Made By A Fabricista: Mechanic Chic!

When it comes to buying ready-to-wear garments as a sewist, I only ever spend in three categories: heavy duty winter jackets (life in Maine!), bras… and jumpsuits!

I love a good jumpsuit, but unfortunately the ones I used to buy have been impacted by the tariff situation and I can’t get them affordably anymore. This can only mean one thing, folks: it’s time to roll up my sleeves and sew my very first jumpsuit!

When I started planning for this project, I knew I wanted to use a heavyweight linen for cozy comfort in the fall and breathability in the summer. I wanted something that would wear beautifully and soften with age, and something with neutral tones that could go with everything. Naturally, when I came across this 100% linen canvas on Fabric Mart, my heart skipped a beat! I love the ikat-inspired geometry and something about it reminds me of leopard spots too. Bold yet wearable!

I am pretty sure this fabric was intended for home decor which I don’t mind at all and in fact often use as a cheat code: home decor fabrics are made to withstand a lot of daily wear and tear, so they tend to be woven with thicker yarns and a sturdier weave without compromising on comfort or breathability… that sounds like perfect workwear fabric to me!

This fabric is a joy to wear! It has that signature linen “bounce”, texture and structured drape. Because it’s a thick canvas weave, it doesn't crease as easily as a lighter weight linen, and it’s also quite sturdy: when I was making my button holes by hand I had to really rip through it with my sharp seam ripper. For the pattern, I was hesitating between a couple of options and decided to go with the Jesse Jumpsuit from the Modern Sewing Co. The crisp tailoring details really stand out in this fabric!

As with all canvases, fraying is to be expected, so I was diligent about finishing most straight edges and staystitching every curve before construction. The fabric was super easy to sew and it pressed beautifully.

Linen canvas isn’t that common, especially in such a beautiful print, I was so excited to find this fabric. I really love that shopping at Fabric Mart can be a bit of a treasure hunt sometimes: you never know what unique finds you're going to fall in love with!

JOANNA | @hotpurlsummer

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