It’s the most wonderful time of the year… I am, every year, beyond excited by Christmas. And after a year of insane amounts of work that have kept me almost housebound I’m thrilled to have a few festive parties coming up for which I can dust off my glad rags. Wait, did I just say dust off? What I mean, of course, is sew new ones! If you, like me, still haven’t quite got those party outfits sorted then this blog post is for you: I’ve put together a few ideas involving my patterns and how you can make/style them into glamorous going-out looks.
First on my to-make list is a pair of velvet Portobello trousers. Velvet can be stretchy, stiff or drapey – for my Portobello trousers I’ve gone for a drapey velvet. If there’s enough fabric left I may even turn them into a jumpsuit, or make a matching cami. The True Bias Ogden cami would be a good match, or for more coverage a drapey silk shirt – maybe a silk Grainline Archer?
I love the gothic look of the bottom left image – I might try a lace Bloomsbury blouse with Portobello culottes at some point… Speaking of Bloomsbury, I’ve long wanted to do a velvet/lace combo: velvet for the body and ruffles, lace for the yoke. Or just lace all over…
The Carnaby dress is possibly the most versatile of my patterns and can very easily be adapted for party season. I long to make a version in sequins… But I’ve also got my gathered skirt hack version in a royal purple crepe (blog post coming soon I promise!) that I think will look perfectly festive with the right accessories. And of course Carnaby would work perfectly in velvet, stiff or drapey – or how about a luscious brocade with metallic threads woven through for a really sophisticated look?
Kew was a pattern designed with summer in mind, which isn’t to say it can’t work in the winter. Again, it’s all about fabric choice – the tea dress version could look absolutely divine in velvet, or even a wintry-hued silk with a cami underneath for a truly glamorous look. You might think that Southbank, being a sweater pattern, wouldn’t really feature in this post – but I’ve got big plans for wearing Southbank on the most important occasion of the season: Christmas Day! Of course it will be red – but beyond that it’s still tbc; I’m quite tempted with simple and bright (letting my antler hairband and bauble earrings do the talking) but also by the possibility of a velvet body with ponte sleeves and collar… Watch this space! x
P.S. I’m getting really excited for the New Craft House Winter Party this Saturday – where I’ll once again have a stand selling my patterns and also some rather special festive goodies. If you haven’t yet got your ticket, you can use code NINALEE to get 20% off the ticket price. It’s going to be sew much fun seeing everyone’s party outfits!
Leave a Reply