Christmas in July!

If the almost daily posts to my blog are any indication, I’ve been a busy seamstress lately! I honestly try to space things out a bit, but sometimes I have something I’m just dying to share…like the new Christmas dress I made the princess!

If you knew me in real life, you might be surprised by the fact that I’ve planned far enough ahead to make a Christmas dress in July…I don’t even usually have a plan for dinner until I peer into the freezer at 5:30, so five months is a pretty big head start for me. Fortunately, strike offs have a way of keeping you ahead of the game, since fabrics have to be printed, ordered, shipped, etc- meaning I’m motivated to do at least some of my holiday sewing in advance.

As soon as I saw this panel set I knew it would be perfect as a dress with a circle skirt, and I went looking for something that would have that special holiday flair (but still retain the comfort toddlers demand!).

I landed on the Simple Life Pattern Co. Aria, for those adorable bows in the back, which look fancy but are still pretty fast to sew (this one was done in a single nap time).

Since princess is between sizes, and this company splits their patterns up between infant and big girls, I was torn about which range to purchase, but I went with the 2T, and I’m glad I did, as its much more fitted than the Peekaboo Marilyn that I’ve been making lately (check that out here).

To make sure I cut the circle skirt just right, I traced the pattern out three more times, and taped it together, centering the full piece flat on my fabric. This gave me maximum control and enabled me to make sure everything was lined up correctly (no wonky swirls!). I also altered the the neckline to make it more of a scoop, as it was faster to sew, and looks a little less grown up (sigh!).

Princess was thrilled with her dress, and more than happy to try a few twirls for us!

We call this her “Joy” dress- and it sure had that effect!

The peekaboo Christmas round is always one I have trouble passing up, so I’m sure you’ll be seeing a few more things around here sewn from this one- like the Christmas pajamas I’m planning out of the Buck panels! If you’re also into planning ahead, you can check out the full round here.

Do you sew holiday themed outfits as a tradition? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!