Sewing: Christmas Dress 2016

Wednesday 28 December 2016


It has been way to long since I have sewn something so here is the Christmas dress I made for myself this month!



Pattern: Butterick B5032

Pros: Easy to follow, a nice fit and would work well for a summer or a winter dress (depending on fabric choice).

Cons: I did get confused with a few minor instructions which is to be expected as I am learning with each project but after stepping away a few times to take a break I worked it out and it came together in the end. I think the zip length was a bit weird with my thick cotton fabric which made the zip appear slightly bumpy at the end, though I think I will redo the zip or add one slightly shorter. I know that I have put in neater zips in the past, though it still looked fine to me. I wouldn't mind bringing the skirt in at the sides more next time to make it more of true wiggle dress.

Cost: I bought the fabric a few years ago on clearance for about $15 for 3 meters, the zip was $1.80, the belt buckle was from eBay I think.. And it would have been bought in  a cheap bundle and I bought the pattern on sale a couple of years ago for $8 maybe? So overall it was a pretty cheap dress to make.

Time: It's hard to tell as I had to pack the machine away for a week after completing the bodice as we had a guest stay and then I only had time to work on it in the afternoons or evenings. I would say maybe 6-8 hours with coffee breaks included.

Would I made it again? Yes, I love the pattern and I think it would turn out even better second round. It's not perfect but it is something I am really proud of as it is the first dress I have made completely on my own. My mum has taught me to sew the past few years and this is my first project I have had time to make this year. I learnt a lot of new skills too and definitely took on my mums's wise advice to  take my time and not rush through things. I should have sewn an invisible hem but I just took the quick route and ran it through the machine the day before Christmas Eve as it was midnight and I had to finish it then and there so that I could get to bed before Christmas preparations the next day. I was also able to comfortably eat a big Christmas meal in this dress which was great!

I also decided to put my own spin on it and sew up some cute bows to attach to the dress, it was fun and festive and I could not resist. I would love to make the cape from this pattern, I could make a winter appropriate version of this dress complete with the matching cape.

These photos were taken in between cooking our Christmas meal and before my uncle arrived, I'm glad that we had a spare five minutes to snap some photos as I really wanted to share this dress. If you celebrate Christmas I hope that you had a wonderful day!

Other outfit details - 

Hair flower - Me made
Brooch - Thrifted
Earrings - c/o Revere Folie
Shoes - Novo

Kayla - GracefullyVintage xo

9 comments

  1. You have done a great job keeping this Christmas dress so elegant! Really a stunning look. And I'm a huge fan of bows, so the shoulder bows get a thumbs up from me! Hope you had a happy Christmas my dear!

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  2. I think the bows are a lovely touch and they look pretty authentic too :) It's a really cute dress - and that colour green really suits you too. Wonderfully festive <3 x

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  3. I think you have done a wonderful job, love the style, the fabric and the bows on the shoulders! :)

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  4. Oh this is such a beautiful dress, Kayla! <3
    It suis you so well and how gorgeous it is that you made it completely by yourself.
    I whish you a wonderful new year!

    xx
    Sandra <3

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  5. You did a fantastic job with this dress - the bows on the sleeves kill me! So precious!!

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  6. Gorgeous! Such a lovely job you did! The bows you added!

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  7. Outstanding post, thanks for shairng

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  8. Hi, your dress on Christmas is very attractive and you will look the most beautiful among your friends and family members. dissertation writing services

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