Portland
Handwoven Cotton Check

The Workbook was published in 2015, nearly 7 years on we feel like the patterns are just as timeless and wearable as they were then.

We’ve made an entire new set of samples to show you in current fabrics.

The Workbook contains 6 classic garments that create a stylish multi-layered wardrobe from scratch. You can see how well they mix together below. The patterns are the Bantam vest, Curlew top and dress, Heron top, Strides, Saltmarsh skirt, and Haremere jacket and coat. The Workbook is £25.

For reference our model Maxine is 5.8, and a UK size 16.

Bantam dress in Mori Tencel linen | Curlew dress in Oxblood 185

Curlew sleeveless top in Portland | Stride trousers in 9oz Organic Half Panama | Haremere coat in Bracken Organic Corduroy 

Curlew sleeveless top in Portland | Saltmarsh skirt in Olivia Tencel linen | Heron wrap top in Woolsey Black Coffee 

Curlew long sleeve top in Bloom organic voile | Headscarves are Payton organic voile and Hewitt cotton

Pleating the skirt

Ellis & Hattie have a gathered skirt but there’s no reason you can’t pleat the skirt instead. You don’t need to alter the size or shape of the skirt piece. Below we’ve given two examples of how you can pleat the rectangle. Katie and Elwen’s dresses have smaller pleats whereas Michelle’s are wider. These are our examples of how to do the pleat, but you can create any types of pleats you like, there are many online pleat calculators if you google!

Katie in an old black Japanese wool/cotton (hopefully coming back this Winter!). Elwen in Grigio 160 linen and Portland on the bottom, Katie in Fudge Check linen | Michelle in 5.9oz Japanese Slub Denim. 

Hattie dress with lip

The Hattie dress normally has a dropped waist, for this version Elwen made the bodice the same length as Ellis and created a fold that goes over the skirt seam. You could do this all in the same fabric or choose two different fabrics, like she has here.

Blue version – Navy linen with Wavy Navy skirt. Grey version – Grigio 160 with a Portland skirt.

Widening the neckline

Some people find the neckline of the Hattie and Ellis too high, one option to make it lower is to cut a different size at the neckline to the rest of the pattern.

Nancy, age 25, wears the Ellsworth shirt in Tumbled Linen Warm White 160 linen, and the Shepherd skirt in Portland Indian cotton. Brenda is 81, and wearing the same outfit.

Clothes don’t judge or discriminate. The same outfit works on Brenda and Nancy because well-made classics are immune to trends.

From left to right | Peche linen with a Bantam dress from our Workbook in Portand | Kingly Dark | Constable linen with Pluto 101 Trousers.

Summer Farm Stripe and Compote  are both soft, lightweight Indian cottons. These would make beautiful gowns for warmer weather | Tottorri Cross Jam is a Japanese seersucker, it is lightweight but tightly woven and quite springy so would keep it’s shape rather than falling softly. Tottorri comes in lots of colours. 

Recycled Brushed Linen in Summer Sky is a brushed linen blend which means the surface will feel very soft against your skin, this comes in Marl and Limon too | Tencel/Linen Voyage Navy is a linen and Tencel mix, Tencel is a very drapey fibre, the linen gives it a slubby texture but it’s still quite a dressy fabric. Ideal if you want a smarter feel to your dressing gown! Fudge Check This linen is in the same family as Peche (picture at the top) it’s such an unusual shade and perfect for sleepwear.

Woolsey Mr Citrus Woolsey has a small amount of wool, so it’s very cosey but without that wooly itchy feeling, bear in mind you’d have to wash this on a wool wash. Our restock of Woolsey will be here very soon! Milk Waffle Linen ideal choice for a classic dressing gown, just steer clear of Jam in the morning. This will also be available in Ginger and Scuttle black soon | Acid House Go bright or go home, fairly weighty and slubby this will get your day off to the best start! Other cloths in this ‘family’ are Pavo Blue, Corallium, Andy Pink, and Scandium.