Color Block Your Archer!

So many of you guys requested a tutorial for the color blocked Archer that showed up on the blog last week as part of our announcement that the Archer pattern was back in stock, so we hopped on it and have one for you today! For this variation you'll need the Archer pattern and 2 coordinating fabrics. I don't have an exact yardage amount for this tutorial since the Archer here was made back in 2013 and the amount you need will depend on where you split your pattern. I'd estimate you'll need approximately 1 yard of your contrasting color though.  

To begin, grab pattern pieces 1, 2 & 3 and align them so that the underarms are at the same level, this will ensure that you split at the same place on the side seam. Piece 6 should be aligned with the center front edges of pieces 1 and 2. Once you've done this, draw a line across the pattern at the point where you'd like your color blocks to fall. On the Archer pictured here we split the pattern 9" up from the hem line.  

After you've split your pieces you'll need to add seam allowances to the edges. We added the standard Archer seam allowance of 1/2" to each side of the split. Cut your new pattern pieces out and use them to cut your fabric.  

Your next step is to sew the top and bottom of each pattern piece together to reform the full pattern pieces. You can see here that I just stitched them together then serged the seam. Typically you would press the seam allowance down towards the hem but in the case of this fabric the coral was just sheer enough that I didn't want the seam allowance showing through on the right side of the shirt so I pressed it up to hide behind the more opaque grey.

Once you've attached the tops and bottoms of each piece together, continue sewing the shirt using the Archer instructions. It's a super easy variation that packs a ton of punch!