Beach Glass and Linen (or, "The Izzy Strikes Again")

I warned you that there would be more Izzies in the future. It's just too good a pattern to not make multiples of. I've made it in knit and in linen, and I opted for linen once again -- with a little embellishment.

It recently came to my attention that acrylic paint can be easily turned into fabric paint by mixing it with a specially designed medium -- it's more cost effective than normal fabric paint, and offers more color options. I found the medium on the same rack as the acrylic paint at my local craft store. I simply had to try it for myself! This navy linen (formerly a skirt) was burning a hole in my stash, so it was the lucky candidate for my experiments.

Oh, I also decided to alter the bodice on this iteration, opting for a cross-over neckline. It was a relatively easy change, and made the bodice lining a little easier to stitch together. 

The paint colors I used were "Beach Glass" and "Gold" by Martha Stewart. I could have used a cheaper brand, but I decided to indulge my long-time secret longing for Martha Stewart paint. Besides, with coupons the price difference was mere pennies. And how could I resist a paint called "Beach Glass?"

After cutting out the pieces, I laid them out on some butcher paper and went to work with my sponge brush and paint. Incidentally, some of the paint bled through to the paper and dried in a permanent fashion. I peeled most of the paper off, but there are still a few patches stuck to the back of the fabric, even after a few washings!  

Little Man was quite distressed to see me intentionally painting the fabric, after my frequent admonitions to him the previous day to stay away from our freshly painted walls. I tried to explain to him that this paint was supposed to be on the fabric, but I doubt that I succeeded in convincing him.

A little turquoise button sufficed for the back of the dress -- one of those "I doubt I'll ever actually use this" buttons that I had stowed in my stash. I'm delighted that the gold turned out so metallic; it was more than I was hoping for. The freelance nature of the painting had me quite nervous, but I'm quite pleased with how the designed turned out -- and also pleased that I did not opt for a symmetrical polka dot pattern.

Sadly, the metallic gold doesn't quite come through in photos.

I made it up in the 2T, same as my other linen Izzy, but since this version is dress-length, it came out looking a little baggy. I've briefly considered shortening it and pairing it with leggings, but since I like it so much as a dress, I'll leave it as is. Besides, there are many months to go before Fall comes, and Rosa will be doing some growing before then. Maybe she can even wear it next summer, too?

It was the perfect little dress to wear for a little outing to the beach -- it has such a seaside feel, from the breezy fabric to the name of the paint color. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity expand my creative palette (no pun intended) in addition to my usual needlecraft.