Merry Christmas Eve everyone!
This is my newest make, the Stepford Wife does Christmas Dress. This dress is actually the result of one of those rare 'happy' sewing mistakes that apparently do pop up on occasion (who knew!).
This dress started out originally as a plain red Anna dress, number one on my Summer Sewing List.
The sizing chart on the back showed that the dress fit me absolutely perfectly made up in a size 8/12. I was so excited and if I'm honest, totally flattered that the BHL girls designed a dress that fit my measurements exactly (because I'm sure they design all their patterns around my measurements right?!). I generally tend to have to grade my patterns between three different sizes with modern patterns, but apparently not with the Anna dress.
I carefully traced and laid out my pattern pieces on the fabric, cut them out, assembled the bodice with french seams and then tried it on.
At this point, I may have squealed.
You guys, this bodice is so darn flattering!! I may never make another bodice ever again in my life! It is so easy to put together, so pretty with it's 40s styled kimono sleeves and so comfortable.
Then I moved on to the skirt...
At this point, I knew I should make a muslin, but being a bit stubborn and wanting to finish the dress in time for Christmas, I ploughed on ahead (I know, I know!! Tsk tsk, moving on...). I carefully assembled the skirt, french seaming everything along the way, attached it to my bodice, pinned in a zip, tried it on and...fail! The skirt looked absolutely awful on me.
Being a gal with hips, I need lots of ease in that department to make this style look good. I really should have graded up a size (or even 2) in the skirt to make this work, and to make matters worse, being charity shop fabric, I couldn't go back and get more as I had used every last scrap I had.
My lightbulb moment came a few hours later, after I had banished the dress to the other room and closed the door on my sewing machine. I remembered I had picked up a length of red and white embroidered fabric that I had found at the same charity shop a few days before we had left for our trip to Italy and the UK. Um, YES!
Why I hadn't thought of that earlier we will never know, but my love for the Anna dress returned and I got gathering. I lined the skirt fabric with a heavy white cotton which has made it seriously lush. It's heavy and full and perfect for twirling. I inserted the zip in my favourite way (a lapped zip) and I'm so happy with how it all turned out. Very much a happy sewing accident if I do say so myself.
Have you been lucky with sewing accidents lately?
Just before I pop off, I wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I'll be back before the New Year with a little round up of my sewing makes from 2013. It was definitely the year of the return to my sewing machine (and there are several things I've not actually even managed to blog yet. That never happens!!).
xx
Jen
