Checked Linen Flint Shorts & Embroidered Ogden Cami

I don't know how popular Pinterest is any more but I still use it ALL the time for collecting images to inspire my sewing along with tutorials and tips. It's good for giving my sewing ideas some focus as I can see what I'm drawn to but whilst I'm very good at collecting the images I'm not so good at translating the images into reality. This outfit is finally some sort of recreation of the image below which I've returned to a number of times over the past few summers but have never been able to find quite the fabric I need. I love the combination of slightly relaxed fit, texture and monochrome print. They look chic and somewhat tailored but still comfortable and cool.

Click image for source

The Fabric Store listed a number of yarn dyed striped and checked linens along with a few prints a few months back and despite still being in the depths of winter here in London they made me instantly think of the above image. I was finally going to have the slouchy pair of patterned shorts of my dreams! It was a hard choice between the beautiful selection and I almost plumped for this Herringbone Stripe to match my inspiration but was ultimately drawn to this Yarn Dyed Slubby Linen Check. I'll admit that when I had it sewn up I was concerned the project slightly resembled a pair of mens boxer shorts but I have been reassured that the scale of the check avoids that misfortune!

The Megan Nielsen Flint Pants were a staple of my wardrobe last summer. They are breezy and cool and have exactly the tailored yet relaxed shape around the waist and hips that I was after. I hadn't yet tried the shorts but had every confidence that they were just the pattern to choose. Plus I love that little tie detail at the side of the waist! I cut the size small as I have done for my previous two versions. The measurements for the small are a fraction larger than my own but I do find they run a bit on the large side anyway. I have rectified this in every previous iteration by moving the button over a little to tighten them up as I've been very happy with the width through the hip and leg. I did the same with these rather than going down a size as I really dislike shorts which are too tight around the thigh which is a problem I often find with RTW.

The check in this fabric has highlighted the problem with moving the button for a snugger fit though...the centre back seam ends up sitting slightly off centre. I din't notice it until I saw the photos of this one from behind as you can't feel it when you're wearing it but the check runs into the centre back in an obvious way which really highlights the squiffy placement. It doesn't bother me though as it's not me looking at it!

When it came to cutting the shorts out and I thought about pattern matching I slightly wished I'd stuck with a stripe! It took some extra thought to deal with the check but I took my time, cut everything in a single layer and resorted to my usual tactic of drawing the lines of the check on the edges of the pattern pieces themselves so I can use that as a guide for cutting the second piece. I generally choose a notch to align which one of the lines in the print as that is easy to match up on the adjoining piece. I'm really proud of how the matching turned out on these, even in the pockets!

This linen a dream to work with. It has a very fine slubby texture and I love that the check is slightly ill-defined because it is created in the weave of the fabric rather than printed and the colour has a natural fleck to it. It is lightweight but tightly woven so nice and opaque and has this wonderful crisp finish which gives the shorts great structure. They do of course rumble up quite terribly throughout the day but I love that look. I pressed up the hem to match the turn up of the inspiration image but also because I felt the length of the short was a fraction long and unflattering on me as it was. The linen presses so well that I don't even need a stitch to keep the turn up in place.

The top I haven't got an awful lot to say about. I'm sure many of you recognise it as the True Bias Ogden Cami and another favourite of mine last summer, it is either my fourth or fifth version...I've lost count! I mixed it up a little bit with this one and decided to add a faux button placket to the centre front for added interest. This was really easy to do. I just cut a strip of fabric the width of my placket plus seam allowance on either side. I pressed the seam allowance under, pinned it in place down the centre of my front pattern piece and topstitched down either side. I trimmed down the ends to match the pattern piece and sewed my buttonholes while the piece was still flat and unassembled. The button holes are left closed and a button sewn on top to give the impression of a button front without any of the hassle! I've had these buttons in my stash for a long time, they were a gift from my Mum, and I'm pleased they've found their match.

The fabric for this is also from The Fabric Store and in a rare turn of events I bought it simply because I loved it without a specific project in mind. It is this Embroidered Cotton Voile Stripe. The stripes are a little wider in reality than I first envisioned so I'm pleased I didn't buy it for something specific. I love that it is a white neutral but with a bit of interest in the form of those delicate embroidered stripes.

I cut the size 4 as I have done previously and am generally happy with the fit apart from the fact that I think I shortened the straps too much this time as it cuts in a little under the arms. I should have looked back at my old blog post and noted that I cut off two inches last time, this time it was at least three. In this crisper fabric it also pokes out a but under the bust, perhaps I could have done with a slight FBA as this pattern is drafted for a B cup I believe. Its not noticeable in a fabric with more drape. The only change I made to the pattern itself was to do a full lining in cotton lawn rather than just a facing. My embroidered cotton is a little sheer which I don't mind unlined for a top but I didn't like the idea of the facing being visible through the top and weird line running across my chest where it ended.

Looking back at my inspiration photo the top in that was some sort of crepe or fabric with much more drape than my crisp cotton but I loved the idea of the top having a bit of texture in the fabric too. As it is lined it does feel a little bulky tucked in to the shorts and I think I'd like to make a slinkier top to pair with them too but I love this look overall and both garments have been invaluable to me whilst working during the heatwave Britain is currently having. I'm loving getting some real wear out of my handmade summer wardrobe so fingers crossed we've got a lot more summer to come!