I have been sewing garments (consistently) for about two years now, and I am still in awe of the wide range of fabrics available to sew. I chose a jacquard linen because: 1) I love the name and 2) I have little-no experience working with this fabric type. I have also always wanted to add more loungewear to my wardrobe as I find myself sitting at my computer more and more for schoolwork and with the pandemic still ongoing, I stay home more often than not.
The CAPUCINE robe pattern caught my eye immediately. I haven’t owned a bathrobe since I was a kid and I have no idea why. I need this luxury in my life! The pattern is beautifully designed and overall very easy to construct. I felt very pampered working with an instruction booklet and lovely pattern printout, secured in a storage tube complete with a pattern hook. I think my biggest hurdle was approaching the collar, as I’ve never made one like this before. Trying to wrap your head around the orientation of the collar facing and the robe could be dizzying at times, but the end result was completely worth it. The seam finishes (a lot of turned over edges) were the cherry on top and the entire piece is so lovely to look at, inside and out!
Since I was working with a double-layered linen, I knew it would shrink after a wash/dry cycle and take on a textured appearance. Because of this, I threw caution to the wind and cut a size 6 out on the pre-washed fabric since the finished garment measurements would still be quite large for me (at least by 1-2 sizes). So when all was sewn, I excitedly threw the robe in the wash and holy shrinkage, did this robe deliver. The fabric description notes there will be 16% shrinkage weft and 18% shrinkage warp and that is precisely what happened.. if not more (this estimated shrinkage is of course dependent on your washer/dryer settings). Fortunately, I pulled the robe out of my dryer at just the right time as it fits me perfectly. Disclaimer: I would NOT recommend this method – it was impulsive and a bit reckless (most of my sewing journeys are) so while it was “on brand” for me, it is probably not the most responsible thing to do.
The fabric, the texture, and the color make me feel like I’m wrapped in a flax linen hug and I could not have asked for a better textile to work with! I can’t wait to wear this day in and day out, especially when I want to treat myself to a face mask and lavender latte on a lazy Sunday morning or an afternoon well-spent at a sauna collective by the bay.