FS Capucine Robe made with FS IL098 Loire Jacquard linen in white

Slowly I’ve started to spill out bits and pieces of my wedding and dress sewing journey on my social media – things like location (San Francisco!) and potential fabric choice (glittery sparkling tulle!). Our wedding takes place this coming May so I’ve been obsessing over all planning details and it seems like the to-do list doesn’t end. While my fiancé and I are going the more low-key route by doing a private city hall marriage followed by an intimate dinner reception for close friends and family, I can’t help but want a bit of bride-to-be indulgence mixed in. Case in point, the classic bridal robe to get ready in on the big day. However, of course I had to make it and put my own spin on it.  That’s exactly why I chose to make the robe from the Capucine pattern collection.

FS Capucine Robe made with FS IL098 Loire Jacquard linen in white

As always, Fabrics-Store’s printed patterns are such a treat to receive and open in the mail. I love popping open the top of the cylindrical tube to then pulling out the neatly rolled pattern and instruction booklet. I’m #teamtrace all the way when it comes to paper patterns so while it is a bit of an extra step for me in the sewing process, the differently colored sizes make quick work of the job as it’s easy to identify exactly which size I’m tracing off. The pattern for the robe itself came in at only 9 pattern pieces, or 8 if you’re like me and chose to use premade seam binding versus making the bias binding from scratch. If you don’t have an almost 1.5 year old baby that demands to be held or followed around the house during all waking hours, then cutting out and sewing up this lovely robe takes up not much time and comes together quite smoothly thanks to the clear instructions and diagrams. However, since I do have such a 1.5 year old, this robe took me about 3-4 days of getting sporadic 15 minute intervals of work done. 😉 Honestly though, this robe is beautifully simple and easy in construction, and is such a satisfying sew with stunning results due to the nice clean finishes, such as the neatly tucked and topstitched seam allowances and bias bound edges of the collar on the interior. There is a lot of ease in this pattern, so if you decide to make this I suggest sizing down for a less oversized look. I normally take a size 8 or 10 in Fabrics-Store’s patterns, but after assessing the finished garment sizes, I decided size 6 was going to give me the fit I was after.

FS Capucine Robe made with FS IL098 Loire Jacquard linen in white

Because I chose this pattern for my bridal robe, I had to go a bit bougie with the fabric pairing, so I opted for the IL098 Loire Jacquard linen in white. According to the product description, its jacquard design is inspired by vintage textiles found in a Paris flea market… which, omg, how romantic and dreamy does that whole situation sound?! The white colorway was the obvious choice for me, plus I knew white in this floral pattern can easily transition from season to season and not only be tied down to its initial “bridal” use. This linen jacquard is insanely soft and so much more beautiful in person! It has a dense quality weave, but not too thick that it feels heavy, and the supple, almost cushion-y hand feel really brings a moment of luxury – perfect for what I was looking for. I did find myself going a bit slower with cutting and sewing this fabric as it tended to shift and move easily, but it wasn’t anything a little patience and an “enjoy the process” mindset couldn’t handle.

FS Capucine Robe made with FS IL098 Loire Jacquard linen in white

As you’ll notice in my photos, I added a little frivolous flair to the cuffs by way of faux feather trim. I absolutely adore the element of fun they add, making this robe just a little bit more special. But what I really truly love is that I’ve actually made the trim removable so that I can easily wash the robe without mangling and ruining the faux feathers. I simply sewed button holes into the interior of the cuffs and then hand sewed buttons onto the trim itself. I realized, too, after sewing on the feather trim that this robe can even function as a duster over a jeans and peasant top outfit á la Penny from Almost Famous, so I totally ran with it!

I’m so pleased with how this elegant little robe turned out, and rather excited to wear it the morning of my wedding while getting glammed up. I might even be more excited to get all the compliments on it after divulging to my hair and makeup artists that, yeah, I made it.