Linen Dress
When I saw a beautiful selection of mid-weight linen fabric over at Blackbird Fabrics, I had to get some. They carry so many pretty colours and making a decision was hard! I ended up getting some of red and navy teal (I think the navy teal is currently out of stock.)
I always wanted to add a good quality linen dress to my wardrobe. I wanted something simple with drape, so I decided to do a pattern hack using McCall’s M6465.
Changes I made are:
Made the neck opening slightly smaller
Closed the darts and to compensate, I added more flare to the hem
Added some flare to the back bodice & skirt
Added slit opening and a button on the back
It’s super simple!
It showcases the drape of the linen beautifully, I think. One thing I wasn’t really aware was that a mid-weight linen has some weight. It’s not bulky and some weight is nice (and fairly opaque), but I can feel the weight if I wear it for a long time (especially standing up and walking.)
Having said that, this trapeze-like style uses a lot of fabric, so if it was a sheath dress or a top that don’t require a lot of fabric would have been fine.
Another thing I didn’t know was that linen fabric fray like crazy! I mean, it frays A LOT! I was constantly wiping, dusting, and vacuuming my sewing area during this project.
I really like the end result of quality linen fabric but I’m not a huge fan of the process… The red fabric I bought with this one would have to wait to be used for a while (I don’t feel like dealing with linen right now, haha!)
Linen is often considered as a summer fabric but since this is mid-weight in deep colour, I intended it to be a transition piece. Something I can wear at the end of summer and throughout fall with a cardigan/jacket.
Oct 14, 2018
