Hello, party people! Life has been incredibly busy lately but I must say that sewing continues to be such a welcome distraction. With an unexpectedly broken laptop cord I’m forced to type this up on my iPhone. No mean feat! Still, I’m in very good spirits after editing photos and so excited to finally share this set.

When I requested this amazing Pewter Enzyme Washed Linen from Minerva I only expected to have enough for one item. The Arthur Pants pattern by Sew Liberated is a balloon style pant, so it eats up quite a bit of meterage. As you can imagine I was pleasantly surprised when I was able to squeeze out an additional piece from this fabric. If you know me, you know I love a matching set. The top is a pattern hack - drafted to be a dress but the bottom portion hacked away above the hip and barely squeezed out of the remnants of this beautiful linen. The dress pattern is the Viki Sews Celine, and I cannot wait to make it properly as a maxi tiered dress, especially now that I’ve tested the fit of this top.

This linen in soft and worked amazingly as a bottomweight. This is an excellent quality linen and I truly adored working with it. It was a breeze to cut and a dream to sew. The Arthur Pants have some wonderful seam lines and the quality of this linen is accentuated by the flat felled seams in my opinion.

The drafting of these pants is spot on. I love the comfortable end result, the dropped crotch, and the way the vertical seam lines add structure and shape to the design. I chose my size based on my hip measurement and there is a ton of ease in the finished garment which I love. I’m so happy with the result and I can see these being a staple in my wardrobe.

The only alteration I made was adding 5/8” to the length. I really wanted these to be wearable this fall and winter, and although I appreciate the look of a cropped pant I opted for covered ankles with these. This cool grey tone will make an excellent cool weather neural I know I’ll repeatedly reach for.

Other than adding to the inseam I made no other changes and found the process of flat felling all of the seam so enjoyable. The insides of these are really a sight to behold. They are neat and beautiful with no exposed edges. I didn’t use my serger once, in fact. The instructions were thorough and very easy to follow. This is actually my first time using a Sew Liberated pattern and I have only good things to say about it.

My little hacked top was also a surprisingly enjoyable sew. The style is so feminine and sweet. The construction was interesting and the facings make for a lovely finish on the insides without any visible topstitching on the right side of the finished garment, besides the straps… and there were miles of straps so be forewarned.

I do think the Celine pattern would pair nicely with a slightly more lightweight fabric with more drape, but I quite like the structure and fullness of this top. Plus, I don’t feel too exposed considering the front is unlined, and if I were to sew this using a thinner fabric I would draft a lining for the cups. I’m curious how this top would look as a layering piece over something with longer sleeves. Too crazy?

I’m always impressed with the quality of Viki Sews’ designs and instructions. This pattern is available in english and the photos accompanying the written instructions are very clear and precise. I’ve been eyeballing some of their blazer patterns since noticing a gaping hole in my closet where blazers should be. ;)

Today marks the first day of fall and I’m excited to start focusing on those warmer makes. I am so looking forward to layers and cozy sweaters and socks. Anyone else? Take care everyone! xxx

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