imperfectly pink

{Viterbo}

Thank you so much for your sweet and encouraging comments on my feature in Homes & Antiques magazine, I'm still very excited and have probably bored a lot of people this weekend. No one has escaped! While I still haven't got round to sorting out holiday photos from our second week away, I thought I'd show you a dress I made for the Model a couple of days before we left.

You see, once I saw the temperature forecast for Italy I knew there was only one way to bring the body thermometer gauge down. Linen. And luckily I have plenty of that. A super quick dress was needed to keep the Model cool and with her teetering on the cusp of her pink phase I thought I had better get this one used up fairly pronto.

As soon as I had cut the fabric, though, I noticed its poor quality. A large, annoying flaw and a bit of discolouration at the shoulder to be precise. And, tut tut, rather than cutting another couple of pieces out I went ahead anyway but quickened the pace, now knowing that this dress ain't one for keeps. As I stitched away it occurred to me how good it is to have a dress to grub about in, to have not a care in the world, no worrying over rips, pulls or stains that might appear.

So all plans for a vintage broderie anglaise trim were abandoned and instead, the whole thing was kept perfectly simple. The Model and her friend ransacked the button tin to choose a glittery button, taken off and used for another project in the near future, I dare say ... and who knows what will become of the dress itself one day.

The pattern is the same as the one used here. It is such a lovely, simple one to sew and this version took me a mere couple of hours I reckon. I can't be too sure, though, because despite the children each having a friend to play, there were still a few interruptions .. sorting out the odd clash I seem to remember!

{strawberry and lemon sorbetti}

It seems those balmy evenings and raised temperatures are long since gone now but goodness, it was wonderful to get away from the rain!

Have a wonderful week, everyone. I'm off to check the 5-day forecast ..