For years I was in search of a simple shirt pattern that would fit me well and my style. Many different shirts have different details that caught my eye but with Olya there was something that clicked and I am coming back to it over and over again. I like the simple silhouette and how good it looks in different outfits. But what I like the most are slightly different seams that create interesting details which are fun to sew and look at later on.

Pattern Name: Olya Shirt

Pattern company: Paper Theory Patterns

Size: 6

Personal highlights: corner seam in the back, front bust seam

The instructions for this pattern are great and what I like is that aside from the standard instructions that come with the pattern there is also a sew-along on the Paper Theory website with extra help that I found very useful for some steps. For those who like video format there is a sew-along available on YouTube as well. This shirt comes together like no other that I have seen and it is so interesting to follow the steps of this design and construction.

This particular Olya I made a few years back but still love wearing it a lot. It is made in soft linen cotton fabric and in this natural color it is a great fit with so many outfits. I love pairing it with jeans in colder months and with soft linens and viscose in the summer. Both are great combos and work well for when I need to cool down or keep warm.

The seams add extra detail that make it interesting even when made in subdued colors. The front bust seam is a great detail in my opinion. I never made pockets that come with the pattern since I knew I would not use them and depending on the fabric they might be trickier to sew or would be visible if using slightly transparent fabric. The pockets are a great detail though and if paired with the right fabric can only add extra interest to this shirt design.

Another great detail is the back corner seam. I think that is the trickiest step in making this shirt. It is not hard but I think it is a point in which the rule “read twice cut once” really bears a lot of meaning. Since you need to cut into the fabric to be able to sew this step I always like to take it slowly and give it extra thought to make it right. If done as per instructions the corner will look great on the outside.

The sleeve placket is another slightly trickier part to sew but if made in small steps while following instructions and sew-along it is much simpler to understand and recreate. For me this part was a bit confusing in instructions booklet but that might be just me since I was fine with following the blog sew-along written by the same creator. I think I just needed to see the steps made on an actual shirt vs drawings in the instructions. And again, many steps go into this small section of the shirt which makes it look complicated at first, but overall it is just a bit more time consuming than other parts.

I really love this shirt pattern and will be making it over and over again in the years to come. I actually have one Olya in the making that is waiting to be finished so I will have one more in rotation soon. And as I wrote in some of my earlier posts, I am a pattern repeater so this should not be a surprise. If I find a pattern that works for me I will make it again and again in different fabrics and build my wardrobe around what I know works and fits my style.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

Ana