Peppermint Princess

So this wound up being one of my favorite holiday makes this year, which was pretty unexpected for me because I originally picked up this fabric as a cheap material to make a wearable muslin for a dress I never actually got around to making.

Once I switched gears and realized I wasn’t going to have time for the more elaborate project I had planned in time for the event I wanted to wear it to, I started thinking about this fabric and what the heck I would do with it.

I don’t know about you guys, but bias printed stripes are tough for me. It’s harder to figure out symmetrical layouts with them, and I really like when things are symmetrical. I also didn't want to have to pattern match across princess seams, or use a pattern with an additional seam above the waist seam.

After working it over in my head for awhile, I decided to use Butterick B5748 with the same sweetheart neckline modification I used for the pastel reindeer stripe dress recently. I added a seam to the center front so I could do a chevron, and I also decided to add piping to the neckline and sleeves— I was willing to give up the sharp points on the neckline in order to have that finishing touch.

I was so excited about this plan that I couldn’t sleep the night I thought of it! I was ready to get started on it. I’m pleased with how it came together. Matching the stripes was a pain in the ass since I did have to cut one half of the dress on grain, and the other half on the cross grain, which made the fabric stretch slightly differently, which made the stripes spaced very slightly differently. With some creative pushing and pulling and lots of pins, I managed to get things to line up well enough.

Of course, this outfit was also the perfect opportunity to pull out my peppermint jewelry, and I had a different peppermint fabric that I made a bolero out of. The bolero coordinates with more holiday outfits than just this one, but I couldn’t resist taking a picture with all of my peppermint things all in one place!

-Dress pattern is Butterick B5748, modified to have a sweetheart neckline, gathered skirt, and sleeves

-Dress Fabric is from JoAnn Fabrics

-Belt is from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VNkFb7

-Bolero pattern is the Charm Patterns Dorothy Bolero

-Bolero Fabric is by Moda

-Necklace, brooch, and earrings are from I Love Retro Jewellery on Etsy

-Bangles are from Splendette

-Shoes are from Amazon: (the sequins are sold out, but the same brand has red glitter available here): https://amzn.to/3uIrIWS