Lovely linen knit

Nothing says summer like a linen top, does it?  And nothing says casual like a knit.  I got this lovely blue & silver heathered linen knit during my mini-shopping spree in NY at the beginning of the year.  Realizing yesterday that the linen dress I wanted to make wouldn't be ready for a fancy-casual brunch this am because it would have to hang for at least 24 hrs to let the bias relax, this became my fallback option.

I started with the Jalie 2805 tee, cut for a high neck and high armscyes (raised the armscyes by 2 cm), with the sides lengthened by about 12 cm and gradually widening, to about  3 cm on each side at the very bottom.  That makes the shape slightly trapezoidal, and enourages the slight curve in the bottom band. The bottom band is 23 x 85 cm, sewed in a circle and folded in half.  I gathered the excess of the skirt bottom into the band, keeping the sides ungathered and smooth, and concentrating the gathering only at centre front and back. 

Armscyes and neckband have the Jalie finish.  However, not wishing to stiffen the fabric with serging nor to have a double needle track around them, I hand-secured the raw edges on the inside using a standard blind hemming stitch.

All ready now for strawberries and champagne!