Guest blogger – Emily

Hello! I’m Emily and I live in Sussex with my husband James and our border collie Shep, I’m really excited to be December’s guest blogger for Felicity Fabrics!

I love all things Christmas so this was the perfect month for me to get my machine going and make something festive to wear this season. As I’m writing, my festive make is complete, we’ve got the Christmas tree lights twinkling and a festive film on, which gives me all the festive feels!

I LOVE scrolling through fabric options, so it was a real treat to have look through the options that Caroline and Fliss have online at Felicity Fabrics. There’s lots of different options which made it a tricky decision! I was pretty sure I wanted to make a festive dress so I decided to go with this beautiful green viscose to pair with some red accessories for the ultimate christmassy outfit.

I was torn with which pattern to use to complete this sew – it was either going to be Tilly and the Buttons Indigo dress, which I’ve used lots, or the Lyra dress which was a new one for me. The Lyra dress was on my bucket list of makes for the year so I decided to go with that one, although I definitely agree that it’s an ‘improver’ pattern, not a ‘beginner’, so beware if you’re just starting out there are some tricky moments! In regards to sizing I made a size 4 and it fits perfectly. We’re also expecting twins next Spring so this was the perfect shaped dress to rest over a growing bump but it will also be something I’ll wear again and again when the babies have arrived.

The fabric is 100% viscose and is sold in half metre increments. I found 3m was the perfect amount for this project. As soon as it arrived I knew it would just be so lovely to wear as it has a beautiful drape and is brilliant quality. Caroline and Fliss also always send the most beautifully presented parcels of fabric and it brings me so much joy to open them.

Once all the pieces were cut, I made a start on the bodice. This was definitely the trickiest part for me as it’s the first collar that I’ve made. Due to the drape of the fabric this was challenging but the interfacing gave it more structure. I was really proud to complete the button stand and collar before attaching the sleeves. This fabric gathers beautifully, so the sleeves and skirts were lovely to assemble. 

The garment was finished with a rummage through my grandma’s old button tins to find some buttons to go with the dress and these white buttons with a little shine fit the job perfectly. I’m so pleased with the finished dress and can’t wait to wear it over the next few days!

Thank you for reading and I hope you had a really lovely Christmas!