I happen to have collected several beautiful pieces of linen in white and lime green which happen to coordinate beautifully. I had to edit choices carefully, leaving out a solid white and a stripe with wide green strips interspersed with yellow which made the bright white look muddy. I planned to insert a cording made with the solid green at the yoke.
I added a back seam, correctly guessing a zipper would be essential in order for the dress to slip on.
A trip to my local quilt shop for a zipper opened possibilities to me, even though zipper pickings at a quilt shop are quite basic. I auditioned several zipper colors (after rejecting the idea of an invisible zipper): a perfectly matching lime green, a darker green, and a white. Each of these choices were quite adequate, but I kept feeling that a green color--way was playing too safe for a fun summer sun dress when I pulled out the bright orange and a darker, burnt orange. The brighter orange was the clear choice.
I imagined an orange exposed zipper – inserted on the outside of the dress. Orange thread was chosen for top stitching the zipper – thinking of the exposed zipper would need to matching thread. Right before leaving the shop, my eye found the very last package of large orange rick rack. Imagine my glee when it happened to be an exact match with the zipper!
So I had zipper, rick rack, orange thread, to go with the three fabric choices. I was starting to think I was making a clown’s outfit and fought the temptation to leave the shop with alternative, safer color choices. Once home, I had to carefully consider using orange elements sparingly. I overcame the thought to add orange edge stitching at every seam intersection. Less, in this case, was sufficient.
Quick construction notes:
1. I remembered, while cutting, to be sure to check the placement of large motifs over the bust.
2. I matched the rick rack across the zipper. I measured the placement of the rick rack (took an hour, I’m sure) but still managed to insert it a bit wonky which seems more exaggerated in the photo than in real life.
3. I inserted the zipper on the exterior, hated it, ripped it out the next day, a difficult task due to the washable basting tape I had used. It was too much orange, too large, too bulky, just too much all together!
4. I hand basted and then hand-picked the zipper in place. I give up trying to make a machine stitched zipper look good.
5. I took extra effort to match seam lines where the floral linen meets the solid green.
6. I overcame last minute temptation to bind the neckline in one of the other linen choices in stash. I did make a bias binding of the floral, but used it to bind the inside of the neckline.
7. Oh – this ought to have been mentioned earlier – I added a back seam so that I could use the zipper. I correctly realized that the dress needed a zipper in order to slip on. Even this zipper is a few inches too short and I need to wiggle quite a bit to get into this. (photos of me wearing it posted tomorrow)
8. I underlined the white floral linen as it is loosely woven…and, being white, more transparent than I like. I did not line the dress – summers are hot here.
9. Edited to add: I changed the shape of the neckline. The original pattern has a small neckline opening, which looks lovely. It’s just simply too annoying and cloying for me to have a tighter neckline during summer heat. I need to feel what air and breezes might come my way.
I think the lines of this dress is flattering and will likely make another. Or two.
I wasn’t sure that I’d ever make one of 
Posts
