We’re in full-on Halloween mode over here (skulls, ravens, you know….the usual). In a typical year, this would mean the season for linen tops would be long past. But in Oregon, our Fall has been extraordinarily warm, a fact that has kept me from moving my summer fabrics into storage. This top is another remnant make – linen and striped cotton from my stash. 
This top is a modified version of Simplicity 8295, a dress or tunic that has alot of options for creating different looks. It has a front panel insert, and you can even add grommets and ties if you’d like.
I love the shirt details of this top/dress pattern. The long sleeves have cuffs.
I also like the yoke and back pleat.
Since I used the striped fabric for the insert, I decided to make the sleeves a combination of striped and solid fabric to carry through my theme, and also to make my fabric go further. I also modified the front neck opening. As designed it was cut even lower than my version…I actually raised it by a couple of inches to make it work. I also shortened the tunic length by 3″ .
It’s a really comfortable shirt that makes me feel put together because of the crisp shirt details. Now, I want to try this pattern in the dress length with contrast pockets I think.
I love wearing this top…maybe linen isn’t just for summer? Medium weight linen has a nice softness that makes it feel almost…cozy. Do you sew with linen all year around?
Happy sewing and thanks for stopping by!
The colors look very crisp and smart together. I like linen year round, if the style is appropriate for the season. I have some long sleeve linen shirts in dark rust and deep brown that I enjoy in fall and winter. Your navy looks perfect for this warm October to me, 🙂
Thanks! Your rust and brown linen shirts sound like great wardrobe staples for fall. Hmmmm…you may have triggered a fabric shopping spree over here!
In our office you have to wear lighter weight tops like this, with a sweater, all year round. Then it’s sweater on and sweater off all day! I like the added striped fabric. The two fabrics match together well.
This style might work under a sweater, I think I’ll have to give that a try so that I can wear this as the temperatures drop. It’s always fun to find some remnants that weren’t purchased together but work as though they were!
This is just so chic. And yes agreed re linen. All year round for sure. Well done on another fantastic make.
Thank-you! Now I want to get my hands on some wine colored linen for winter.
Beautiful top! I love the way you colour blocked it and YES to linen all year ’round. I have become a huge linen fan and am planning to make myself a pair of loose fitting pants out of linen. I have a RTW pair that I paid a small fortune for (but wear ALL the time!) that I’ve decided I need more of these. I have Sandra Betzina’s pants pattern (now out of print but still available https://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v1307) that I’d like to make out of a similar linen. I can certainly make them for less than I paid for these RTW even though good quality linen is fairly expensive.
Thank-you! Yes, good quality linen can be expensive, but it lasts forever! The linen pants sound great and really versatile, and if you have a great RTW pair to copy, you can’t go wrong. I love that Sandra B pattern. So odd it’s out of print.
That’s a really interesting top. I’ve never noticed this pattern before. If you can find the right shade of blue, I think this top would look good tucked into a blue wool pencil skirt, or a camel wool pencil skirt for the office. Personally, I don’t sew with linen in the winter. I think it’s strictly a summer fabric.
I love the idea of styling this with a pencil skirt, just might have to make one to go with it! When I bought this pattern it was on sale and I grabbed it on a whim because I liked the idea of the tunic/dress length. I was pleasantly surprised when I looked more closely to discover the shirt details. I don’t think the envelope photo does it justice.
I love where the linen hits on the sleeve, and this linen has such a great body to it. I think a lot of times stash busting projects can look like a little bit of this with a little bit of that, but this looks really intentional and chic! The front slit is so daring!
Thanks Elizabeth! I was a little worried about that front slit and that it was a bit too low even after I modified it, but I wore it out yesterday and all was well…phew!
My stash still has a dominant color, Blue(!) so it’s been pretty fun and easy to figure out how to use some of the smaller bits of fabric together. That’s the beauty of being obsessed with a single color.. everything goes together.