This weeks Crafty Bloggers Club post is from a very festive Rhiannon, you can find more of her makes on Instagram @rhiannonbrum and on her blog morebluefabric.co.uk

Can you hear the jingling of bells and smell the cinnamon in the air? It can only mean one thing, Christmas is nearly upon us!

 Now I don't know about you, but I find that when the C-word appears, so too do all sort of parties, which in turn mean all starts of party outfits. This year I thought I'd make some sort of festive-themed dress to wear to at least one event, so when it came time to pick my next Crafty Bloggers project, I found myself heading straight for the Christmas fabrics. It took me some time to make a decision, but I finally decided on some gorgeous cotton featuring stings of fairy lights. For my pattern, I knew I wanted to try the newest My Handmade Wardrobe pattern, The Ready to Party dress, and the two felt like a natural fit.

I toiled the pattern before making it, as I generally find I have fitting issues with princess seams. Amazingly, the pattern didn't have seem to have any problems this time around, so I cut straight into my main fabric, using the sweetheart variation of the neckline. I didn’t worry about pattern matching with this fabric, as it’s just abstract enough to not have a noticeable repeat, and, coupled with some straightforward construction, I found it all came together in no time at all.

For the skirt option, I went with the panelled skirt for added oomph. I found that on my fabric (which was 45" wide) I had a couple of tight squeezes with the hems as a few of the pieces are cut partially on the bias, but in all cases I was able to smooth it out once I was sewing things together. 

I was really impressed with how swiftly this sewed up given the number of pieces, but I think part of that is because there's an awful lot of straight lines on the panel skirt! I also liked the shape that it created when sewn up; I'd usually go with a gathered skirt for dresses such as this, but I like the flare created by the panels. 

The dress is finished with an invisible zip and bodice lining, which I like as an added touch, especially when using a heavier cotton like this. To cap it all off, I used a satin bias binding on the hem which I hand stitched. I used to hate hand stitching, but I’ve become a bit of a convert over the last few months and love the way that it can be completely hidden until you get a flash of satin.

All in all, I’m pleased with this dress, and am looking forward to getting a lot of wear out of it over the next few weeks. I’m also already making plans for my next Ready to Party dress; I think it’d look great with the wrap variant in a chambray for a more casual summer party or sewn up in a super luxurious velvet fabric (maybe even with a lengthened hem) for added retro glamour.

Right, I’m off to consume my weight in mince pies. I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and see you for my next make in the New Year!

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“Crafty Bloggers Club Contributors are given products and materials to test from Crafty Sew&So. We hope you enjoy their honest and impartial reviews of the products. All opinions are their own.”