I feel like there is a subset of the sewing world that is entirely devoted to linen. I mean, people LOVE this stuff. I’ve never fully understood – it isn’t that I particularly don’t like linen, but I have just never been head over heels for it the way many people seem to be!
Admittedly, up until sewing this dress last year, I’d only ever sewn two linen garments that I can think of. My cheetah shorts from last summer, which I absolutely adore and am looking forward to wearing again soon… And my black linen pants that I just don’t love, and haven’t worn again since photographing them. It is entirely possible that my hesitancy to join the linen fan club has been due to a lack of exposure. So I was excited to try out this fabric (which I chose for the print and colors, not the substrate!) and see if my thoughts would change.
This dress took me a little longer than I expected to put together, which meant that I had plenty of time to get familiar with the fabric. It felt nice when it arrived, and even nicer after pre-washing, and I enjoyed working with it through the hours! But I still wasn’t in love. The fabric was fine, but was it really worth all the fuss and adoration?
When I put this dress on for the first time as we went out to get these pictures, it was unseasonably warm out (about 95’F in the first few days of April!). The weather was incredible, golden hour was about to begin, and my family decided we’d go on a walk through the neighborhood. Social distancing and stay at home orders had been in place for about 3 weeks, and I had just returned to work after taking a week off. I spent that week at home wearing exclusively stretchy and comfortable tops, preferably without makeup or pants, and had long passed the point of enjoying the no-fuss style and entered a very frumpy feeling zone that was weighing on my psyche during an already anxiety-provoking time.
I’d been on lots of walks and runs through our neighborhood in the past couple of weeks, typically in a tee and some leggings, so the full on dress and makeup seemed like a little much as we set out for our family walk. But it turned out to be exactly what I needed, and I fell absolutely in love with this dress – and linen!! Despite the heat and the monotonous views, this fabric felt so breezy and light, and our walk was an absolute pleasure. In fact, this may have been the most comfortable outfit I’d worn on a walk in quite awhile!
I’m ready to join the “I Love Linen” Club now, so sign me right on up. In fact, I followed this dress up with yet another linen number – this time in a bright and summery hot pink! I don’t think I’ll be stopping there, either.
If you’d like to read a little bit more about my thoughts on this fabric (and the pattern! This was my first time sewing a VFT pattern!), head over to the Minerva Blog! Hope you’re spending your day feeling as bright and beautiful as I do in this dress.
Dress: handmade by me
Fabric: Minerva – Lady McElroy Linen Viscose Fabric Multicolored
Pattern: Violette Field Threads – Clover Misses Dress
Key Ingredients:
Brother XR9500PRW Sewing Machine
Brother 1034D Overlocker
Schmetz Universal 70/30 Needles
Dahle 36×48 Self-healing Cutting Mat
Though the fabric used in this post was generously provided to me by the awesome team at Minerva, all words and opinions expressed are my own, as always! Links provided throughout this post may be affiliate links – if you choose to purchase any products through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. This simply helps me justify the costs of my sewing habit and the time it takes to share it with you!! Happy Sewing!
- XX Elizabeth
