Sewing an evening gown for the festive season?
The festive season is approaching! Would you like to wear your best outfit for Christmas or New Year’s Eve? That’s just what you need, as we’ve selected a number of patterns to help you shine with a handmade dress.
Whether you have several days or just a few hours to put together your outfit, you’re bound to find something to suit you!
An easy-to-assemble dress
If you don’t have much time to devote to making your dress, you can consider a simple base and play around with the fabric or details.
Take, for example, Miss Cactus’s jersey dress pattern (or, for kids, Super Bison’s), which has a flattering cut and a face-to-face shape to assemble, and choose a fabric reminiscent of the holidays.
You can easily find black jersey embellished with details: shiny stripes, gold motifs…
You can also choose a fabric embellished with sequins, which will give even the simplest dress a festive look. Just be careful when sewing this kind of fabric, as sequins can damage the needle of your sewing machine. It’s best to unstitch sequinned seams, which will add complexity to the project. You can also simply use a thicker needle to avoid breakage.
On the same principle, you can sew the Mandarine wrap dress by Klafoutis, very simple to assemble and accessible to beginners, and choose a warp and weft fabric (cotton, linen, viscose…) reminiscent of the season: a cotton printed with fir trees or snowflakes, a shiny viscose… Or use a black fabric and add a gold bias at the collar hems.
A little black dress
The little black dress is a feminine wardrobe staple that’s easy to reuse for any occasion that calls for elegant dressing. The festive season is an excellent excuse to add this piece to your wardrobe!
You can use the Rochelle pattern from Basil(e), whose short shape is very flattering. Or Easy Busy from Muna Patterns, which has a close-fitting cut. Both can be sewn with cotton satin, gabardine, black wool or fine velvet, which will be particularly suitable for the festive season.
To get your dress just right, adjust the bust size and hem length. The aim is to obtain a piece that perfectly suits your measurements. It should be neither too loose nor too tight.
A long, flowing dress
If you feel like taking time out to make yourself a long evening dress, you can sew Dark Laguna from Muna Patterns.
To achieve the perfect result and beautiful finish, you’ll need to master the installation of an invisible zipper. As with the little black dress, start by taking your measurements and adjusting the pattern to match your measurements.
When it comes to materials, opt for flowing fabrics. Black viscose, cotton sateen, or silk if your budget allows.
An even more technical but spectacular project, the Black Swan dress. It’s a long dress with a plunging neckline, hidden zipper and thin straps. To assemble it, it’s best to have a good command of your sewing machine.
When it comes to haberdashery, we prefer delicate fabrics such as satin, crepe and silk. These fabrics tend to slip, so take your time when assembling them. Don’t try to go too fast, and take great care with the finishing touches to avoid unsightly holes in the stitching.
A peppy short dress
If you’re planning a New Year’s Eve party, you might prefer to sew a short, wide dress. You need to be able to dance for hours!
Instinct Couture’s Manta pattern assembles a short dress with pretty details. A back neckline, batwing sleeves and a cinched waist.
Manta is sewn with a flowing warp-and-weft fabric. To accentuate its festive look, you can choose a fabric with lurex, sequins, gold embroidery…
What about you? Do you usually sew your own outfit for the festive season? What do you like to wear?
