the considered closet, part 1

The stars have recently aligned to a) reveal several sewing patterns within my sewing capabilities, in styles I love, and to b) clear my calendar so I have the time to sew them.  The goal is to have a wardrobe mostly full of handmade items.  I've got several new garment projects in the works, but first, let me share something I made last summer.

The pattern is from Simple Modern Sewing, a book that I highly recommend for its clean, unfussy style.  {One caveat: the sizing runs small and isn't inclusive of the larger size ranges.  I can wear a Small/Medium on my upper half, but must wear a Large on my lower half.}  The patterns are fairly well-written and fall into the beginner/intermediate skill level.  This is the first pattern in the book, a wrap dress. I sewed the small size in black linen.  My daughter made herself a version a few years ago, in a sweet periwinkle poplin, and was kind enough to let me try it on to see the fit.  She's a few inches taller than I am (and still growing!) and shaped a bit differently, but we both fit into the small size.  The dress has much less ease on my arms and chest than on hers.  I prefer the dress that way, although my daughter's fit is probably closer to what the designer intended.  I followed the pattern exactly, finishing the raw edges of the linen with a zigzag stitch.  I wear it to Divine Liturgy frequently in the summer, and experimented wearing it over tights/with a shirt underneath last winter.  I'm not sold on linen as a winter fabric, but I need to play with the styling more.  It's incredibly comfortable.

As my husband says, "It's your favorite flavor: PLAIN."  He's right.  Plain is my favorite flavor. :)