A Pink and Blue Christmas Dress

I know, I know, not the usual colours you think of when you think Christmas dress, but when I spotted this adorable Gingerbread house print cotton at spotlight, I just knew I had to have it for my Christmas dress this year.

I bought it well over a month ago, on sale for 50% off (making it around $7.50 p/m) but didn't yet know what pattern I was going to make. About a week or so ago, as I flicked through my patterns, I decided on Butterick B5882. As luck would have it, I had the perfect coordinating pink cotton poplin, so I could get to work on it as soon as I wanted.

I didn't take many progress photos, as Gertie herself has posted a few times about this dress's construction, Including a great one on how to do an FBA on it (which I did not do) and this one when she made the dress for herself.

I found the pleated bust pieces very hard to get to sit right, but tried my best to. When I sewed them into the bodice I didn't fold down the top corners like the pattern calls for, as I didn't like how it looked.

Bodice - without lining or boning

The whole pattern went together quite easily, and I only made very minimal changes along the way. I didn't twist the bias straps, but instead had them flat the whole way around. I also just put in a regular dress zip in back instead of a lapped zipper. As the fabric print had horizontal lines of gingerbread houses, I felt it lent itself to a gathered skirt instead of the 3/4 circle skirt included with the pattern. So I simply cut 2 29" long pieces of my 44" wide fabric, cutting one in half for the back zip, sewed together with added in seam pockets and gathered in to fit the bodice

Selfie when trying on (before hand sewing)

I was originally going to leave out the boning, but because of the bust minimising design, it really needed it to sit right, so I just used some very light boning along the seam lines on the lining.

Done!

I hand sewed the bias strap in place along the bust line so it wouldn't keep flipping up.

Pink Pockets!!!

The lining and pockets are in the same Pink Poplin as the straps and bust details. I love the colour peeking out!

I have already worn this out, and had a few nice comments, as well as a girl working at K-Mart, who asked where I bought it! I love how it looks and how it fits, so this will be getting lots of wear this Christmas season (and maybe other times of year as well)

Anyone else making/made a new Christmas Dress/Skirt/Outfit this year?

Dixie