In good weather I like to  spend the day outside gardening; BUT I’m pretty sun sensitive and I never tan, my skin goes straight to a painful sunburn.   I also loathe the way sunscreen feels on my skin.  So I’d rather cover up.  Last year I found the perfect gardening hat, now I wanted a tunic [...]]]>

In good weather I like to  spend the day outside gardening; BUT I’m pretty sun sensitive and I never tan, my skin goes straight to a painful sunburn.   I also loathe the way sunscreen feels on my skin.  So I’d rather cover up.  Last year I found the perfect gardening hat, now I wanted a tunic from a sun protective fabric.

There are plenty of web sites  selling sun-protective clothing, but I  gotta tell ‘ya, the styles out there on sites like Coolibar and Solumbra  are just heinous and/or ridiculously  expensive.    $89 for a simple shirt?  Okay that fabric is nice but still.  This one is more basic and its a mere $79.  Rilly. My credit card choked and refused to leave my wallet.   So in the end I had to make my own, and this is when I find sewing to be the most satisfying:  I see  something I want that is not readily available and I can make one that is just, or more,  attractive as what I see in RTW.

The Patrones pattern on the right met my criteria:

• Didn’t want a garment that goes over my head

• Had to have enough ease for mobility while gardening and had to have style because if I need to run to Lowes I don’t want to look like I’m on a work release highway crew.

• I wanted sleeves with tabs so they would stay rolled up.

• Had to be a sun protective fabric that breathes on a hot day. There is nothing worse than a clammy t-shirt in humid weather!

The Patrones pattern had  the basic style, so I added side slits, roll-up tabs for the sleeves and replaced the ties with button loops.  Over the years my mother has given me a ton of cool vintage sewing stuff including a collection of snaps and eyelets.  I dug out these pearl button snaps with a silver rim and I think they’re just great.  The fabric is Solarweave, a nylon supplex sun protective fabric with an SPF of 50+.  This is a size 40 and I added an inch of addtional ease in the hip area. 

We’ll be in Florida this July (both DD’s are in a national dance competition, otherwise I’d rather be there in February!) so I think I’ll get some use from this tunic  down there as well; I can see myself wearing this on the beach in lieu of a bathing suit.   I also have this fabric in a bright yellow and I may make cropped gardening pants.  I know I won’t be cool by South Florida fashion standards (Gigi, don’t hold it it against me!) but my skin just can’t take the sun,  y’know?

And now that I see how my hat is made, I can make a second one from the remnants, which is evidently the same fabric now that I have it in hand.

Kewl