Linen! I Love Me Some Linen!

Pre-Post Paragraph -  A big, yummy, heart-felt THANK YOU to everyone for the warm welcomes in my previous post - y'all loaded me up with lovingness to spare.  :)  Your comments really warmed up the cockles of my heart!    What a great reminder of why I appreciate this whole community of delightful sewistas so much! 

And now, on to my most recent make!   (In my effort to catch up on all of the belated blog posts, I decided to start from the most recent and work backwards.   My brain just wraps around that concept better than starting from way back when - somehow this seems less overwhelming, and makes sense to me...)

Linen...the super soft, yummy-like-butter, tightly woven (and usually pricey!) sort of linen is one of my favorite fabrics, both to wear and to work with (yes, wrinkles and all!).   I also happen to love lilies, so when a pattern calls itself the "Tesutti Lily Linen Dress",  how could I possibly resist???

The description is apt:  "very figure flattering, comfortable and cool to wear and can be dressed up or down"  It's a simple shift, but the shoulder shaping,  curve along the sides, unique twist and angle of the pockets, and the pleating along the bottom hem all take it that step above and make it special.

Although the pattern describes itself for intermediate or advanced sewers, it's really a pretty quick and easy make.  The pockets have some tricky bits, but there is a tips section on the Tesutti blog that walks you through the process very nicely.  

The fabric was a gift from one of my sewing group fabric swatch/show & tell gatherings.    (And allow me to take a moment to give major thanks that I live in an area that allows me to be part of several amazingly awesome sewing groups!   SO grateful for that!)  I cut a Small, straight off the pattern (no muslin, no adjustments - that was brave & trusting for me, especially since my fabric was irreplaceable!)  I was, however, just a little short on fabric, and in spite of shortening the skirt by 2", and the sleeves by another 2", this happened (in two spots, since I cut the fabric on the fold):

Oops.

I debated as to shortening it by another inch or repairing it, and decided to go with the repair.

Not too noticeable :)

 It's sooooo comfy to wear!

Yeah, wrinkles and all.   I had been wearing it all day when this pic was taken.

The only fit issue I had was in the armscye.   I didn't even realize until I had the sleeves set in that the cap sits over the shoulder, with the seam being much closer to the neck than most patterns - the dress is actually designed this way.    

I just had a brain fart when I tried it on for fit before setting the sleeves in. 

That happens.  (You've had it happen too, right?   Say "Yes.")

I do like the look of the sleeve caps, but need to make some adjustments in the front of the armscye for a really comfy fit.   

The cut is perfect as is for me for a sleeveless dress, and the pattern does lend itself well to a sleeveless option.

Here is the pleating at the hemline - four sections of gathers.  Subtle, but JUST the right amount to make a nice line.

 Showing the unusual twist in the pocket detailing:

The fabric, and the design, allow for a bit of lovely movement:

I'm really liking this pattern!   Linen is the perfect fabric for it, but a nice cotton with just the right combo of drape and crispness, or a cotton-linen blend, would also be fabulous.   It's very well-drafted, and the instructions are detailed and easy to follow.   You can download it ($10) or get a paper version ($25) - mine is from the download so I don't know what the pattern paper is like.

Bottom Line:   Thumbs way up!