The sweet spot of summer is finally here, bringing along with it the much-awaited strawberry harvest around Ottawa. And our annual little hill of organic berries from a wonderful Quebec farmer. At least half will go in the freezer, to enjoy as little “candy” bites in the season of snow. And maybe, just maybe, our little stubborn strawberry patch will offer us a few berries of our own next year.

With the berries comes the heat (or with the heat, comes the berries, right?!), the wall of heat that feels like it’s going to bake you right into your skin at midday. Time to make a shirt that would save us from too many sunscreen conversations, and protect the little one’s skin all the while keeping her cool. A tall order!

We had some lovely organic yellow hemp fabric around, and though it wasn’t quite the neon hue a certain someone has come to love around here, it would do. Especially as I promised to (though still haven’t done) some flower embroidery around the edges, to give it a certain something.

We made the pattern ourselves, knowing we wanted an open but closed neckline (ha!), slits at the sides, comfortable sleeves with a teeny tiny pouf at the top, and a breezy shape that wouldn’t be shapeless.

I think we might have to make another one up to have in the shop. In the meantime, I need to get to that embroidery. After buying a vintage heavily hand-embroidered Mexican fiesta red dress at the Antiques Market this week, I can’t even imagine how long that kind of embroidery might have taken. I’m going to do an embroidery-lite version on the yellow hemp tunic, I think.

What have you been sewing?

Tweet