Inspiration for Sewing with Linen

Linen, a fabric made from flax fibres, is a well-loved cloth for many reasons, including its durability, comfort and versatility. 

Here at Lamazi, we stock many different types of linen. So how do you know which one to choose for your project? Well hopefully this blog will help to demystify linen and provide some inspiration for adding some linen pieces to your me-made wardrobe. 

Get the look

We’ve chosen some key pieces to add to your Spring/Summer wardrobe, along with pattern and fabric suggestions for you to recreate the look yourselves. 

Wrap Jacket

  

A wrap-style linen jacket, like this one from Dior, is the perfect layering piece as the weather turns warmer.

You could recreate the look with a pattern from Papercut’s latest collection, the Juno jacket. This unlined jacket can be worn cinched in with the waist tie, open with the tie in a decorative bow at the back, or without the tie altogether.   

Our range of Enzyme Washed Pure Linen Fabric would be perfect for sewing up the Juno. This linen is washed with enzymes, which is a more gentle washing method than stone washing, preventing possible damage to the fabric. It is medium weight, supple and soft with a slub finish and a wonderful handle. Check out our range here 

Wide leg, casual trousers

An elasticated-waist pair of wide leg trousers, like these from Velvet by Graham & Spencer, are a versatile piece that can be dressed up or down. 

The Papercut Tula pants or the Ninni Culottes by Named would be a great starting point if you haven’t sewn trousers before. The construction of elasticated waist trousers is straightforward and the fitting is more forgiving. 

Our range of Flow viscose linen blends  would be a perfect choice for casual and comfortable trousers. This fabric is, as the name suggests, composed of linen and viscose and is available in 15 colours on our website. It is a drapey and soft fabric with a beautiful slub texture which feels lovely against the skin. Check out our range here

 

Amanda @amanda_isewalot made the most comfortable elasticated Arden pants from this linen - check out the blog post here. 

Did you know?

France and Belgium are considered to have the best environment for growing flax. European weaving mills produce high quality linen that is both durable and soft. 

Folk inspired summer dress

 

A lightweight, breezy dress with folk-inspired details, like this one from Lisa Marie Fernandez, would be the perfect outfit for a summer picnic or walk by the river. 

The By Hand London Tamzin dress is perfect for recreating this trend. It has an ornamental square neckline and princess seams with beautiful tuck details on the sleeves and skirt. 

Our range of Mind The MAKER Nisa Softened Linens would be ideal for the Tamzin, as they feel beautifully soft against the skin while having enough structure to hold the tuck details. This fabric is mill washed, which is a mechanical softening process, without the use of enzymes, chemicals or the waste of water (making it a much more environmentally friendly method). This is a high quality fabric with medium weight, suitable for most garments and accessories. Check out our range here. 

Statement maxi dress 

After a year of staying at home, you might be ready to bring the glamour in a statement maxi dress, like this one from Lisa Marie Fernandez. 

The Deer and Doe Magnolia dress, a mock wrap dress with a plunging neckline, is the perfect pattern for recreating this look. 

Our range of Flow viscose linen blends as well as Slub Linen with Tencel Fibres  would be perfect for a maxi dress, as the Viscose or the Lyocell content would provide a beautiful amount of drape. Tencel Lyocell Linen blend fabric has a discrete slub texture in the weave, where some threads are thicker which adds a lovely texture. The surface is soft and matte, and it drapes with the softness of the Tencel - held back a little with the more stiff appearance from the linen fibres.  Check out our range here

 

The jumpsuit

 

A jumpsuit is a classic, timeless garment that will always make you feel stylish and put together. Choose one with an interesting detail, like this tie waist jumpsuit from French Connection. 

The Mirri jumpsuit from Papercut Patterns, with its twisted wrap around tie detail, is the perfect jumpsuit for all occasions. It can be made with or without sleeves, and with short or long legs, so is super versatile.  

 

Any of our washed linens would be perfect for a jumpsuit, feeling soft and comfortable against the skin. You could recreate the tie waist jumpsuit above with our Nisa softened linen in the shade Dune.

Our range of stretch linen viscose fabrics would also be a perfect choice for jumpsuits. These fabrics have similar properties to linen viscose, but with added spandex content, providing some give to the fabric - extra comfort! Check out our range here

 

Sharlene has also made a stunning summer suit in this fabric which looks fantastic. Read all about it here.

 

A Simple Shell Top

 

 A simple sleeveless top, like these two from Hobbs, will be the perfect addition to your spring/summer wardrobe. 

Choose a plain colour or go for something a bit more bold with this tropical print. 

Get the look with the Grainline Studio Willow tank pattern, which can also be made as a dress.

 

This is the perfect pattern for making a bold fabric choice. What about our Printed Linen range including these two tropical prints? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or the on-trend colour combination of our Leopard Pink Linen Viscose blend?

Floral mini skirt / pinafore dress

Floral print fabric is the perfect way to inject some springtime joy into your wardrobe (read more about Joyful Dressing in our Spring Trends blog) and nobody does floral print better than Rifle Paper Co

Their Canvas Cotton Linen blend fabrics, which have a tight, diagonal weave, are perfect for sewing up a more structured garment, such as a skirt, a pinafore dress or some dungarees. 

Check out our range here 

Sam, from Purple Sewing Cloud, made this super cute Tilly and the Buttons Bobbi pinafore. 

You could achieve a similar look with our Hunter canvas cotton linen from the Meadow collection. 

The Tilly and the Buttons Ness skirt pattern would also be perfect for these fabrics, as modelled here by Tilly herself!

A button-down summer dress

Have you been inspired by the Great British Sewing Bee? A button-down summer dress is the perfect way to welcome in the warmer weather. We love this one from Torrid.com.

Our watercolour bouquet linen/cotton blend combined with the Avid Seamstress Sun Dress would make the perfect floral summer dress. Why not add an extra-special detail by creating a scalloped hem? Purple Sewing Cloud has a YouTube tutorial for this. Give it a go and you’ll be the envy of all your friends this summer.

 

Menswear

You can’t go wrong with a classic button-up shirt, like this one from Oliver Spencer. 

The Thread Theory No10 Fairfield Button-Up Shirt is perfect for recreating this look. You could even add some piping detail if you want to add an interesting touch to a plain coloured shirt. 

Our Atelier Brunette Night Linen fabric would be a perfect match for this look, or perhaps you fancy going for something a bit bolder. If so, why not try this ex-designer linen cotton blend from Pigeon Wishes. 

Children’s Wear

Linen is perfect for children’s clothing as it is cool, breathable and comfortable against the skin. 

The iKatee Alex blouse and dress has lots of gorgeous details, like the little puff sleeves and the gathered front. It would be beautiful sewn up in one of our Flow viscose linen blends, like this stunning lilac colour. 

 

 

How cute is this pattern for pants/shorty pants with suspenders? The Brighton by iKatee is another garment that is calling out to be made in linen. 

 

This stretch linen viscose would be ideal, with the added spandex content being perfect for babies on the move!    

For more inspiration and sewing tips, check out these linen makes by some of our Lamazi bloggers.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our round up of inspiration for sewing with linen for your spring/summer wardrobes. 

Also, keep an eye out on my YouTube channel, as there will be a ‘How To Sew With Linen’ video coming up very soon, filled with hints and tips to boost your confidence and (hopefully) make your sewing project go smoothly!

Thank you for reading, Tamlyn (Sewn on the Tyne) xx