Fabric Inspiration for the Petrichor Pinafore

The Petrichor Pinafore is an effortless piece that can be worn so many ways! When you choose your fabric you will want to think about how you intend to wear it most, what your styling plans are, and what your climate is.

We recommend mid-weight woven fabrics with plenty of drape. Soft, washed linens, linen-rayon blends, and silk noil are all good choices. Meg and I both planning to wear ours as a jumper/dress, and we live in the humid south, so we chose 100% linen.

Linen is a great choice for Petrichor because it holds the gathers and drapes very nicely for the skirt. It’s also a great all season fabric. 

And of course, our friends at EWE Fine Fibers have put together a collection of lovely fabrics to get your started.

Linens for the Petrichor Pinafore

But linen comes in a lot of varieties! It can be a little confusing to decipher. The linen we used is an Italian linen from our local shop, Mulberry Silks. It is a fairly tight weave with a fine fiber.

A similar linen is Cairo Linen from EWE Fine Fibers. Cairo Linen comes in a beautiful rainbow of colors and has a very soft, almost washed drape.

Many linens will say stone-washed or sand-washed which essentially means they’ve been softened using various means. This gives the fabric a lived-in, wearable look and feel. You still need to pre-wash these linens to prevent your garment from shrinking, but they are great choices for a variety of garments.

Sahara Linen is very similar to Cairo, in that it is softened, but it is a little bit lighter in weight. Avoid heavy-weight linens or those that feel stiff or scratchy. 

There are also linen blends to consider! A popular and easily available one is Brussels Washer linen. This is a rayon/linen blend. The rayon adds some lovely drape. But be cautious, it also causes the fabric to stretch, especially for pieces like the bias binding and pocket facings. Brussels is one of my all-time favorite fabrics, but I would only recommend it for the Petrichor if you have experience using it before. 

Double Gauze for the Petrichor Pinafore

Another great choice is double gauze. I really want to make a knee-length petrichor to wear as a beach cover-up and double gauze is my top choice. This super soft fabric is two layers and has a waffley, pre-wrinkled texture. It is a delight to wear, though can have a bit of a learning curve to sew. I’d practice a couple of seams before sewing your Petrichor to get that hang of this fun fabric. 

Cotton Ikat for the Petrichor Pinafore

While we don’t recommend tightly woven or stiff cottons, a cotton Ikat fabric is a great choice. Due to the weave Ikats have a lovely drape, and they come is so many beautiful colors and patterns. If you are looking for something beyond a solid, ikats are a great choice. Keep in mind that some of these fabrics are only 45” wide, so you will want to give Shaerie’s alternative cutting layout a look. 

Silk Noil for the Petrichor Pinafore

For a luxurious Petrichor Pinafore, silk noil is a great choice. Unlike a regular silk, which can be slippery and intimidating to sew with, silk noil has a soft, subtle texture to it. This natural, breathable fabric is machine washable and feels similar to sewing cotton.  

Whatever fabric you choose we hope you love sewing and wearing your Petrichor Pinafore. It is quickly becoming a Sew Liberated favorite.