It must be time for Christmas in July! Riley Blake Designs has some new holiday fabric collections out, and I knew I wanted to be part of the Winterland fabric tour even if it meant sewing with wintry fabric in the middle of summer.

It is not your traditional red, white, and green collection, which makes it even more fun. I love those tiny scattered snowflake dot prints. And who can resist tiny cardinals in birch trees?? There are so many pretty prints in this one, and since I also have a fat quarter bundle to play with, I'm sure more quilty projects will be forthcoming. But meanwhile I had to choose my favorite print to make a dress out of. 

Flatly photo courtesy of Riley Blake Designs.

It's been a while since I made a 1940s dress. This year I've been camped out in the 1930s and 1950s apparently. But I recently got a "new" (actually old and very tattered) pattern for a late 1940s robe, and decided to make it in dress form. 

The main design feature was a very large cape-like collar option, which I decided to go for since it was unusual. I second-guessed myself several times during the process of sewing and fitting, but in the end I like how it looks after all. 

I shortened it quite a bit to make it as a dress, aiming for more of a mid-1940s style, and even still ended up just barely squeezing the pattern pieces on the fabric I had. Those front skirt panels are HUGE. I took quite a bit of width out of them to fit them on the fabric.

Other than the collar, it's a pretty typical easy button-front dress. I always appreciate how easy it is to get in and out of button-front dresses rather than the typical "pretzel" method of removing vintage style dresses.

I do enjoy a pattern that controls a full skirt with darts at the waist. So flattering. It's one of the details I look for in patterns. 

After trying out several options, I went with red and white buttons, and a red belt, to pick out the tiny red dots in the print. But navy, brown, pine green, or of course white would have worked equally well.

I love that the print is not so Christmassy that I couldn't wear it in the fall and winter as well. I think the delicate pine branches and tiny scattered snowflakes are just so sweet.

I enjoy having this already in my closet, ready for when the first whispery snowfall comes.