Sewing Inspiration: Linen

Have you been following along with Fabric Friday over at the Oliver+S blog? A few weeks ago they did a post about linen, complete with videos. I highly recommend both of them, the first one is short and shows the crazy amount of work that went into harvesting flax (the plant from which linen is made) in ye olden days. The second video is longer, but I promise it's worth it. It's in French and Italian for crying out loud! It shows all the steps of modern flax growing, harvesting, the production of linen fabric and its use in Paris couture. Anyone who loves natural fibers won't be able to resist the inspiration. Oh, and there are subtitles, so you could even watch it at work. On your break, OF COURSE ;)

One quote from the video: "It's always better to work with noble materials." I agree! (Sorry polyester, you have your place, but i doubt anyone will call it a "noble" place.) When I saw that Pattern Review was hosting a natural fibers contest this month, I was excited about it, and decided to enter my CKC Ruffle Dress from last week. It also got my mind going about pretty linen skirts and dresses. I'd love to use Simplicity 2209 and adapt the bottom into a skirt pattern, preferably in a lovely red!

I *heart* my Fashionary sketchbook

In the meantime, I have a pile of a navy linen/rayon blend waiting to be made into a Negroni shirt for my husband. I used the same fabric (from Jo-Ann's) to make these shorts for AB last summer. I enjoyed working with that linen, and the colors are so pretty! The only part I didn't like was how easily it unraveled. I'm hoping that my new serger will come in handy for finishing the seams. And I know everyone hates on Jo-Ann's, but I love their printed linens almost as much as I love not paying shipping for fabric! This one, in particular, always catches my eye. It would make such a pretty dress!

Jo-Ann's

Okay, one more quote (sorry, those beautiful French fields really inspired me!):

"Today's mistakes lead to tomorrow's marvels."

What are your thoughts on natural fibers?

This Memorial Day weekend, join Craftsy in honoring the brave men and women who have served in the US Armed Forces. For every class sold this weekend, Craftsy will donate a portion of the proceeds to benefit a veterans' organization. Select classes will be on sale up to 60% off! Have all the classes you want? Consider gifting a class to your favorite service member! (affiliate links)