Made By A Fabricista: In Love with Linen

Linen is the best fabric to sew and wear. I selected a beautiful 100% linen from Fabric Mart that is a steel blue and cream floral linen to sew up a By Hand London Hannah Wrap Dress pattern. The flowers look like Dahlias. I originally sewed a Toile from a black and white cotton bedsheet, wore the dress a lot but never made it again. I gave the Toile away to a friend who always commented on how much she loved the dress. When I saw this fabric, I knew I wanted to make the Hannah again.

Linen is so easy to sew the entire experience reminded me why linen remains one of my favorite fabrics to sew. I look for a light to medium weight  European linen for a dress. I like a rayon or cotton blend with linen because it seems to have more drape and be more soft. Linen gets softer with washing and wearing it. This particular linen feels crisp and after ironing and washing, softens up. I like how Fabric Mart describes the fabrics as top, dress, blouse, shirt weight under “Use” and will describe the “Hand” of the fabric as soft, slubbing, or crisp to help when deciding on purchasing. 

This linen was perfect to pair with the Hannah wrap dress because it makes a simple silhouette look polished. The pattern uses bias binding to finish the neckline so I easily made my own with the linen. Linen can fray,so  I decided to use my preferred French seams for this dress—and I’m so glad I did. Not only do they enclose all those raw edges but they also give the inside of the garment a clean, luxurious look.  

If you’re thinking about working with linen, here are a few things I’ve learned:

• Pre-wash your fabric (more than once if you want it softer from the start).

• Use sharp scissors or a rotary cutter for clean edges.

• Finish seams thoughtfully—French seams, or even flat-felled seams are great options.

• Press as you go—linen responds incredibly well to pressing and it makes a huge difference in the final result.

• Don’t fight the wrinkles. Linen wrinkles—it’s part of its personality. Embrace the relaxed look.

The Hannah wrap dress is such a flattering, wearable pattern, and linen complements it perfectly. The structure of the fabric gives the wrap shape a bit more definition, while still allowing movement. It feels tailored but relaxed at the same time. I made zero alterations to the pattern and the wrap fits perfectly with no gaping. 

I actually made this dress with a very special occasion in mind—I’ll be wearing it to a luncheon next week  for Nurses Day, where I was selected as a nominee for the 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Celebrating Nurses Awards. These nursing excellence awards recognize outstanding professionals in our field—individuals who are compassionate, committed, and make a meaningful impact on the lives of patients every single day. It truly is an honor to be nominated, and creating something by hand to wear to the event will make the experience feel even more meaningful. I always enjoy creating a special garment for special events, do you?

This dress feels like the kind of piece that will only get better with time. The linen will continue to soften, the drape will relax, and it’ll become one of those garments I will reach for again and again. I already have my eye on several other linens available on Fabric Mart site. I recently saw Ralph Lauren silk-linen blend and now I am waiting for that email to say “category E-O is 65% off”. 

Sewing with linen is a wonderful experience because it is a high quality fabric and  it’s one that pays off in comfort, durability, and timeless style. And with details like French seams, it’s just as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. Will you try sewing with linen?

Happy Sewing!

Patricia  |  @Hoppaheedahoe