I really love Mushroom linen. And I think I might have an unhealthy obsession with this fabric and might require an intervention. This blog post is either the latest instalment in “Meg sews matching garments to all the pattern samples” or a cry for help. Let me explain.
When you think about it, it is a little peculiar that this happened to me, seeing as Mushroom is just a fancy word for brown. It would be a little bit more on brand if I was obsessed with pink or blue fabric. But it seems I can’t get enough of this fabric! Every time I want to sew something there is a little part of me saying this would be great in mushroom linen.
We stock deadstock, recycled and ethically sourced fabrics in the studio, and this particular linen was deadstock from a local designer. As soon as it entered the studio I fell in love with the hand of this fabric, I decided to use it when making my extended pocket Opal pants. Those Opal pants magically coordinated with everything in my wardrobe – turns out that Mushroom is the neutral I have been looking for all my life.
The Opal pants turned out so well that when we were making the final Olive Curve samples I decided to use the same mushroom linen, and I’ve got to say I think it’s gorgeous and is my favourite Olive sample. So now you see I was on a roll.
So whilst we were internally testing the Durban pattern I thought what could be better than covering my entire body with mushroom linen? Well nothing my friends, nothing is better ;) It was exactly what I had imagined! I love this jumpsuit so much and like my Opals, it coordinates with everything I own so is dead easy to style in winter or summer. Is mushroom linen the perfect fabric? At this point, I’m starting to think yes, yes it is.
The problem is that I love this jumpsuit so much that when it came time to make the final Durban samples I decided we had to have a mushroom sample exactly like mine. Do you feel like I’ve said this before? It’s because I have – I really need to stop matching all the samples. It’s getting a bit silly!
But then I took it a bit too far. Now we’ve got my mushroom Opals, my mushroom Durban, a studio sample mushroom Durban and a mushroom Olive Curve. So of course I insisted we make a mushroom Eucalypt tank studio sample – because if this fabric magically matches everything it will be such a useful studio sample. And sure, I love this sample and am very close to disappearing it into my own wardrobe – but objectively, someone needs to stop me!
But I didn’t really stop there. I can’t lie to you – we sold out of this fabric a while back and I hoarded a pile. Yes, I did. And even made Buddy a pair of Mini Opal shorts (so excited to be working on this!) and I also think they’re really great? Mushroom linen appears to be the perfect fabric for all my makes or I’ve lost it.
So perhaps the point of this blog post is that if I publicly shame myself for having an unhealthy obsession with and thoroughly overusing mushroom linen then maybe, just maybe, I’ll stop. We can only hope ;)
Until then if you see me picking up my kids from school I’ll probably be in this Durban jumpsuit or something else made from mushroom linen.
