I stitched this the beginning of December to wear to our local Christmas concert, but I also wore it again on Christmas Eve to our special candlelit church service, which is when I had a few minutes to grab photos.

I just love this beautiful, elegant print. It’s from an Australian company/designer, and not too much of it is available in the USA, so I had to snag a few of my favorite prints for The Timely Tailor. This one is perfect for the holidays, but since it’s not Christmas-specific it can be worn other times too, which makes it more versatile.

This project was a definite mash-up. My original idea was to make a circle skirt, but I just didn’t have enough fabric, so I ended up doing the front pieces from a 1950s skirt pattern with radiating darts. This controls the fullness a bit around the waist, which I like.

But I’m also tired of making something special that then quickly doesn’t fit me due to my fluctuating sizes at this time of life, so I wanted a more adjustable fit. I left out the back darts, added a few inches to the back seam, and added elastic in the back waist band only, using for the front waist band a shaped one from a different 1950s skirt pattern.

I’ll bet you won’t guess what I used for interfacing to keep the waistband rigid! I thought of buckram at first but I didn’t want to launder that, so I ended up using some plastic canvas cut to the V shape and inserted between seams. It works like a charm – super stiff and no creases when worn, but also flexible & washable.

In these photos I’m wearing a jacket and undershirt over top of the waist band so you can’t see it, so I need to style it again with the skirt on top. It was a bit of a challenge to figure out how to do the waistband with the elastic just in the back, but I’m very happy with the end result.

For the Christmas Eve service I paired it with a modern thrifted undershirt, a classic & lovely lace jacket I bought new years ago at Cato’s, gold heels, and a vintage gold hat and corsage.

It made a nice festive outfit that was more formal than I usually wear to church, but not too much to handle a busy evening of wrangling children. We had a lovely candlelit service, and provided some special music that all went off well. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas Day and are still enjoying the season, as I am!

“When sin departs before His grace
Then life and health come in its place

Angels and men with joy may sing
All for to see the newborn King!”