Please Help Me Decide On A Project

For ages now have been lusting after some vintage Irish linen, and finally things went my way and nabbed 15 or so yards of nice Belfast Mills Irish linen at a good price. Am sure everyone has had the experience of coming across a great addition to one's stash, yet the problem presents itself, what to make?

The material has a wonderful hand, but being only 36" wide, options are limited. It is not heavy, but would do for linens or light weight clothing (shirts, blouses, draw-string slacks, etc). Initially was thinking some pillow slips, with embroidery/monogramming and or hemstitching. But, quite honestly have drawers full of vintage linen pillow slips, and they can be had for a good price at thrifts/eBay, so not sure it's worth my time and effort to run up my own, much less use my a valuable vintage linen.

If my heirloom sewing skills were better, would attempt a nice shirt or blouse a la Miss. Ahles, but am still a rank novice in that area, and items with lots of darts, tucks, etc were never my strong suit.

Any suggestions gang?

Candide

Reply to
Candide
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Two of my favorite garments are linen dresses - very simple sleeveless shifts with a round neck and bust darts. They are both fairly long with slits on the side seams. They're wonderful summer dresses. One is a solid pink, the other is a flowered print. I also have a pair of linen drawstring pants and a top, but they are not worn nearly as often as my two linen dresses.

My preference is good fabric made up with very simple lines. I don't like fitted clothes, zippers, waistlines, etc., much. I do like pockets. So my preference may not be yours.

Reply to
Pogonip

Sounds interesting, am going to have a poke through my pattern stash, and see what there is. Thanks!

Candide

Reply to
Candide

Oooohhhhh!!! Yummy!!! That sounds wonderful. A tailored linen blouse is something that would thrive in your wardrobe for years. Truly a classic thing to have. And a blouse would be a 3 season sort of thing. Spring and summer wear it on its own, Fall through a blazer over it.

Too, the vintage looking blouses are very popular right now. Like New Look

6563 & 6599. And from NL 6621 & 6622 (although that one makes the wearer look "with child") it appears they are going to carry that through till Fall. Those would work in lightweight linen also. I did 6563 with my student this summer. There are pintucks down the front of the one we did. But it was easy.

I know how hard it is though to cut into something gorgeous when it's in the stash. I have been aging some gorgeous wool/cashmere blends for a while. I have enough of the black coating weight to do a full length winter coat. And enough of the lighter weight periwinkle blue to do a blazer. I've just not met the perfect design for either. lol

Sharon

Reply to
Sharon Hays

This is one of those things that if you add a fusible knit to the wrong side it will minimize wrinkles. Sew into a wonderful classic style dress and it will be a standard that you will love to wear.

I'm green with envy, AK in PA

Reply to
AK&DStrohl

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