Is there anything more summery than a white simple tee or garments in linen? Enter this linen rayon knit lark tee!
Every summer I snatch up a handful of J.Crew’s colorful V-neck tees and wear them all summer long. I love how versatile the shirt is, and I’ve long wanted to make my own version, but I just haven’t found the perfect fabric (spoiler…until now!).
And also every summer when I want to feel a bit more ‘done up’ but not melt like a stick of butter on the sidewalk, I reach for my linen dresses.
But this summer will be a first…because I’ll be able to wear my beloved simple tees while also wearing linen!
The Fabric: Medina Linen/Rayon Blend Jersey Knit in Ivory
Oh my goodness, do you love linen as much as I do?
My handmade garments are probably 80% linen, and what isn’t linen is another natural or semi-synthetic fiber like: hemp, tencel, cotton, or rayon. Natural fibers keep you cooler in the warm months, unlike synthetic fibers (looking at you, polyester!) that feel like wearing a plastic bag and worse, hold in stink. So for the long sweltering Texas summers I turn to natural fibers, especially linen.
But here’s the caveat: it’s incredibly hard to find linen in a knit, and if you do, it’s either going to be blended with synthetic (which, to me, cancels out the benefits of linen!), or be super see-through. Neither situation is ideal.
So when I saw this linen / rayon blend knit in the Imagine Gnats shop (more colors here) in the prettiest color palette, I *jumped* at the opportunity to sew with it, despite being mere days away from having my first baby. I’ve always wanted this fabric to exist, and now it does!
A few tips on working with this linen / rayon jersey fabric:
I recommend washing on a gentle cycle (or better yet, handwash!). I took out my plastic dryer balls because I was worried they would stretch it out too much.
When sewing, especially around necklines, be careful not to pull too much, because it can stretch out the neckline a bit. It will pop back after being in the wash, but the raw edges might stretch out if you handle them too much while sewing (I may have learned this the hard way when I serged the neckband on perfectly…only inside out!)
The white is a touch sheer, but when I compared it to some of my RTW (ready to wear) pieces, I noticed that it wasn’t more sheer than they were, and it didn’t bother me. I looooove wearing white, so to me, it’s worth it. I feel completely covered when I wear it, but it isn’t 100% opaque.
I can’t wait to try all the colors in this line and make more linen rayon knit lark tees; it’s truly a dream come true to have options for beautiful linen knits!
The Pattern: Grainline Studio Lark Tee
This pattern has so many options: V, scoop, boat and crew necklines, plus cap, short, 3/4, or long sleeves. That makes for 16 different options in a single pattern, and I’m all about that.
If ever there was a pattern that was so simple, so easy, and so very right, this one is it.
Plus, this is easy: if you’ve ever sewn a knit bodice before, you probably won’t even need to look at the direction for this pattern. It’s that quick and simple. The drafting is amazing. I absolutely love how meticulous the Grainline Studio team is in their drafting, even for a simple tee shirt. There’s a reason that this one is a favorite in the sewing community: it’s just really well done.
It’s good to note that although this is a knit pattern, it doesn’t have any negative ease, like most knit patterns do. I tend to prefer my tees to be a bit more fitted, even more so than just a ‘slim fit’, so I sized down in this one and might size down even more for my next version.
It’s quite long, which I love, and the sizing is so very close to my beloved J.Crew tees (I measured!).
(Hint: negative ease means that the finished garment measurements are smaller than your body measurements, meaning the garment has to stretch to fit. This is really common in ready-to-wear knit garments, as it makes for pieces that conform, even if only slightly, to your body, rather than hanging off it.)
Now that I’ve found a fabric I love, and a pattern that’s just perfect, I’m definitely planning on whipping up many a linen rayon knit lark tee for summer, and I’m already looking forward to making the boat neck version for fall.
Don’t forget, in celebration of Me Made May, the Imagine Gnats Shop is offering a 20% discount on ALL LINEN BLENDS this week just in case you need any new linen garments for your wardrobe!! Use the code MMMLINEN20 for 20% off all in stock Brussels linen, Essex linen, Medina linen/rayon knit, linen/cotton stripes and plaids! The coupon code is good from now until May 12. Also all orders will receive one of our beautiful “celebrate you” coasters as a part of our collaboration with La Mercerie and Sew to Speak! Place orders with each shop this month to collect them all!
You’re going to want to get your hands on this amazing bamboo/cotton stretch sweatshirting and the fabulous ribbing from the shop, so to keep our Me Made May momentum going, we are offering a 20% discount on our full stock of knit fabric this week and there are TONS OF FABRICS INCLUDED!
Use the code MMMKNITS20 for 20% off
Dana Cotton Modal Jersey
Medina Linen/Rayon Jersey
Alaine Rayon/Cotton Blend Jersey Stripes
Bamboo Cotton 1×1 Ribbed Knit
Bamboo Cotton 2×2 Ribbing
Tri-Blend Tencel French Terry
Bamboo/Cotton Stretch Sweatshirting
Ponte De Roma
Double Brushed Poly
Modal Tri-Blend Sweater Knit
The coupon code is good from now until May 26. Happy shopping and Happy Me Made May!!