Meadow Dim Emerald Dress

I think this is my last summer project to share (at least for the moment--I make no promises about future stress sewing).  Ha!  I actually made this dress in April, and took the photographs then, as it climbed in the 90s for a week or so.  Indeed, it has been unusually warm and dog-days of summer-like this spring, which doesn't bode well for a mild summer (not that our summers are usually mild, but I live in hope).  

 

 

This is the Emerald dress, the pattern I used to make the linen blouses last summer.  I had toiled a bias cut version in some thrifted rayon a few years ago, but it looked really bad on me (like so bad, I didn't even bother to photograph the thing on my body).  

 

 

I almost put this pattern out of its misery until I saw Rae's blouse versions that were cut on the straight grain, which is what gave me the confidence to try again last year.  I thought perhaps the dress pattern was also worth a revisit, albeit cut on the straight grain. 

 

 

I made the first version with some yellow rayon I got for my birthday last summer, and it fit well enough, but the color was really awful next to my face, so I cut it down for Birdie to wear, and she is happy as a clam in it.  I've since added a small amount of elastic to the neckline to cinch it in slightly and that made a big difference for good fit.  It was sliding a bit around on her shoulders before that.

 

 

Next, I pulled out some rayon I've been saving from a birthday present several years ago: Pat Bravo's Meadow Dim print.  I'm glad I made this one second, as I worked out some of the kinks on the yellow version, and am quite happy with how this one came out.  I won't say it is my favorite thing ever, given that I rarely wear prints these days, nor is it the most flattering, but it is very cool and nice to wear in the heat, so I'll take it as a win.  

 

 

My modification was to add a back tie to add some slight waist definition, as it is quite shapeless on me otherwise.  I could probably stand to size down one more size (I made a straight medium), given the amount of ease, but I wanted to keep it cool and breezy, and the tie was an easy add.  It is tied very loosely to give me maximum arm movement while still providing just a little bit of shaping.

 

 

I skipped the hem facing because I found it fiddly and thought it looked odd in the rayon, so I just used bias tape instead.  I did use the facings on the sleeves and neckline, as I think they look really nice and add a little something extra to the finished piece.

It does have a nice swing to it!  I don't know that I'll make any more (at least not this season) but it is nice to have in my closet this year.  I'm still on the hunt for some good walking sandals.  The strappy leather pair I bought in Greece in 2019 is great, but the sole is pretty flat, and I need some arch support if I'm going to walk more than a little bit.  (The pair I'm wearing in these photos is a cheap-o pair I wear just on the patio for gardening).

I tried on a bunch of different brands this spring (Chaco, Merrell, Sketchers, White Mountain) but haven't really found the right thing yet.  My main problem is two fold: I need actual arch support, which is hard to come by, even in shoes that claim they have it, and I can't stand to have anything between my toes, so anything with a toe loop or a flip flop strap is just right out.  There was an off brand pair I tried that I might end up going with, but the footbed felt slightly weird to me (it was overly cushioned) and the whole thing was synthetic, which I don't love.  I'd rather have something more durable.  

I can't believe I'm writing this, but I'm waiting on a pair of Birkenstocks to arrive to try out as the White Mountain footbed isn't quite right, but I like the arch support.  I find the Arizona style slightly too chunky for my taste, so I'm trying a different style that is similar but with slimmer straps.  My previous experience with Birks was a bit mixed, but I don't think I got past the break-in period with that (thrifted) pair, and those weren't sandals.  I realize I could always go back to my old Dankso standby, but I'm also having a hard time finding a sandal form that is actually on a clog base with some cushion on the footbed.  I did find a pair on ebay that I'm keeping an eye on, so if the Birks don't work, I suppose that will be my last stop.