Step 1 In Avoiding Heat Stroke: The Teal Dress
Materials: Linen and cotton duck
Pattern: The Tudor Tailor kirtle pattern, adapted to mirror a dress image also from the Tudor Tailor.
First event attended in it: The Wild Hunt 2019.
The Teal Dress, pictured while gesticulating about cookies at Ponte Alto's 2020 Celebration of Yule. Caution: A&S at work. Photo credit Ronan Mac Imair
This dress was a challenge on a few levels.
First, I was adapting a pattern I had to mirror the effects of a different pattern. I knew I wanted something simpler and more relaxed for this dress. I also wanted this dress to be something that could be worn on its own, over a kirtle for some more support, or under a different dress for a different kirtle effect. Ultimately, I took a simple base pattern I already had (The Tudor Tailor Kirtle) and adjusted it to fit the shape of a line drawing for an overdress. That process worked relatively well all in all.
The next challenge is the same challenge I face ALL the time: armscyes. I really struggle to get the armscye placed correctly so it doesn't cut into the front. Initially, I actually didn't get it done right. I had to deconstruct the bodice, remove the sleeves, cut the shoulder straps, and move them in an inch, then put it all back together again. I think I'm getting closer to solving this problem longer-term, but it's still not an exact science yet.
Hems have been a challenge as well and this one definitely was. I really mucked it up, which is why I added the gray stripe to the bottom (side note: I'm super happy with how that ended up looking).
The upside is that this dress did exactly what I needed it to. It's light, it's comfortable, it's versatile and I didn't overheat at all. I do need a smock with thinner sleeves for it, but that's a current work in progress (as of writing this on January 20th, 2020).
