I made my Christmas party dress this year. Hark at me!
Mooching around Dunelm in October, I came across Christmas fabric and rather fell in love with this vintage inspired print fabric. I pondered hard - the house is sucking up all my spare cash at the mo and really, I could have just worn a frock I already had, couldn't I?
However, Christmas needs new clothes. It's the law. Honest it is. New pjs for Christmas Eve are an absolute must (this may perhaps be a Scouse thing but I reckon it should be an everyone thing) and you have to have something pretty to wear on the big day itself. Same rule kinda applies to the work do.
T'was an excellent bargain as it turns out. The shop assistant and I were both in rather dozy form and I waltzed out of the shop, went home and only then discovered that although I'd asked for 3m, she'd given me 4m and only charged me for 2m!
As for the final result, I freely admit that the satin trim did not work properly. I might have had plans for the frock in mind since the autumn but I wasn't organised enough to buy any proper bias binding and this ribbon did not want to get pressed into service as makeshift bias binding. I ended up just stitching it straight on and it's gone all wonky. The girls assured me that it looks like it's meant to be a ruched sort of trim neckline and I'm going with them on this.
I made it in a day though, minus the time spent going into town for lunch and to watch a live screening of The Crucible (and holy heck, that's a long play!) and I'm pretty impressed with myself for that. I haven't sewed anything for months and I thought I might have forgotten how to do it.
Dress - handmade, Simplicity 2444
Petticoat - Vivien of Holloway
Blazer - Warehouse via Oxfam
Heels - Shelly's
Also, yes, not great pics. I take so flipping long to get ready for a night out that there's never any time left to set the camera up and take proper outfit photos.
The frock goes smashingly with a beard though!
Mooching around Dunelm in October, I came across Christmas fabric and rather fell in love with this vintage inspired print fabric. I pondered hard - the house is sucking up all my spare cash at the mo and really, I could have just worn a frock I already had, couldn't I?
However, Christmas needs new clothes. It's the law. Honest it is. New pjs for Christmas Eve are an absolute must (this may perhaps be a Scouse thing but I reckon it should be an everyone thing) and you have to have something pretty to wear on the big day itself. Same rule kinda applies to the work do.
T'was an excellent bargain as it turns out. The shop assistant and I were both in rather dozy form and I waltzed out of the shop, went home and only then discovered that although I'd asked for 3m, she'd given me 4m and only charged me for 2m!
As for the final result, I freely admit that the satin trim did not work properly. I might have had plans for the frock in mind since the autumn but I wasn't organised enough to buy any proper bias binding and this ribbon did not want to get pressed into service as makeshift bias binding. I ended up just stitching it straight on and it's gone all wonky. The girls assured me that it looks like it's meant to be a ruched sort of trim neckline and I'm going with them on this.
I made it in a day though, minus the time spent going into town for lunch and to watch a live screening of The Crucible (and holy heck, that's a long play!) and I'm pretty impressed with myself for that. I haven't sewed anything for months and I thought I might have forgotten how to do it.
Dress - handmade, Simplicity 2444
Petticoat - Vivien of Holloway
Blazer - Warehouse via Oxfam
Heels - Shelly's
Also, yes, not great pics. I take so flipping long to get ready for a night out that there's never any time left to set the camera up and take proper outfit photos.
The frock goes smashingly with a beard though!
Oh bravo!!! That is a seriously amazing dress, really beautiful and hurrah for dosy assistants!
ReplyDeleteYou look very pretty in it.
Oh by the way, I found 2 chalet school books in a second hand shop and just finished The chalet school in exile. My oh my, is that one exciting book! I can't believe how much happened in it!
Happy Christmas to you Alex.
xx
Beautiful frock! Christmas-y without leaning too hard on the red and green, very, very well done. Christmas Eve Pj's are a thing in my family too, we get to open them on Christmas eve so we can wear them on Christmas day. (Although I always thought it was because my mom didn't want to get pictures of us in old tshirts and loose, worn PJ bottoms on Christmas day, lol)
ReplyDeleteThis is AMAZING! I absolutely love the fabric and am completely in awe that you made the dress yourself. Also yep, I'm with you on the new pyjamas thing - they're a must have for Christmas Eve.
ReplyDeleteWow that definitely looks like it took more than a day! Fab!!
ReplyDeleteMy 'new' xmas outfit is a charity shop find as usual!
I love it! I'm so impressed. Really need to learn how to sew...
ReplyDeleteThat dress is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLizzie's Daily Blog
I love it. I actually bought a kingsize duvet cover with festive pin up girls on it in the hope of making it into a dress next year. I haven't sewn anything for 12 years though and this year I've just not been able for anything like that at all, but hopefully next year I'll manage something! Merry Christmas to you when it comes x x x
ReplyDeleteAh yes, I have the same and actually ended up with another one for Xmas so this will probably end up as a dress for me as well.
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