This sweet little dress has been more trouble than I ever expected.   Have you ever had a good idea, visualizing an easy re-make on an item with potential, and then been sorry you ever started? Well, that’s exactly what happened with this ivory linen size 1 frock.
Purchased on a shopping trip in Puerto Rico with June Mellinger, I thought with a simple modifications, I would love it.  WRONG!!!!
We had finished teaching at an event there and were scouring old San Juan for treasures. In that absolutely enchanting enclave, we strolled into a shop filled with linens and baby things, both machine and hand embroidered.
June went for the linen housewares and scrutinized much of the machine embroidery. She was tickled to find several items embroidered with designs featured on Brother embroidery machines. Obviously, at least one cottage industry was alive in well on this tropical island.
I had a grandbaby on the way, so I headed for the baby display. What beautiful things there were– finely crocheted booties, delicate shadow work diaper shirts, embroidered burp clothes. It was Nana heaven!
Then I spotted this little dress. The basic linen garment was nicely hand embroidered and well constructed. But I disliked the gold metallic ribbon threaded through synthetic beading and gold metallic lace edging the hem and sleeve ruffles. Tatting would be nice, I thought. How hard could it be to replace the gold? June just rolled her eyes.
At home, after what seemed like an eternity, I finally had the beading released from both the yoke and skirt. Another eternity later, I had picked out all the nasty metallic lace and was forced to accept the fact that this re-do was more of an un-do.  By starting fresh, I would have spent far less time creating a dress similar to this re-do/un-do project.
I could have pulled out a hunk of linen, machine or hand embroidered the yoke and skirt and made up a dress I genuinely liked in one enjoyable White Wednesday instead of what seemed like a tedious week of Sundays.
Oh well. The dress is done and I do like it. But next time I’ll start from scratch.
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