Meg and Lola – again!
A while back a friend gave me a few lengths of fabric that had motifs printed centrally along them. They came to her via her husband who works in the clothing trade. I suspect that they may have originally been destined for scarves. I love the colours and have been wondering for a while what to do with them, and eventually decided on turning them into a top. I chose the Style Arc Meg raglan.
This is a pattern that I have used before. Style Arc describe it as follows: MEG RAGLAN TEE: This gorgeous elbow length raglan sleeve Tee has a relaxed fit that is designed to flow with the body. It features a high low hemline and a high scoop neck. This style is beautiful made in a soft flowing silk. FABRIC SUGGESTION & DESCRIPTION: Silk, Rayon, Crepe, or any soft woven fabric.
I love that this is a raglan pattern for wovens, and that it includes a shoulder dart so that the raglan sleeve is able to conform to the body nicely. The mitred corners on the hemline are another example of Style Arc’s excellent drafting. I chose to combine the scarf fabric – which is something slippery and probably polyester although I suppose that the potential is there for it to be silk – with linen for the sleeves and neckband to tone things down just a little.
I sewed size 12, as I had done in the past. I attached the narrow bias cut neckband in a similar way to how I would do it on knits, with the strip folded in half wrong sides together, joined to the neckline right sides together with a narrow seam allowance, then turned, pressed and topstitched. I think I’d do this differently next time – maybe just cut a wider bias strip and bind the neckline so that it sits a little flatter.
The panel fabric was very tightly woven and did not particularly like being sewn. I swapped to a finer sharps needle to topstitch it, but it’s still pulled a bit along the stitching. I suspect that only a sewer would notice.
Since I was working with a limited amount of fabric I wasn’t able to match the print exactly at the side seams, but I don’t think it is entirely problematic. Style Arc patterns are usually full sized, which really helped with getting the print placement how I wanted it. So, to the pants!
The pants were sewn in linen from Tessuti, and definitely show the characteristic wrinkling of linen. Please note that these photos were taken at the end of a working day after about nine hours of wear! I have to take the opportunity to get my photos done whenever it presents itself. I ordered the linen online, and when it arrived it was a much lighter weight than I had anticipated. I was quite dubious about using it for pants, but went ahead anyway and as it turns out it was okay. I have sewn the Style Arc Lola pants a multitude of times – just do a search for them on my blog if you want to see the previous pairs. Size 10, elasticised waistband with a flat centre front insert, front angled pockets, and a nice little elasticised back hemline feature. Definitely one of my favourite patterns for lighter weight pants.
Style Arc also have a dress pattern that I suspect is very similar to the Meg raglan tee, that is already in my stash. Maybe it should move up the extremely long to-sew queue! However I’m still focusing on sorting out my winter work wardrobe. And since Stella went back to school yesterday, Clare goes back to school on Monday, and I go back to work on Monday, I’m not going to have much time for non-seasonal sewing!
Wow, that looks very high end. And the colour is amazing on you.
A comment about linen looking crushed……..the pants look fabulous………even after 9 hours. And they actually don’t look one bit crushed……they look like good quality linen……which is obviously what they are. I love the way linen looks like it’s been worn and I think the ‘crushed’ look just makes it look all the more like linen ie a beautiful natural fibre. Your combination of colours is perfect too!
Agreed, I adore linen and I think ‘crushed elegance’ is a favourite look of mine.
xx N
Loving your posts during my lazy summer ;-). I had lost my sewing mojo after a mad frenzy in October. But your energy has kick started me again. StyleArc is my first choice attern maker – do so lovevtheir little details 🙂
Thnx again D
Last night after returning home from watching tennis in Melbourne I spent an hour or so catching up on blog posts and I want to thank-you for a lovely evening spent looking at and reading all of your recent blog posts. I was too hot and tired to comment but thought I must this morning after seeing this gorgeous outfit which looks fabulous on you as do all the other outfits you have made for yourself and your beautiful girls. You have once again inspired me to get back into my sewing room.
Laura – just gorgeous! Colors, fabrics – all GREAT!
Stellar outfit. It looks great on you!
Your outfit looks amazing. Not perfect. Amazing. The colours are brilliant together,and perfect on you. I wouldn’t apologise for wear lines on a beautiful natural fibre ,your linen pants look exactly as they should. When did we all become so obsessed with crease free,that we now wear a draping version of plastic.
Keep doing what your doing. Your not afraid of bold colour. You are generous to share what you do. You inspire.
Beautiful colours Lara. This outfit is perfect for you. I have the Mary dress pattern too…just waiting on the right fabric to make it up.
Excellent placement of the pattern on the top … So flattering. The fabric sounds like it would feel very nice to wear, too. Do you wear this outfit a lot? The colour combo is vibrant – so good! I’m not quite brave enough leave my black trousers but I do admire your choices. And love the linen.