For the the sunny yet chilly weather we’ve been having lately, I thought this linen & rayon fiber blend sweater would be perfect.  So I ordered the sweater at Old Navy online store.

It’s a nice light and shear sweater to be worn as layers.  The drape is nice and comfy and the texture is soft.

After trying it, I was surprise to find a small hole forming on the sleeve. If you look closely at the shoulder seam, you can see this tiny hole and my hand underneath.  If you tug on it, it can get much bigger and possibly cause the yarn to unravel.

Actually if you were to wear certain jewelries, it could easily snag it.  So you have to be extra careful.  The reviews online for the sweater was positive, so maybe I just got a bad sweater.

Since I haven’t removed the tags yet, I’m going to return/exchange the sweater.  I just wish it wasn’t so fragile because it’s a really cute and simple sweater.

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Laos is the inspiration behind Anthropologie’s new fashion bag titled “Million Elephants“.

This is how they entice us with the bag…

“Visit the temples in Luang Prabang and taste the delicacies in Vientiane with this Laos-inspired silk and canvas sack by your side.” Now that sounds like a relaxing vacation.

It’s a pretty bag with drawstring closure. Materials include silk, linen, and cotton.

I find the red tassels on the side give it more of a Chinese flair. Or maybe the splash of red was inspired by red plumeria? As the plumeria (frangipani) is the national flower of Laos.

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I love linen clothing, especially during the summer months. Sadly it took me this long to finally make my first pair of linen pant.

The last time I made pants, they were corduroy fabric. I was trying to duplicate the pattern from another favorite pair of cords. But it didn’t turn out too well.

So this time around I got a real pattern. A pretty easy pattern by Simplicity, on sale at the craft store. Since I am not a good model, I will only share a photo of the top portion of the pant.

The material makes it light and comfortable, great for California’s September weather. Lucky for me, it was a perfect fit and I didn’t have to make any alterations.

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The Japanese have been using buckwheat pillow for centuries.  Buckwheat hull pillow provide firm and even support for your neck and back.   It has the ability to perfectly conform to the contours of our head.  Thus resulting in better and sound sleep.

Buckwheat pillows can be expensive.  So I decided to make my own using buckwheat hull and some linen fabrics.  Having a zipper is also helpful as you can adjust the amount of hull for personal comfort.  And with zipper openings, you can remove all the hulls before washing the pillow case.

The list of benefits for using buckwheat hull as pillow filling includes:

grown without pesticides as they are naturally pest resistant

biodegradable (can be composted and even used as mulch)

naturally hypoallergenic (for those allergic to feathers)

odorless, pest and fungus resistant

I used 100 % linen fabric and filled it with 1 lb of buckwheat hull.  The hull is very light but feels substantial once stuffed inside the pillow. It may be a small pillow for most, but it works fine for me.  Maybe it’s more of a travel pillow.

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Linen is the best fabric to wear in the summer.  It’s comfortable and very cooling.  The only down side would be that it wrinkles easily.  Then again, it does iron easily too.

I used to always hesitate purchasing linen clothing because I thought it would be itchy and rough.  My first linen item of clothing was a summer skirt.  It was medium weight and didn’t feel too cooling.  But then I found some light weight navy linen pants that were much more cooler to wear, especially on hot days.

Here is a photo of a simple flax flower and buds that provide us with so much.  From healthy flax seeds to oils and of course, the fabric of summer!

Linen is made from the flax stalks (bast fiber).  The luster of linen comes from the natural wax content.  Linen can be creamy white to light tan as this fiber can be easily dyed.  The color does not fade when washed.  It is best to hang (line) dry them.  Linen, like cotton, can also be boiled without damaging the fiber.

Libeco, a Belgian linen manufactured describes the flax as one of the most ecologically-correct plant.  The seeds provide oil for dyes, paint, cosmetics and floor coverings.  And the by-products of linen production are processed into a pulp used for banknotes or fiberboard.  But most of all, flax is most renowned as the raw material for use as linen fabric.

More info from Fabrics.net:

Highly absorbent and a good conductor of heat, this fabric is cool in garments. However, constant creasing in the same place in sharp folds will tend to break the linen threads. This wear can show up in collars, hems, and any area that is iron creased during the laundering. Linen has poor elasticity and does not spring back readily.

I have noticed one of my linen tops had a small tear at the crease of the fold.  But I was able to mend it with some threads.  But all my other linen items are doing well.

I like this linen pant from Banana Republic.  On sale for $58.  But I don’t like the big cinch front pockets.  I prefer flat pockets instead.  And to save money this summer, I am going to try making my own linen pants and tank tops.  Linen pants would require a medium weight linen.  And a tank top would be light weight or tissue linen in chocolate brown.

I think this will be a fun summer sewing (craft) project for me too.

Another nice summer fashion accessory, 100 % linen tote bag from Lotta Jansdotter.  Retails $68.

Image source:

Banana Republic

Lotta Jansdotter, also nice hand tote here.

FlaxPage, provide information for the grower, for the consumer, and for the researcher.

More info:

Libeco-Lagae, Belgium linen manufacturer.