New pattern and dress ~~ finished

Last Sunday I wore a new dress to mass. It's one I'd started a few weeks ago and put aside because, well, there were too many other things going on. I started with several yards of this linen that I bought along with an entire box of linen fabrics. 

Most of the pieces are about three yards. They are also pastel. I didn't buy them for garment sewing, though. I was thinking more of using them for quilt backings. 

I happened to run across this piece and decided it has enough color and design to use for a garment.

I could not find a pattern in my extensive collection. Imagine that. My clothing tastes have not changed...my body has. I still love the little sheath dresses of my 20s and 30s; I just can't fit into them.

That said, I decided to make something closer to a comfy dress with a few gathers that would allow airflow. It gets hot in Louisiana. I married two patterns, adjusted the size, and made the dress long so that I could decide on length after seeing how it looked on my body. I liked the end result, so I'm especially happy that I took notes and can use the pattern again.

Front views

All of these pictures were taken before I hemmed the dress sleeves and bottom. I ended up cutting eight inches off the bottom so that the hem just touches the top of my knees. 

Back view

Obviously I also did not iron before taking pictures. Sorry about that. I peeled it off so quickly after getting back from mass that I didn't even think of taking a picture with me in it. Not surprising for me, I hemmed it Sunday morning before we started getting dressed for mass. 

My only concern is that I'll have to watch for rips. The linen has a loose weave that tends to want to pull out of the seams. I discovered a couple of small rips in the underarm/bust area that needed quick repairs. So after the hemming I added another seam on top of overlock stitches to create flat fell seams in every place that might cause some pulling. 

When I took the dress off, I looked carefully under and around the arms, in the bust and hip areas, even along the back seam and nothing had pulled apart or ripped. I'll keep checking every time I wear the dress just to be safe, but I think it will be okay. Chances are I'll want to wear this one often--it's airy and comfortable! 

Have you sewn with linen that wanted to pull out of its seams? What did you do to repair and insure that the seams would hold?

Linking up with

My Quilt Infatuation
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Crazy Mom Quilts
Busy Hands Quilts