The Akira collection consists of two garments, a cardigan or top and a pair of pants or capris. There are multiple variations you can get from each type of garment, making this pattern very versatile. After mulling over which ones I wanted to make, I decided on cutting a pair of capris and the belted top. The effortless design of the pieces makes each one of them totally wearable and very easy to match with other pieces in my wardrobe. As with other Fabrics-store’s printed patterns, I cannot emphasize enough the clarity of the instructions. I would recommend the Akira collection to any beginner sewist who wants staple pieces in their wardrobe.

I chose the 4C22 heavyweight weight linen in Sanguine for this project. The heavyweight 7.1 oz linen is a long-time favorite fabric of mine for garments. The weight is great for all-day wear because the fabric is breathable for daytime use and has enough thickness to provide substantial layering at night. I use this fabric for tops, pants, and dresses. It’s a rather stable fabric to sew with, while still having a nice drape over the body. I laundered the fabric using hot water and machine-dried it on high before cutting to prevent any future shrinkage.

I’m 5’1” with a waist size of 26 and bust size of 32, which landed me approximately on size 2 – the size I cut for both the top and capris. I did not make any major modifications to the pattern besides taking some length out from both pieces, which I do for every sewing pattern to accommodate my height. First, I took out 6.5” from the top to create a cropped look. Second, I added 0.5” to the hem allowance, making it a 1.5” deep hem instead of 1 ¼”. Originally, I cut the pattern pieces to make the capri length bottom, but I ended up keeping it at a pant length since the pieces allowed me to do so.

There are a few other things that I did during construction that differ from and add on to the instructions. As mentioned above, I had to modify the length of my patterns, so I left hemming to the end, instead of doing that before sewing the crotch. Because I shortened my top by 6.5”, I had to ignore the suggested belt loop placement and instead place the loops further up on my actual waistline. I stay-stitched the front and back necklines to prevent them from stretching. I knew I would be doing french seams for the top, so there would be a lot of handling done, and I did not want the pieces that were cut on a slight bias to “grow”. Finally, I interfaced the wrong side of where the button holes for my drawstring were located to give the areas more structure.

I hope you enjoy seeing these pieces as much as I do. Working with Fabrics-store linen is always enjoyable, and their linen is a dream to sew!