I spent the months before grad school between my sewing machine, the beach, and the public library. At my most productive I was making two garments a week! Obviously not all were successes but all that time means my summer wardrobe is largely handmade and my winter one lacking seriously. At the end of the summer my family took a trip to Maine and I convinced my brother to help document this look in the garden of our beautiful Airbnb. In the rush of moving to a new country I forgot I had these photos until now!
This outfit is head to toe Closet Case Patterns! The top is the Kalle shirt, and for this version I squared off the hem for a slightly different look. I simply drew a horizontal line aligned with the longest part of both the front and back pattern pieces, and connected the side seam. I then added a deep hem, so this version is more cropped than the original.
If I planned more carefully, I might have been able to make the stitching around the hem all one continuous line, but I still love it this way. This was the fourth button-down shirt I had made in one summer, and I am super thrilled with all the topstitching and details! I also switched to using a lighter weight weft interfacing and it fuses and falls better.
This fabric is a linen I picked up in the garment district in New York, and the buttons are salvaged off a vintage dress from my mom.
The shorts are the Jenny shorts and to show off the print there are no pockets. These were the third pair of Jennys I made, all in one week! I played around with both the length of the shorts and the rise, and in this pair it worked out perfectly.
The fabric for these shorts is some of the coolest linen I’ve come across! I also picked it up on my trip to New York – I was specifically looking for a bottom-weight geometric print and I could not have found something better. It is super soft and vibrant, and has a tiny bit of stretch, making for the comfiest shorts ever. I picked up the last three-and-something yards, and the rest is waiting to become some awesome party pants.
Since moving, my sewing has slowed down a lot. Living with my parents gave me both the luxury of space and time, and it takes a lot more planning to work on a project here. I did manage to draft and sew a ball gown, and once I get pictures, I’m excited to share it here!
Kausalya Mahadevan 