This quick and easy sewing hack is perfect for those who want a unique piece to slip into their summer suitcase.
How to wear your shirt?
Here are some outfit ideas to adopt it for everyday wear :
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Open over a white tank top with high-waisted shorts for a casual look.
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Tied at the waist over a flowing midi skirt for a more romantic style.
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Worn closed , simply with raw denim and leather sandals.
It's an easy piece to match , comfortable to wear , and above all... handmade with love .
And that's what we love most about Maeli 💛.
