Susan Sews a Sundress

 Susan Sews a Sundress

Of cool lemon, hot orange, and some batik to tie it all together.

While the rest of North America is still trying to shake off the winter chills and gray weather, it is heating up in La Paz in Baja California Sur (southern Baja).

It looks like a hot summer ahead. We are already folding away the long pants and taking out the shorts, tank tops and sundresses.

I have been on a weight loss regimen, and want to have some new clothes, and of course sewing daily is what I do now.

When it warms up, I like loose , lightweight and cool clothing, but I love hot colors. Linen works well for that. The yellow linen is thin, and my belly button shows through  but I have a fix(read below). The orange is crisp, perfect for the jacket. And the Batik will be the turnout facings and upper collar.

I have made this dress several times. And like labor pains, you forget them between births. Well so I hear. I have had only one child. Anyway. I zipped through the construction. Found out the pattern alterations I noted on the envelope were too much. I had to taper, and taper again. No complaining here. But the little item I so conveniently forgot? The shoulder straps. They are wide ( good) they are curved (also good), but they just don’t work. After many tries with my sweet beloved helping me with the back placement. ( and he stabbing himself over and over a again) I gave up on those straps.

I made some long straight straps, decided to cross them in the back so they would not slip off my round shoulders. He pinned and yelped ( did not bleed on the dress). I basted them on they looked good. “I’ll go with these” I said.

I sewed on the facings and the straps looked awful. And the fabric is a thin linen, the facings hit at an awkward angle on my bust. “Ok, said I, I’ll line the bodice”. So I did. And that gave the dress nice body, and a nice smooth line. The straps were still awful.

Well it is Semana Santa here in La Paz ( Holy Week) everyone is on vacation. We had plans to enjoy some grilled veggies and t-bones at Mary & Rogelio’s . So we went to lunch, had a wonderful meal, a few copas de vino and came home just in time for siesta.

All during my nap my mind raced with ideas about how to fix this dress.

I got up , went back the original straps. They looked good, but now the dress was tight and would not zip.

I could not have gained weight at lunch, somehow the dress did not fit right after lunch. Could the bulk of the inetrfaced facings and the lining have changed the fit? Or did one and a half glasses of Chilean Merlot?

So I ripped out the tiny underarm darts I had sewn to take away some gap in that area. Re-cut the facings, installed the old straps and voila! It fits! Do not ask my why I had to suffer with a day of fits and starts and pin jabs to be back where I started.

Here is miss priss yellow dress waiting to be hemmed and pressed…and embellished:

I ripped and stitched and ripped the front area so many times the fabric looked used and abused.

So I went to my button stash and did this ( I now have to sew them all on):

I HATE hand sewing, but I think the buttons add interest, and cover the mess.

We have to drive to Cabo San Lucas tomorrow to visit the American Consul and renew our passports. I would like to wear this outfit.

Let’s hope there are no issues with the jacket. I have wonderful, lush Latin ( Italian) upper arms and sleeves are often an issue. I changed sleeve patterns, and altered them, I know the pattern gods will work with me. Right?

This little dress that should have been done Saturday afternoon for the pool party at Ann and Fernando’s  has taken too much time. I’ll keep you posted.
Here is a version of the dress from last summer. I had  just a little bit of fabric, so I added wide bias tape to the hem, and made a tuxedo bow at the top of the zipper:

Oh, and please make comments. It’s lonely in the blogosphere.

And a beach foto for you: