This is the Mendocino Sundress by Heather Ross and you can see other examples of it in the Weekend Sewing Flickr group. I first saw it as a class on The Purl Bee last year and loved it but couldn't find a similar pattern. I was so happy when Heather offered it for free and went hunting for the thread and some fabric as soon as I'd downloaded the pattern. I made the size medium/large because I wasn't totally sure the extra-small/small would fit and I figured I could take things in if I needed to (I didn't - it fits perfectly thanks to the shirring).

The dress was very easy to put together though there are a few things I'd like included in the pattern instructions (like what the seam allowance is - 5/8" based on the pocket piece - and some advise on sewing in the pockets so you can still press the seams open). The elastic thread was easy to work with. I went a little slower than I would usually just in case anything weird happened but nothing did. I sewed 6 3/4" of shirring (the last row is 7" from the top of the dress) which took me most of four bobbins (and two spools) of elastic thread; I'm glad I decided to get the second spool "just in case". I checked several times where to put the pockets but they ended up a bit low anyway. I can't reach the bottoms but I think I might just sew them smaller since they are bigger than I need in a sundress anyway.


As you can see this dress goes very nicely over jeans and a t-shirt. This isn't how I'd intended to wear it but I'd been wearing the t-shirt and jeans while I was sewing and had just pulled the dress on over top to figure out the straps. I thought it looked cute and since it was a little cool (and buggy) in the evening when we went out for our walk I decided to wear it that way.

Photo credits go to Rob who managed to take pictures for me while also hanging on to Abby's leash and ignoring the mosquitos he didn't have any hands left to swat. A truly great man.

And the knitting ...


... some pretty leg warmers to enable longer sundress and skirt wearing on cool evenings. One done and one to go and tomorrow is knit night.

Yesterday was great. The weather was perfect: hot, but not too hot, and windy enough to keep the bugs off. We walked down to Old Town the Old Town Ramble and Ride with Abby.


There was lots of good food to eat: we had barbequed whitefish, hot dogs, fries and ice cream. Abby got some too as consolation for being tied up on a short leash.


I found some caribou antler buttons at the craft market and we heard all sorts of music as we walked around.


The highlight of the afternoon was Abby getting away (while being released from the temporary captivity that ensured we could actually eat our hot dogs) and falling in the lake. She hasn't done much swimming yet and the lake is still very cold; the look on her face as she came back up to the surface was pure shock. Fortunately Rob was right there and able to haul her out by her collar; she ran on adrenaline for the next twenty minutes and we were both glad she's a small dog and not something more powerful.


We did some much needed clean up around the house and yard when we got home. Abby snoozed, the adrenaline and ice cream having worn off, and Zeke wandered the house freely. I made Jell-o (peach with bits of peach) and filled our popsicle moulds and two custard cups for some cold snacks later on.


I got a nice picture of Zeke (the impossible to photograph black cat). He's getting a little more salt in his face and shoulders these days. I hadn't really noticed so much until now. He's about 15 but still very healthy and lively (has to be with Abby around).


And I started another sundress.

Last Monday was sticky. I've lived in the north most of my life and just can't handle heat at all. When it gets hot I want to be wearing the coolest thing in my closet and it will not involve any waistbands or tight fitting sleeves or body hugging bodice. A skirt and tank top usually work but really I wanted something totally loose and I wanted it quickly.

When I looked around my sewing room I found depressingly few large cuts of fabric, most of which I already have projects in mind for (one of them is a sundress but it was a specific sundress and I didn't have all the stuff yet). I sat down on the floor and tried to decide which future project to sacrifice (and which fabric would not show my underwear through - what's the point of a sundress that requires a slip?) when I glanced to the left and saw the Hamper of Random Things: fabric to be washed, things I was working on but needed somewhere to put so I could work on something else, thrift store finds that haven't found homes yet, blouses that don't fit but might work as quilt fabric, old clothes from my sister's closet ...

Did you notice that last category? That's the important one this time because among the bits and pieces sticking out at me was a long pink and purple cotton skirt that I'd nabbed from Jane's give-away pile as future fabric. I pulled it out, gave it a look and pulled it over my head. If I set the hem just below my knees there were about two inches of extra fabric at the top of the skirt - looked like straps to me.

Off went the skirt and out came the scissors. I cut off the top two inches and started picking out the seams. When I was done I had two pieces of 2" wide cotton - one pink, one purple - and one piece about 1" wide - also purple. I pulled the zipper out of the skirt too. The narrow strip became button loops to close the zipper placket (my favourite detail on this dress), the wide purple strip became straps and the pink became the top band.  There were darts in what was probably the back of the skirt; they worked out perfectly for the front of my dress; I ran some gathers between them to make the top of the dress fit the band and dress things up a bit.


I've worn this dress twice since I finished it and it is so comfortable and easy to wear. I'm seeing more dresses in my future.