Orange Linen Erin Skirt & Blush Satin Ogden Cami

Sometimes a simple design is all you need to showcase a spectacular fabric and that is certainly the case for this skirt. The Cloth Shop has to be one of my favourite fabric shops in London and is well worth the trip over to Ladbroke Grove if you haven't been there already. Its not particularly cheap but the fabrics are all beautiful; natural fibres, gorgeous colours and block prints and top quality. They also stock a particularly wonderful selection of Indian trimmings which are very reasonably priced and a selection of handcrafted household items. Its a delightful shopping experience and a treat for the eyes! This is their washed linen in 'Seville'; an irresistible shade of burnt orange. It is soft, weighty, with a gorgeous drape and slubby texture. It's £26 a metre in the plain colours and I only needed a metre for this skirt so not bad considering the quality. It does wrinkle up considerably over the course of a day but I like that look and it presses, washes and sews well.

I had been thinking about using this linen for a summer version of the Berlin Skirt but as my previous version wasn't quite the success I hoped for I re-thought the plan. This is the Erin Skirt from the Sew Over It My Capsule Wardrobe: City Break ebook, a simple, fitted, button-up style. I cut between the size 8 and 10 as I usually do for Sew Over It patterns and it fits a treat. I was concerned about how practical this shape would be for my day to day life as I need to move around a lot but this actually has a much straighter cut than a pencil skirt and the perfect amount of ease to be comfortable. Initially the skirt was hitting at a midi length which is a bit longer than intended by the pattern. It didn't look bad but I had in mind a few helpful comments left on my Berlin Skirt post and was wary of it hitting at the widest part of my calf which can have a less than desirable effect proportionally. I kept pinning the hem up higher and higher and assessing the look, pinning each side at a different height so I could compare the difference. Eventually I decided that just above the knee like this felt most 'me'. For reference, I'm 5ft3" and I took 4.5" off the length and used 1/2" then 1" inch for the hem. The pattern suggests 5/8" but I liked the look of the wider hem.

The skirt was so quick to sew; after cutting it probably took me a couple of hours. It came together beautifully and as a result was so much fun to sew. The linen is a dream to work with and the pattern is well drafted with clear instructions as usual. This is the third pattern I have made from the My Capsule Wardrobe: City Break ebook (see my Mia Jeans and Molly Top) and it really is a cracker and great value for money. I wasn't blown away by any of the patterns when it was first released but am so pleased I remembered my copy as all five designs are true classic wardrobe staples. None of the designs scream 'ooo this is just so you!' but each one has been worn much more often than I expected. Good fit, good drafting and simple but well thought out designs and construction.

I came across one odd wooden button in my stash which I thought looked great with the fabric and had a feeling I bought it in Cloth Houseas  a sample for a show I was working on but unfortunately I either got the source wrong or they've long since sold out! I luckily happened across something very similar in Liberty of all places. I wouldn't usually shop for buttons in there but was on the hunt for a present for a friend and was pleasantly surprised to discover that these were only 40p a button, much cheaper than the original I was hunting for. There's a slightly coppery tone in the wood which I think works really well with the orange. The pattern requests 25mm buttons but these are in fact 20mm. I always err on the side of slightly smaller than recommended with buttons as there's something about a really big button that makes a garment shout 'I'm homemade!' to me.

I did find that the buttonhole markings given on the pattern pieces weren't particularly useful once the skirt was assembled. They didn't seem to be central on the placket so I used them as guidance for spacing but marked my own. I also lost track of the marking on the waistband which I think ended up on the centre front edge rather than in a useful button position so again marked my own. I think a beginner would benefit from more guidance for this step as the instructions say to simply 'mark your buttonholes using the guide on the pattern' and notes that the top one should be horizontal and the rest vertical. You want that top buttonhole to be slightly off centre to keep the waistband closed at the right position. On a close fitting style like this the button will naturally pull to the far end of the hole so you want that position to be in line with the centre front and other buttonholes. If the centre of the buttonhole is on the centre line things will end up askew when the skirt is worn.

The pattern suggests you only need interfacing if you are using a lightweight fabric but as my linen is pretty soft compared to the denim which I think the pattern is designed for I opted to use a lightweight woven fusible on the waistband and centre front edges where the buttons are. I did a little sample on a scrap first to check that it wouldn't ruin the drape and movement of the fabric and think I made a good decision. It adds a little crispness and strength to those edges.

I really like the topstitching detail on this pattern, there are double lines along the pocket opening and placket edges and then a single line around the waistband and along the hem. I think a little bit of topstitching can really help a garment look professional and less home made don't you? I picked the colour of the thread from memory as I forgot to take a sample with me and I'm ironically kicking myself for making such a good guess as you can hardly see the lovely topstitching which I am really pleased with, even around those tricky corners on the waistband!

The top in these photos is also a new addition to my handmade wardrobe and I'm sure many of you recognise it as the Ogden Cami by True Bias. I don't have a huge amount to say about the pattern as I now have no less than six (yes six, see a couple here) versions of this beautiful little basic in my wardrobe, some of which I have hacked the pattern around a bit for. I've made it up in a wide variety of fabrics, all of which have turned out great but given very different results. This is sewn up in Blush Viscose Satin Twill from The Fabric Store, which is stocked in a variety of colours. The viscose is slinky and slippery yet the twill weave provides a slightly crispier finish with a little more body than you'd expect from a silk satin. It certainly makes a great summer top that is cool and comfortable against the skin. I think these fabrics would be absolutely fantastic used as linings for coats, skirts or dresses. It feels a bit more robust than silk so would probably withstand a good bit of wear and tear. I'll report back after this one has had a good number of goes through the wash!

I cut the size 4 and shortened the straps by 2" as with every other previous version of the pattern and am happy with the fit and ease. The slippery satin was indeed very tricky to cut and sew, particularly around where the straps meet the neckline. This is a fiddly bit of sewing in any case that requires some patience and in this instance I used extra pins and a short stitch length to ensure accuracy and strength. I french seamed the side seams (the satin does fray quite badly but presses well) and as usual used pinking shears to finish the neckline seam as it also does the job of notching those curved edges for you!

I absolutely love this combination of blush pink and burnt orange. It was a bit of a happy accident as both projects ended up on my sewing table at the same time and I just adored the combination of warm tones and differing tactile textures together. It has become a favourite summer outfit and despite not being much of a pink wearer I've since ordered some soft pink merino jersey for a cardigan so I can integrate a bit more of this delicious colour combo into my wardrobe.