I may have left this a little late...

Happy Christmas Adam!

(It's a joke.  It's the day before Christmas Eve... and Adam came before Eve... )

So about a week ago I decided I really wanted a new holiday dress.  Maybe not specifically for Christmas, but one that I could wear maybe for a New Year's Eve party, or something along those lines.  I wanted white with black trim.  Classic, but feminine and a little frilly, just for a change.

I dug out McCall's 6027, which I bought on sale for a dollar, and some white figured calico.  Bought black lace on sale.  Then did nothing with it.

I'm making view b (the one with sleeves) and adding a bit of length to the skirt, but taking out the godets.

Last night it occurred to me that Christmas was really soon, and I should maybe start sewing.  So today I got out all the supplies, and cut out and sewed up what was supposed to be the lining (a lovely, silky polyester.  It really is a "lining" fabric, but it's not the nasty kind!)

Then I started looking at my calico, comparing it with the lining, and realized I'd rather have the plain white as the outside of my dress.  The calico is just a little creamy, which doesn't look as well on me as pure white.  So we're having a mid-project change of plans.  I'm going to turn the "lining" into the fashion fabric, and put the white-on-white calico as the lining.  That way, I'll get little shadows of the print, but it won't be so "busy".

The lace will be stitched onto the skirt of the underdress.  I can't decide though whether I want to have it hang down below the outer skirt, or whether the lace should hang to the same length as the outer skirt, so it'll just show when the dress is in motion.  Thoughts?  Opinions?  I'm going to have lace around the neckline and probably trimming the sleeves, so maybe it should show at the hem for balance.  Or maybe not.

(The belt is from the bridesmaid dress I made this summer.  It works so well, I figured why make a new one?)

I was also thrilled to discover that when I cut out the size I usually make, I had to make really deep seam allowances in order for it not to be hugely too large!  Yay!

The problem of course being that tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I wanted to wear the dress for the evening services.  So I'll be doing a lot of sewing tomorrow....