Blue! Everything in my wardrobe is blue. Black used to be my go-to color, a drab, but safe option. But now, everything’s coming up blue.
Why am I obsessed with ‘blue’ this Spring? It could be because I’d like to see the gray of our Oregon sky replaced with a bit of blue!! Or maybe its because I need a trip to the tropics and a ‘hit’ of a warm ocean’s blue. Whatever the reason, I’m completely taken with any and all variations of blue this Spring; denim blue, sky blue, robin’s egg blue, sailor’s blue, powder blue, cobalt blue…need I continue? Perhaps, you’ve seen me. I’m the wild-eyed blonde that’s lurking in the the denim and chambray aisle of your favorite fabric store.
I can’t tell you how many random pieces of blue fabric I’ve picked up over the last few months. My latest ‘hit’ of blue came when I spotted a gorgeous piece of linen at Fabric Depot. At first, my thoughts were reasoned. “You can’t have it,” I told myself. “Your stash is huge.” But my heart other ideas.
That’s when I remembered an important fact about linen. It breathes, which makes it the perfect choice for summer clothes! Since I’m planning a trip to the tip of Southern California in June, I’ll need tops that can handle cool coastal mornings as well as hot dry afternoons. That’s justification enough for me!
The top I made with my lovely blue linen is Butterick 6097, a fitted shirt with a collar and peplum variations, princess seams and a front button band. I chose the pattern because it has some structure, which will make it a great companion for shorts, skirts, or jeans. Also, the has the style has a slight retro vibe, which I always, always love.
I made view B, a long sleeve version that I modified. My sleeves are closer to 3/4 and I skipped the cuff so that I could push the sleeves up if I got too warm. Also, that version had a pleated peplum, which was something I’d never tried before.
Because the pattern is so fitted, I chose to go up a size in the waist (since I don’t really have one), then cut my usual size through the hips. I didn’t do a muslin (since I have zero patience), an approach that frequently has horrifying consequences. But this time, lucky for me, my adjustments worked! The pattern went together easily and it fit with just a bit of last minute seam adjustment at the sides.
The linen was a breeze to sew with, but it has absolutely no ‘give’, so I’m lucky my size adjustments worked!! I love any fabric that presses into a crisp, clean edge and this linen did not disappoint. However, as we all know, linen is notorious. Pressed today means wrinkles tomorrow, no matter what you do. But I love linen’s wrinkles – they’re classic and cool. The pleats were super easy to sew as long as you marked them well.
I’ve worn the top once and it was really comfortable, even after eating a huge dessert, a ‘plus’ in my book. Now, if only my waist was as small as this woman’s…She’s a miniature version of a real woman, right?
Do you like to sew with linen? What’s your favorite fabric to wear in summer?
Elle Gee Makes 
You look fabulous in blue!
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Love this!
💙
helloscarlettblog.com
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Beautiful! Love the fabric/pattern combination, and the color is so nice on you! I have worked with linen a few times (same length of fabric, different projects!), and it was not my favorite. Between the fraying and the wrinkling, I got frustrated! But I got two great items out of it and have enough fabric for something else, if I can get up the nerve to unroll what’s left over. 😉
And take heart: that lady in the Dior “Bar Suit” is almost certainly wearing a longline bra and a girdle–and possibly a waist cincher as well–underneath it, which was the standard-issue set of undergarments for proper ladies at that time. Those underpinnings were so strong that they were capable of reducing a woman’s dress size by 1 or 2 sizes!! The stiffening of the jacket’s peplum adds to the dramatic waist:hip contrast. She is certainly quite slim, but she’s not achieving that silhouette all on her own!
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Oh, so that’s how they get those tiny waists! The waist cincher sounds like torture to a dessert loving person like me, though. I agree that linen can be a bit frustrating sometimes as it does fray quite a bit so you absolutely have to finish those seams somehow or you have a mess on your hands! I’ve noticed some linen frays more than others…not sure what that’s about.
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I like the blue! I agree, for summer, linen is nice. I like the lighter fabrics and bright colours for summer dresses at the office. All covered up, but still cool. Oh no! I should hurry up and make some summer dresses! 😃
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That is the nice thing about linen in the summer, isn’t it? Even longer sleeves feel comfortable!
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