Just under the wire

Merry almost Christmas! I don't know about the rest of you, but the holidays really snuck up on me this year. I came back home after a nice Thanksgiving with my family and immediately came down with a pretty terrible cold. It had me stuck on the couch for a solid week, and, though I wasn't really feeling better during week 2, I had to suck it up so I could finish my first-ever Christmas dress!

I bought this fabric over the summer when I fell in love with it at Vogue Fabrics and knew I wanted to make a fancy gown with it. Months came and went and I still couldn't decide on a pattern, but since I'd been telling my coworkers that I was going to make my dress for our annual Christmas party (and since I really didn't have anything else to wear), I had to buckle down and do something. And because our party was at the Signature Room at the Hancock, it was the perfect event for something fancy. 

I started with a muslin of Simplicity 2580, but really didn't like the way it was draping and decided I wanted a more dramatic neckline. I found Simplicity 3503 in my stash and, even though it's intended for knits, I figured I could make it work with this slinky mystery material. 

Rather than my usual slapdash method, I really took my time with this one. After using some really low-quality material that wouldn't stop slipping and sliding for my muslin, this was a dream to sew with. I made sure to stitch up the front neckline to make it a little more work-party appropriate. Because there's nothing like living on the edge, I finished the last piece of this (the hem) about an hour before I had to leave for the party. (I'd debated whether I wanted a floor-skimming gown, but since this was a brunch event, I figured knee-length would be more appropriate.) I just had time to try it on and make sure it looked decent before heading out the door. 

 
What I realized after walking just a couple of blocks, though, was that this thing did not want to stay on my shoulders, even with some double-sided tape. That meant I was fiddling with it all day, but that didn't stop the compliments from coming! Several of my coworkers told me they liked it, and when I told them I'd made it, they were even more impressed. It became the talk of the party, which made me a little self-conscious, but also infinitely proud. So all in all, while this wasn't quite the dress I'd imagined, I think it was a hit! Hopefully I'll get a chance to wear it again (with some minor alterations, of course).