This weekend I sewed myself a pair of linen pants, and I was so excited Monday morning to have two whole pairs of seasonally appropriate pants to choose from that I was asking myself why on earth it took me so long to make such a thing?! They’re the same modified Robbie pants I’ve made several times before (always in heavy canvas or denim), and then I remembered, oh right, that was the hold-up. I’ve made several pairs of pants, and I have this shirt shortage, so I forbade myself to make any more pants till I solved the other problem. Meanwhile, I’ve suffered through jeans and canvas pants all summer for several years running! While somehow not even solving the shirt problem.
Well. Now I have linen pants (bonus: that aren’t black!) and will be making a couple more as quickly as possible.
I also finished off another variation on the Fen mods I’ve been working on, another top, and this one is black. It’s a test run for the follow-up to my yellow Fen dress — I wanted to try out a few tweaks first and have quite a lot of black linen in my stash, bought at Elizabeth Suzann’s garage sale a couple years ago for $2/lb. While it’s a test for a dress, I didn’t want a black dress, plus, y’know, the aforementioned shirt problem, so now I have another linen top as well! And it cost me under a dollar to make. For this one, I sized down to an 18 in the shoulders and sleeve, blending that into the size 20 body and hemming it at hip length. You’ll have to take my word for all this since it’s impossible to see, but in addition to a single breast pocket, it has the same 5″ center-back pleat as ol’ yella, along with an 11″ center-front pleat, and I think this combo is going to make a most excellent dress. I have fabric washed and ready.
My goal is to sew one garment per week for the next few weeks, catching my closet up with my seasonal needs while I’ve got this burst of sewing mojo working for me and a solid plan to follow. So it’s full speed ahead at the moment!
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PREVIOUSLY in Finished Objects: Linen Fen dress, take one
The pants and top are fabulous, love the colors! I’m confused by your statements of sizing down to 18 and 20, no way you’re that size! Is it something with the pattern?
Hope the weather cools off for you.
For the dress and top that preceded this, I used the size 20.
https://fringeassociation.com/2019/07/26/linen-fen-tunic/
https://fringeassociation.com/2019/07/30/linen-fen-dress-take-one/
I’m glad Cheryl commented about the size 20, because I’m not sure I understand it either, even after rereading your two previous posts. You’re cutting the size 20 to get the length you want…Am I correct? But then your statement about the shoulders doesn’t make sense to me (18 in the shoulders and sleeve). Sorry to be so dense!!
I love your new pants and have added a couple of pairs of linen Robbies to my list as well. I do want to make the long Fen dress as it looks so wonderful and cool for summer wear. I hope you can clear up my confusion as to sizing.
Thanks for the inspirations!
I went up to the size 20 so it would be oversized, then tried scaling just the shoulders back down to 18 so it would be not quite as roomy at the top.
Love the tee shirt Part Wolf ! Where is it from?
I ordered it from some website I don’t recall — like 6 or 7 years ago. But if you googled … they might still make it?
You’re killing me with all the Robbie mods; can’t find my copy of the pattern anywhere around the house, which means it’s time to start searching in Places It Shouldn’t Be… How do you think on-seam pockets would work?
I keep thinking that a Fen dress in wool would be good for cold-but-not-freezing weather, maybe wool flannel?
I think inseam pockets could work — and if the pants are loose enough, wouldn’t create a lump or outline or anything. But you might want to top-stitch them in place anyway? I like these patch pockets because they’re quicker! And of course, I always just lean toward utility style in everything for some reason.
The Fancies made Pendleton wool Fen dresses a few years ago and it worked great. Here’s one of them: https://fancytigercrafts.com/blogs/projects/ambers-pendleton-fen-dleton
Love both pieces, including the colours. Glad to see your pants aren’t on the long side; I find that linen stretches quite a bit as it is worn. What might be form-fitting when you put it on after washing ends up being on the loose and long side at the end of the day.
I love this idea, and plan on trying it, to pleat the front and back. Thx!
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You mentioned the length of your front and back pleats but not the width. And is that why you made such a large size in the top as well as the dress? To use the excess width for the pleats? Thanks for any tips on this – I have made so many of the same “Array” top by Sonya Phillips (with sleeve extension and pocket modifications) that I’d like to have something different to work with. Thanks!
Duh…I just now went back and read your notes with the yellow Fen dress post – I think that gave the answers to my questions about the pleats. And I know what you mean about bringing in the neckline on this type of top.dress. I have to modify virtually everything I make for this adjustment. I’ve even remade the entire neckline of tops – even those with top-stitched facings – after the fact because I knew I would never wear the garment if I didn’t!