Novelty-print Christmas Dress - #vintagepledge


Merry Christmas friends - and if you don't celebrate the holiday I hope you're enjoying a nice break anyway! I'm celebrating the day with a novelty-print dress, inspired by Sarah of A Million Dresses, which also happens to be my third (of five) make for my Vintage Sewing Pattern Pledge. It's my first ever occasion-specific, novelty-print and I can totally see the appeal!



I used vintage Butterick 2315, which caught my attention due to the unusual gathers used to shape the front bodice. It turns out that this detail, coupled with the kimono sleeves and gathered skirt, make for a really speedy dress.


I don't really have anything to say on the construction of this dress, because it was so ruddy easy. The finished result is more of a wearable muslin before I make it with a plainer print to show off the bodice detail. Next time I think I'll pinch a centimetre or two out of the centre front neckline, somehow reduce the amount of fabric around the side of the chest (any ideas on how to do this with kimono sleeves?) and change the skirt to a more flattering (non-gathered) shape.



Showing off my baubles in a bauble-print dress...



Remember, you can be in with a chance of winning one of four awesome prizes, as long as you share your makes for the Vintage Sewing Pattern Pledge with me by 31 December 2014 on Twitter (#vintagepledge), through a comment on my blog, or by emailing me.

38 comments:

  1. The perfect Christmas day dress. Merry Christmas Love from Jo x

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    1. Thanks Jo! Hope you've enjoyed the festive holidays!xx

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  2. Lovely dress, you can't beat vintage patterns. I have 100's but have only sewn a pair of 1930's French knickers and some historical corsets. Are you going to run the vintage pledge again next year? Merry Christmas. x

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    1. Thanks! Yes, #vintagepledge is returning in 2015, so I hope you'll be taking part!

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  3. That is a really cute dress! Merry Christmas!

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  4. Yes to novelty print dresses, and baubles especially. I have seen something very similar a kind of 40s version by Simplicity.. I love those side gathers. I would love you run the whole vintage pledge thing again too, for many reasons this year has been a bit of a fail for my pledge but I am armed and ready for another try.

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    1. Thanks so much, and yes, I'll be hosting the pledge again in 2015!

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  5. I adore that print! You really can't go wrong with a novelty dress for Christmas :)

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  6. Love the print! Merry Christmas!

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  7. Such a pretty dress. I've got some vintage patterns; you've inspired me.

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    1. Yay! Hope you join in the #vintagepledge fun this year!

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  8. What a lovely Christmas dress!!

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  9. I am loving your shoes too! Happy holidays!
    bestest
    Daisy J x

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    1. Thanks Daisy...the shoes were a happy matching-coincidence!

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  10. Aaah I'm glad you got round to making this, so cute! Love the novelty print! I need to make this again in a plain to let the ruching detail show up.

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    1. Yes Katie, my thoughts exactly...a plain fabric will show off the details so much better!

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  11. What a delightful dress, Marie! I love the tights, too. They totally look the part. Happy holidays!

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  12. Your dress is super cute!!! And, oh goodness, so are your shoes!

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  13. Oh, I have this pattern! It's fun to see it sewn. Your Christmas dress is really splendid. I've SO VERY MUCH enjoyed playing along with #vintagepledge throughout the year. Thanks for encouraging vintage sewing. :-D

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    1. You do?!? Maybe you can join in again in 2015 and make it up? Hehe! I'm over the moon that you enjoyed yourself and that so may others seemed to as well!

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  14. Soo cute, I keep meaning to sew a Christmas dress and haven't managed yet.. there's always next year! ;) You look adorable standing by your tree in your festive dress, and those gathers are really neat. Even though I sew kimono sleeves like no other sleeve type exists on the planet (lol), I'm not entirely sure how you'd remove width at the side. Because the shoulder shaping is so casual on them though, I'm thinking you could possibly take kind of a vertical dart out of the pattern. It would change the angle of the shoulder slightly, but I find that doesn't matter much with kimono sleeves. Also, if it's the type of kimono sleeve where the shoulder line continues down to the side seam and you just fold the armhole in (vs. the side seam making a curve up to the armhole, making a bigger kimono sleeve), you could probably just slice it down from the shoulder and overlap it towards the bodice. This would give you a bit less 'sleeve' but also take in the bodice side seam a bit too. (All of this makes sense in my head and looks like nonsense when I tried to explain, argh!)

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    1. Aaaw, thanks Tasha...though I could have sworn I've seen you in a Christmas print dress before! Did I dream that up?!? Thank you so much for your advice on the kimono-sleeve front - as usual, it's priceless!!!

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  15. What a fun dress! You look so festive!

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  16. Gorgeous dress! I love that fabric, so pretty! :-)

    Also, great pattern! That gathering detail down the front bodice is lovely.

    I've been making a few vintage patterns this year (and completely forgot to link them to the vintage pattern pledge as I made them, whoops!) Not as many as I'd hoped to make, but I'm determined to do more next year! (Will you be running the vintage pattern pledge again? I hope so!)

    The ones I have made can be found here:
    1975 wrap skirt - http://macskakat.wordpress.com/2014/12/26/its-a-wrap-a-retro-wrap-even/
    1940's floral dress - http://macskakat.wordpress.com/2014/05/04/the-debi-dress/
    1958 bed jacket - http://macskakat.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/its-all-about-the-practicality/

    I also made this 1950's dress, but it was before the pledge started, so it's kinda a bonus one. :-)
    http://macskakat.wordpress.com/2014/01/22/cherry-ripe-dress/

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    1. Thanks so much for your kind words and for taking part in the pledge! I've added your gorgeous makes to my Pinterest board - https://www.pinterest.com/stitchodyssey/vintage-sewing-pattern-pledge/

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  17. Awww it's so lovely and festive. I'm mega late to the party, sorry. Plus I'm not sure I know what's best for the side adjustment. I can't remember what I did for my kimono sleeved dress

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