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My Christmas Dress and Coat (Or, the Ensemble of Christmas Past)

For fun, I thought I’d revisit some older projects in between new project blogs. Since it’s Christmas, I wanted to start with this ensemble. It’s a simple dress and coat. No closures on the coat, but there’s a zipper on the dress. Simplicity 1284 was the pattern I used. I had to go back in my instagram archives, because I couldn’t remember how long ago I sewed this. I made this way back in 2016. It’s hard to believe it. On my caption from 2016, I mention that that day was the coldest it had been in Oklahoma in 3 years. This year on Christmas, it almost hit 80 degrees. We never know what we’re going to get here.


I can’t remember where I got this plaid fabric. There must have been a good amount, because I was able to get both pieces out of it. It’s some kind of polyester and wool blend, in my best guess. It’s lined with the cheapest polyester fabric from Hancocks or Joanns. I wish I would’ve used a darker lining for the coat. The colors clash. The dress really needs a lining also. It’s a little itchy. Well, I’m not taking the whole thing apart now, so I’ll live with it.


I love the yoke of the dress. I cut in on the bias so the plaid would be on a diagonal. The plaid is aligned on the vertical and horizontal on the rest of the dress. This creates some interest. Otherwise, it’s a fairly plain dress. I wanted long sleeves, but ran out of fabric.


The coat is made with the plaid, with a flannel layer and a lining. The flannel on the inside gives it some weight and stability. When making it, I didn’t realize the sleeves were only bracelet length. I have always preferred full length. When it’s cold, I really miss that extra coverage on my arms.


I tried accessorizing with gloves. Blue maybe would’ve looked better. I think the gloves are from the 1980s or so. The hat is older, I’m guessing. It might be from the 1960s. It’s a dark blue velvet number. So chic. The purse is probably from the 1960s or 70s. I’m still on the hunt for a blue purse to match the blue of the plaid. The belt is from the thrift store. It’s not vintage, I don’t think.


My Christmas dress for this year is also 1960s inspired. It’s weird. I’m not the biggest fan of that decade. Maybe I chose these patterns because they both were simple. Do I still like this? Yes. I still wear it at least once during the season most years. I did a pretty decent job on it. Even though I didn’t have a serger at the time. The seams are finished with a zig zag, and the topstitching is neat. Will I make this pattern again? Probably not. I have literally hundreds of patterns and don’t have time to repeat patterns I’m bored with.

Yours in hard work, creativity, and a dash of Pixie Dust

Sarah

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