90% Linen 10% Silk – Carmen (Sold in Panels)

90% Linen 10% Silk – Carmen (Sold in Panels)

• The repeat/panel is approx. approx.  73cm.   
• 140cm wide
• 90% Linen 10% Silk

*Images of me - The pattern is 'Carmen' and I have a Blog and YouTube episode about it.

'Carmen' is an astonishingly gorgeous large scale, red rose border print.  This fabric has romance and passion.  The roses have variegations of reds, lush pinks, and you will see touches of orange.  Amid the full blooms you will glimpse lovely buds.  The foliage features a rich array of greens, from yellow-green to olive.  The distinct roses are contrasted against a black background with an abstract design, that has a spectacular 'bokeh' (or blurred) effect.  The use of aqua, pinks and plums is such a lovely inclusion.  For those who don't usually wear red, the inclusion of these colours are a gamechanger.  The range of images should give you a very good idea of the scale of the print, and the impact of those divine blooms.   

The roses stretch up the fabric to the 87cm mark.  As such, the remaining 53cm from the 'top' is black with the abstract design.  Cut your dress according to the fabric gradient (i.e the more abstract section at the top/bodice), or capture the bold blooms in the bodice or the sleeves.  

This would be a gorgeous statement dress, skirt, blouse or oversized and fluid shirt.  3-4 panels to give you pattern placement options.  For full skirts you may need more. 

The Linen | Silk blend is a superb fabric.  It creases a little, but not as much as a 100% linen.  It is 140cm wide, is lighter weight than regular linens, and so soft and cool against the skin.  The drape is amazing. It’s washable by hand or (at own risk) on a very delicate, cool, machine wash cycle (in a mesh washing bag).  See Cloth Care notes below. 

For your cloth edit consider:  semi-fitted or looser shirts, blouses, tops and tunics; dresses (eg. wrap, fit and flare, tunic, shirt dresses), skirts (eg. wrap, midi, gathered, pleated).  It would be great in pants or shorts also.

Here are some indie sewing pattern suggestions:

• Atelier Jupe - Lynn, Zoey, Liv, Sienna, Frida, Tilda, Olivia. 
• The Avid Seamstress - The Blouse, The Everyday Shirt, The Raglan Dress, The Day Dress, The Pyjama Bottoms
• Atelier Scammit - Petites Choses, Artesane, Astree, Vertige, Zephir 
• By Hand London – Anna, Hannah, Liz, Sandeep, Tamzin
• Closet Core Patterns – Cielo, Elodie, Charlie, Carolyn, Pauline, Kalle
• Folkwear Patterns – Mexico Dress (and Top), Hapi and Haori, Japanese Kimono, Walking Skirt
• Friday Pattern Co. – Sagebrush Top, Square Neck, Top Wilder Gown, Davenport, Hughes.
• Homer + Howells – Cissy, Ingrid.    
• I AM Patterns – Barbara, Cassiopee, Gaia, Jain, Joy, Juliette, Lucienne, Sherazade, Cinderella, Irma, Octarine
• Maison Fauve - Tilda, Penelope, Zenith, Atlas, Lauren, Mia, Niki, Byzance.
• Named Patterns – Helmi (Tunic or Blouse), Reeta Shirt Dress, Ninni, Valo
• Papercut Patterns – Array, Nexus, Sequence, Tide, Ashling, Estella, Tula, Celestia, Pinnacle
• Pauline Alice Patterns – Calvari, Cami Shirt Dress, Lliria, Ibi.
• Pattern Fantastique – Mersis, Vali, Calyx, Celestial, Vali
• The Assembly Line – Cap Sleeve Shirt, Cuff Top, Cuff Dress, Oversized Shirt

 Cloth Care:

The general advice is to Dry Clean silk, BUT this is only 10% Silk and so you could certainly hand wash this fabric.  If you machine wash, then use a delicate cycle, and use a gentle detergent such as a baby shampoo or specialist silk detergent as the chemicals and bleach in regular washing liquids and powders may damage the silk.  Use a mesh washing bag. For hand-washing and machine washing use cool water.  Hot water is harmful to the silk fibre.  Do not bleach, wring, or tumble dry. Do not spot clean silk.  Wash colours separately.   Wash inside out and dry flat or on a soft finish hanger in shade.  Use a warm iron and spot test.