My Merry Christmas Dress

Hot Patterns "Deco Vibe Delicious Dress" has my name all over it. A recent trip to Jomar yielded a multi-colored sweater knit which featured flecks of silver yarn throughout. This cost me $2 per yard, so I splurged and bought 5 yards (at 45 inch width, I figured I'd err on the side of quantity). So, this knit spoke "Christmas Dress at Family Gathering" to me. Nick and I are headed to the chilly midwestern US in a few days, so warmth is necessary.

I underlined the fabric throughout with walnut (that's a fancy name for brown) Power Dry. I bought a bunch of this power dry last year from Ressy's Co-Op, and I find that I am using it extensively for lining and underlining. (See Yahoo Groups for more info on this fabric-buying den of fabric divas known as Ressy's Co-Op. But if you go, be warned, it is highly addictive.).

Ok, back to the project at hand. The sweater knit needed not only the Power Dry, for a thicker and drapier hand, but also needed stabilization at all seams. For stabilization, the "Hug Snug" rayon tape was inserted in all overlocked seams, and I used some fusible bias stay tape at the neckline as well. This article is a good primer on sewing sweater knits; the biggest thing to remember is that sweater knits s - t - r - e - t - c - h under your sewing machine needle unless you use stabilization. (In other words, your size 8 sweater dress will become a size 20 if you do not stabilize. Trust me, I know.)

So, this is my new Christmas dress. I love that it is comfortable, and also roomy, but not overwhelming. I'm wearing the dress with a camisole, but the dress pattern does come with a 'modesty panel' which is inserted into the neckline and would give a nice look. I wanted the option of wearing the dress without a camisole for an evening event, so I did not insert the modesty panel.

Did you notice my new shoes? I got them on sale. There is a Cole Haan store near where I work and the sales people know me there. These shoes feature Nike Air comfort. For 4 inch heels, these babies are pretty darned comfy.

I love shoes. I have always loved shoes. When I was a child, I got a new pair of shoes each autumn. My parents and my grandmother would go to Kinney Shoes in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania, and I'd get to pick out my shoes. I was always so happy with my new shoes that I slept with them. That's right. I took those shoes out of their box and slept with my arms around them, and usually woke up with my arms tightly wrapped around both shoes. Not one slipped through my grasp! But it was understood that after they were worn, I could not sleep with my shoes any longer.