There is no denying it: when the team discovered Maison Fauve’s new collection, we all fell for the Linger dress!
So Céline, Marie, Ségolène and I challenged ourselves to sew it as a quartet. As usual, everyone interpreted the same pattern in her own way, according to what she likes to wear, and we ended up with four very different dresses. Ready to discover them? Let’s go!
The pattern
LINGER is a dress that combines femininity and elegance. Its precise panel construction follows the silhouette without clinging to it. The result is long, light and very comfortable thanks to the wide straps.
The pattern offers four variations: a dramatic deep neckline inspired by a racerback; a more everyday, bra-friendly higher neckline; a memorable long version; and a playful short version. Its clean lines make it suitable for many styles and occasions. Ségolène plans to wear hers to a wedding, while Céline and I will definitely wear ours in the shop because it is so comfortable and perfect for summer.
Practical information
The Linger pattern is available as a paper pattern from size 34 to 52. I find it flattering on both smaller and larger sizes thanks to the ease at the waist and the possibilities offered by the panel construction.
It was designed with beginners in mind, so it is very approachable if you want to try sewing a dress and inserting an invisible zip. More experienced sewists can have fun altering or hacking it and using it as a base for other sewing challenges. I already have plenty of hack ideas! Seam allowances are included, which makes tracing the pattern easier.
In the sewist’s basket
To sew Linger you need a woven fabric. Maison Fauve recommends a light- to medium-weight fabric (100–200 g/m²), soft and with a beautiful drape, such as poplin, satin, crepe, fine jacquard, viscose twill, viscose, cotton, linen or Tencel. Fluid fabrics show off the cut especially well. Cotton lawn, broderie anglaise or even Japanese fabrics are also lovely choices.
Fabric requirements for 140 cm width: long dress — sizes 34–40: 240 cm, 42–48: 270 cm, 50–52: 290 cm; short dress — sizes 34–44: 170 cm, 46–52: 200 cm.
You also need a 40–60 cm invisible zip, interfacing, sewing-machine needles suited to the fabric (Microtex for fine fabrics), matching thread and matching overlocker cones if you use an overlocker.
Our supplies
Céline chose our washed linen in sapphire blue. I chose a 3 m Remnant from our Joly Remnants in floral stretch viscose because I had loved the result of my Kallima dress by Laetietlea in the same type of fabric. Ségolène chose a beautiful floral viscose called Porcelaine, while Marie picked a very romantic floral cotton lawn.
Technical steps
Linger is accessible to beginners and contains very few difficult steps: assembling the panels, inserting an invisible zip, attaching the facing, assembling the shoulder straps and hemming. Nothing very complicated, and Maison Fauve’s instructions are very clear.
Attaching the front facing
Inserting the zip
Attaching the back facing
Our sewing experiences
Céline’s experience
What a great project! I am delighted and completely won over by this pattern, which is so easy to sew and so comfortable. I want one in every colour 😄. Based on my measurements I needed size 36 at the bust, 42 at the waist and 38 at the hips, so I used 36 at the bust and graded to 42 from the waist down. On the centre front and back pieces I simply drew between the sizes. The side pieces have a more unusual shape, so I traced size 42 there.
I am very happy with the result. The waist could be taken in a little, but I like to feel comfortable in my clothes, so I left it as it is. Sewing was very quick and I had no difficulties, especially since I made life easier by leaving out the zip 🙈. I had bought one and planned to insert it using Marie’s great technique—sew the seam closed first, baste and stitch the zip, then unpick the seam over the zipper—but once the dress was assembled I tried it on and realised the zip was unnecessary. I hemmed it and that was it!
I now have MY summer dress. I was surprised by how quickly it came together, and I cannot wait to make it first in black linen, then in plenty of other fabrics.
Marie’s experience
Like many of us, I immediately fell for Linger when Maison Fauve released it: elegant, essential and full of sewing potential. I am currently rebuilding my summer wardrobe for my holidays in Italy, so its release came at the perfect time for an easy-to-wear little dress—or several!
To choose my size I used the finished-garment measurements. I started with size 36 at bust and waist and graded to 42 at the hips. It is quite a jump, but the pattern is very readable and grading was straightforward. For once I did not make a toile because I felt confident about the sizes and the panel seams make later adjustments easy.
At the first fitting I found the waist a little loose, which the pattern information had already indicated as intentional ease. But I like a very fitted waist, so I took in 5 mm at each seam around the waist. Added together, that removes about 4 cm. Because the alteration is limited to a short area, it creates a little extra volume below the waist and gives my dress a subtle 1950s feel, which I love.
For the fabric I chose one of the floral cotton lawns recently brought into our Ixelles shop. They are 100% cotton, and the weave gives them a little crosswise give, which reassured me about taking in the waist: the softness of the fabric would preserve comfort. My dress is floral, soft and I love it. Linger is an excellent model for learning garment fitting, facings and an invisible zip. Beginners can practise alterations and experienced sewists can make an easy summer dress with a real wow effect.
Ségolène’s experience
How could I not fall for Maison Fauve’s new collection? Doll, Misfit and Linger all caught my eye. I chose the long version—extra long, really. I added 35 cm because I wanted the dress to reach the floor even with heels, as I already knew exactly when I would wear it: my best friend’s wedding in September.
I changed more than the length. I also altered the front and back necklines because I find V-necks more flattering on me. On my toile I simply decided how low I wanted the neckline and redrew it. At the back I made sure it was not so deep that my bra would show.
For the fabric I fell in love with the Porcelaine viscose: blue, mauve and flowers, everything I like. Viscose is not always the easiest fabric to handle, especially when cutting, but it is worth it. It gives the dress the fluidity and drape I love.
Eugénie’s experience
I chose size 34 at the bust, grading to 36 at the hips. I made the short version with the more modest back because I wanted to be able to wear it with a bra. After the first fitting I took in the waist by a total of 4 cm because I wanted a more fitted dress and a more defined waist.
I moved the zip to the centre back because I do not like having a zip under my arm; it always bothers me. In the end I could probably have left it out entirely because, like Céline, I can put the dress on without opening it. To insert it at the back I simply altered the back facing so the zip could be included, remembering of course to add seam allowances.
And there you have the team’s four beautiful versions of Linger. It is always inspiring to see one pattern interpreted by different people: it helps you imagine your own version and sparks plenty of ideas. It also gave us an epic photo and video session full of laughter!
How do you imagine your Linger? Find all Maison Fauve patterns here. You can also come and sew it with us in the workshop: discover our sewing classes here.
Now there is only one thing left to do: to your needles!
