Growing up, raccoons were rampant in my suburban hometown. So much so that my dad had to bungee-cord our garbage cans to the fence to keep them from scattering trash all over our yard each night. Those grubby little hands can do a lot of damage! I prefer my rodents in cartoon form, where they’re exponentially cuter and less likely to pillage your garbage.

Marc picked out this adorable raccoons-smelling-flowers Cotton + Steel fabric when he stopped into Oak Fabrics with me, and it was destined for a button-down shirt. I can’t recommend it enough! The 100% cotton was a dream to sew with, and the blue color is incredibly vibrant in person. I can only imagine that it’ll get softer with wear. (Marc claims it’s very comfy.)

I used the trusty McCall’s 6044 again after a successful (unblogged) long-sleeve flannel and short-sleeve version. Marc is 6’2″ with a 37″ chest and roughly 33″ waist, and—like before—I sewed a straight medium.

Last time around, I sewed a Mandarin-style collar (collar band only), but Marc wanted a standard collar and collar band this time. I followed the pattern’s instructions for attaching everything, only because I totally forgot that I much prefer the way that Grainline Studio recommends attaching the collar for the Archer. I almost always get a cleaner finish that way.

That’s all I have to say about this one. I’m really happy with how it turned out! If you’re looking for a men’s shirt pattern, I highly recommend giving M6044 a shot.