Summer Sewing in Soft Hues: Makower Linen Texture Fabrics

July is such a lovely time to be sewing. The long evenings give you that extra hour at the machine, the light is good, and somehow the season just calls for something fresh and considered — a new project started with care, rather than rushed out the door. This week we've been completely taken with a collection that feels perfectly pitched for summer making: the Linen Texture range from Makower UK.

If you've not come across it before, Linen Texture is a beautifully clever fabric. It's 100% cotton — so it washes well, presses beautifully, and behaves itself on the machine — but it's woven with a subtle slubbed texture that mimics the look and feel of linen. You get all the lovely rustic character of linen without the shrinkage anxiety. We're big fans here at the shop, and we've just had four colours come in that we think are absolutely worth talking about.

Makower UK Linen Texture — Duck Egg

This is the one that stopped us in our tracks when it arrived. Duck Egg is such a quintessentially British summer colour — that soft, muted teal that sits somewhere between blue and green and manages to look elegant in almost any context. Sewn up into a relaxed blouse or a gathered midi skirt, it would be gorgeous. It would also work beautifully as a background fabric in a patchwork quilt — especially paired with soft whites and warm creams. At £8.00 per half-metre, it's brilliant value for a fabric with this much personality.

Makower UK Linen Texture — Sage

Sage green feels like the colour of the moment in dressmaking circles, and honestly, it deserves its popularity. This Makower version is neither too yellow nor too grey — it's a calm, earthy tone that flatters a wide range of skin tones and coordinates effortlessly with so many other colours. We've been imagining it as a simple tote bag, a set of cloth napkins for garden dining, or — for those who quilt — as a restful low-volume tone that anchors brighter blocks without competing with them. A thoroughly useful fabric to have in your collection.

Makower UK Linen Texture — Straw

Straw is the one for anyone who loves a warm, sunny neutral. It's the colour of dried grasses and beeswax candles — not quite yellow, not quite beige, but genuinely lovely. In dressmaking, we think it would make a beautiful pair of wide-leg trousers or a classic shirt. In quilting, it reads as a warm background shade that gives a vintage, lived-in quality to traditional blocks. It's also the sort of colour that mixes wonderfully with Forest (more on that below) if you fancy a nature-inspired palette this season.

Makower UK Linen Texture — Forest

Deep, rich, and full of character — Forest is the darkest of the four and arguably the most versatile year-round. It's the kind of green that feels equally at home in July and November, which makes it a wise investment if you like to plan ahead. For dressmakers, think structured dungarees, a lined tote with leather handles, or even a simple cushion cover that would look right at home in a Herefordshire farmhouse kitchen. Paired with Straw or Duck Egg in a quilt, you'd have a palette that practically sings of the countryside just outside our door in Ledbury.

What we're making this week

We've been cutting into the Sage and Straw here in the shop, planning a set of simple patchwork placemats — nothing complicated, just a bit of English paper piecing on quiet lunchtimes. There's something really satisfying about working with a single collection in tonal shades; the decisions feel easier and the result always looks considered. If you fancy a similar low-pressure summer project, these four colours together would make a beautiful runner or set of coasters. It's the kind of making that fits around a busy July without demanding too much of you.

Come and feel them for yourself

We know fabric is one of those things that really benefits from being held in your hands — the texture, the weight, the way it drapes. If you're in Ledbury this week, do pop in and have a feel. We're always happy to chat through project ideas, help you work out how much you'd need, or simply share what we've been stitching ourselves. You'll find us on the high street, and the kettle is usually on.