Materials:

 Fabric: cotton, linen, flannel (repurposed men’s shirts work really well for this project)
 ¼ yard fusible interfacing
 Five to Ten ½” buttons for shirt front placket
 Four ½” buttons for cuffs and sleeve placket for long sleeve option

Finished Shirt Finished Sleeve Length

Size Fits Chest Size Finished Width** Fabric
Length** (long sleeves)
3 mos. 18” 45.75 cm 10" 25.5 cm 10.5 26.75 cm 8.5" 21.50 cm ½ yard
6 mos. 19” 48.25 cm 11" 28 cm 11 28 cm 9" 22.75 cm 45 cm
12 mos. 20” 48.25 cm 12" 30.5 cm 11.5 29.25 cm 9.75" 24.75 cm
¾ yard
18 mos. 20.5” 49.5 cm 13" 33 cm 11.75 29.75 cm 10.5" 26.75 cm
70 cm
2T 21” 50.75 cm 14" 35.5 cm 12.25 31 cm 11.5" 29.25 cm
3T 22” 52 cm 15" 38 cm 12.75 32.5 cm 12.5" 31.75 cm 1 yard
4T 23” 53.5 cm 16" 40.75 cm 13.25 33.75 cm 13.75" 35 cm 90 cm
5 24” 54 cm 17" 43.25 cm 13.75 35 cm 15" 38 cm 1 1/4 yards
6 25” 56 cm 18" 45.75 cm 14.5 36.75 cm 15.75" 40 cm 115 cm
7 26” 58.5 cm 19" 48.25 cm 15 38 cm 16.5" 42 cm
8 27” 59.75 cm 20" 50.75 cm 15.75 40 cm 17.5" 44.5 cm 1 1/2 yards
10 28.5” 72.5 cm 21.5" 54.5 cm 16.5 42 cm 18.75" 47.75 cm 140 cm
12 30” 76.25 cm 23" 58.5 cm 17.25 43.75 cm 19.75" 50.25 cm
*Yardage requirements are based on a 44” bolt width. For the short sleeve option and/or wider bolts
you will have some leftover fabric. Metric conversion are approximate and provided for your
convenience. For an exact fit you may want to work in inches.

***Shirt length is measured from the shoulder to the highest point of the hemline. Shirt width is
measured under the arms.

You may sell items made with this e-Book. You may not copy, sell, or redistribute this e-Book in any
form.

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Choosing Your Size

Measure your child’s chest and choose the corresponding size from the size chart. Check the finished
measurements against a shirt that fits well and adjust as needed. The Classic Oxford has a slim,
tailored fit. If your child is in between sizes or you prefer a roomier fit go up 1 size. For a girls shirt
you may want to go down 1 size.

Cutting Out Your Pieces

Cut out your pieces using the pattern provided at the end of the tutorial. Pattern pieces should be
printed at 100% scale. Seam allowances are included in the pattern pieces. Tape your pattern pieces
together along the dashed lines.

*If you are repurposing a men’s button-up you can use the existing button placket. Fold
the center front over 1.75" and then align the folded edge with the center of the existing placket.
When buttoned shut the front pieces should be the same width as the back piece. The top buttons
should be ≈2" below the top edge of the center front neckline and the bottom button should be ≈3"
above the bottom edge.

Sewing Guidelines

Use a 1/2” (1.25 cm) seam allowance unless otherwise noted.

Press all seams open and flat. Finish all exposed seams by serging, sewing with a zig zag stitch or
trimming with pinking shears to prevent fraying.

Prewash and dry your fabric.

Piece Preparation

Add interfacing to the wrong side of 1 collar piece, 2 cuff pieces, and both collar stands. Apply 1”
strips of interfacing to the center front of the left and right front on the wrong side of the fabric and
¼” in from the raw edge.

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Assembly

Front
1. Press the center front over ¼” and then
another 1” towards the wrong side of the shirt
and topstitch in place along the 1st fold line to
form the placket.

Repeat with the other front piece.

2. Add buttonholes to one placket and buttons to

the other. I recommend placing your 1st button
approximately 2” below the top neckline and
spacing the buttons 2-3” apart.

For a boys shirt the buttonholes go on the left

front piece and the buttons on the right.

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Pocket (optional)
3. Press the top edge of the pocket over ¼”
towards the wrong side of the pocket. Then press
the top edge of the pocket over ½” towards the
right side of the pocket.

Topstitch the folds in place ¼” from the raw

edge and trim the seam allowance at each corner.

4. Turn the top of the pocket right side out and

press the remaining edges in ¼” towards the
wrong side of the pocket.

Topstitch the top of the pocket in place along the

fold line.

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5. Position the pocket on the left front (from the
wearer’s perspective) using the placement marks
as a guide and topstitch in place along the sides
and bottom edges.

Back Assembly
6. Press your pleats on the back shirt piece. The
pressing lines for the pleats are marked on the
pattern piece. Baste in place.

The back piece should now be the same width as

the yoke piece.

7. With RST sew the yoke piece (not the yoke

lining) to the back shirt piece.

*Tip: If you're comfortable sewing lots of layers

you can do steps 7 and 8 at the same time.

8. Sew the yoke lining piece to the back piece

with the right side of the lining against the wrong
side of the shirt. The back of the shirt should
now be in-between the yoke and yoke lining.

9. With RST sew the left and right front to the

yoke piece (NOT the yoke lining) at the shoulder
seams.

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10. Starting at the bottom edge roll the shirt up so it fits in-between the yoke piece and the yoke
lining. Sew the yoke and yoke lining together at the shoulder seams with RST.

11. Turn the shirt right side out through the neck
opening. The shoulder seams and seam between
the yoke and back piece will now be fully
enclosed.

Topstitch through all layers of the yoke along the

bottom edge and shoulders.

Sleeve Placket (Long Sleeves Only)

12. Find the mid-point between the sleeve center
and sleeve edge and center the stitching box of
the sleeve placket over the midpoint. The
wrong side of the sleeve and placket
should be face-up.

Make sure you have the placket piece on the left

side of one sleeve and the right side of the other
with the tallest portion of the placket near the
sleeve center and the shortest portion near the
sleeve edge.

Sew the placket pieces to the sleeves along the

marked stitching lines.

Cut through both the placket and sleeve up the

center of the stitching box and clip in towards
the corners. Cut as close as possible without
cutting through your stitching (yellow
markings).

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13. Pull the placket piece over to the right side of
the sleeve and press flat.

14. Press the short side of the placket piece

towards the sleeve center. Press the small piece
of your vent towards the sleeve center.

15. Fold the raw edge of the small side of the

placket over 1/4" and then another 1/4" so all of
your raw edges on that side are fully enclosed.
Topstitch in place just above the top edge of the
vent and continuing down the side.

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16. Press the tall side of the placket piece towards
the sleeve edge.

(dotted lines are referenced in the next step)

17. Fold your placket along the dotted lines

shown in Step 16 so all seams are now fully
enclosed. Start by folding the raw edges
underneath the "tower" portion of the placket
and then folding the entire portion back towards
the center of the sleeve.

Topstitch along the outer fold line of the tower

(yellow marking) only sewing through the
placket and not the sleeve. You will need to
maneuver the sleeve so it's out of the way as you
sew.

Topstitch along the remaining edges. For

additional reinforcement you can add barn door
stitching to the top of the tower.

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Button Tab (Convertible Sleeves Only)
18. With right sides together (RST) sew 2 button
tab pieces together along the long and angled
edges using a 1/4" seam allowance.

Turn right side out by pushing the pointed end

back through the button tab.

Press flat, tuck the raw edges in ¼” and topstitch

around all edges.

Sew a buttonhole at the pointed end of the

button tab.
19. Center the straight edge of the button tab
over the button tab marking on the wrong
side of the sleeve. Topstitch in place using a
barn door stitching pattern.

On the right side of the sleeve sew a button in

place directly over your stitching for the sleeve
tab.

Sleeves (All Options)

20. With RST sew the sleeves into the arm
openings. If you are doing the long sleeve option
make sure the placket is on the back half of the
sleeve.

*Tip: For a perfect fit pin the sleeve edges to the

side seams and then ease the remaining fabric to
fit.

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21. Turn your seam allowance from the previous
step towards the body of the shirt and topstitch
in place 1/8” from the seamline.

22. With RST sew up the sleeve inseam and side

seam in one continuous seam.

* Tip: In the smaller sizes for the short sleeve

option you may find it easier to hem the sleeves
first (see the next step for help).

Short Sleeves Only

23. Turn the bottom edge of the sleeve in ¼” and
then another ½” towards the inside of the sleeve.
Press flat and topstitch in place along the 1st fold
line to hem.

Cuffs (long sleeves only)

24. With RST sew 2 cuff pieces together along
both short edges and one long edge. Trim the
seam allowances at each corner.

Repeat with the 2nd cuff.

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25. Turn the cuff right side out and press flat.
Tuck the raw edges inside the cuff 1/2" and press
flat.

26. Slide the cuff onto the sleeve so the bottom

1/2" of the sleeve is inside the cuff. Start pinning
the cuffs in place starting on the underside of the
placket.

When you near the other end of the sleeve, pleat

the excess fabric so the sleeve is the same size as
the cuff.

If you are sewing for a girl you can do a slight

gather instead.

Topstitch around all edges of the cuff.

27. Sew buttonholes to the overlapping side of the placket and cuff and buttons to the underside.

Collar
28. With RST sew the 2 collar pieces together
along the longest edge and 2 sides. Trim your
seam allowance around the collar and at each
corner.

29. Turn the collar right side out and press flat.
Topstitch around the finished edges.

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30. Slide the collar in-between the two collar
stand pieces with the right side of the collar
stand against the collar and the bottom of the
collar against the upper edge (the curved edge)
of the collar stands. Sew together across the
length of the collar using a 1/4" seam
allowance.
31. With RST sew the straight edge of one side of
the collar stand to the shirt neckline on the right
side of the shirt making sure the collar stand is
centered on the neckline. Use a 1/4" seam
allowance.

32. Bring the short ends of the collar stand

together with RST and fold the bottom edges up
1/4". Start sewing where you left off in Step 30
and continue down the curved edge sewing just
beyond the center front edge of the shirt.

You will have a bit of extra collar stand to

make this step easier to sew. Sew right
next to the shirt edge as shown and then
trim any excess. The finished collar stand will
be flush with the edge of the shirt.

33. Flip the collar and collar stand up. Tuck the raw edges of the collar stand in ¼” and then
topstitch around all edges of the collar stand. Sew a horizontal buttonhole to one end (the left for a
boy’s shirt) of the collar stand and a button on the other end.

Hem
34. Sew a basting stitch ½” from the bottom
edge of the shirt. Press the bottom edge up just
below your basting stitch.

35. Tuck the raw edge in ¼” and topstitch in

place to finish your hem. Due to the curved
nature of the hem you may need to make a few
small tucks on the wrong side of the shirt as you
topstitch the hem.

Stuck? Email peekaboopatternshop@gmail.com for help or to make suggestions for improving this
pattern.

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