Eight little jersey dresses.

Every year, I spend nearly three months in Barbados. That’s one quarter of a year! Everything I wear while here comes out of one suitcase. A suitcase that has to weigh under 50 lbs. This year was a complete success. I am down to the last four days and I am still happy with what i brought.

The key to my success is these eight little jersey dresses. As you can see, they are all different prints and colours. All but one are made by a young lady here on the island. I have collected them over the last few years, and add one each year. They are perfect to pack because they weigh next to nothing, roll into a tiny ball without ever wrinkling and have multiple uses while I am here.

I can dress them up with a bit of jewellery and flats for a dinner out. I can throw them over a bathing suit for the perfect cover up. I can even sleep in them - they are amazingly light and cool as a nightie.

When I wash them, they are completely dry in under half an hour, thanks to the Barbados breezes and sunshine. Because they are jersey, they don’t stretch or fade or go out of shape. They are perfect.

I guess they are my Barbados “capsule wardrobe”, which seems to be the “thing” over the past few years. I can totally understand why people opt for a uniform approach to dressing.  It’s incredibly easy to get dressed - no time lost in big decisions. And I love that they NEVER get boring.

These eight little jersey dresses will continue to work hard when I go back home this weekend. They have inspired a rug that will be perfect for my upcoming class “One Motif, Many Ways”. I can do many different styles on the various dresses. One lends itself perfectly for some quillies among the loops. Another will be a great demo for combining applique and quilting. A third is calling for a proddy treatment.

Stay tuned to watch my progress. I will try to post a bit more often when I get back home.