We packed most of our things onto a trailer without knowing when we would get it all back and I was worried about being apart from my machines for too long. When I was asked to join this blog tour, I knew I needed to find a way to keep one of them with me. So, I actually carried my regular machine onto the airplane with me!

I’m so glad I made the decision to keep one machine with me because the holiday season always puts me in a creative mood. While days are shorter and our schedules are full to the brim, I enjoy when I take time out of the hustle-and-bustle to get behind my machines for a little personal time. Even if this is to stitch together gifts or something for my family, I relish in the quiet time alone.

Since I’ll be sewing wovens for the foreseeable future, the Robert Kauffman Mammoth flannel was an easy fabric choice for me. I adore the Robert Kauffman flannels to begin with, but my red-loving boy especially loved this one. While the red and white plaid works perfectly for a traditional Christmas look, I think all the flannel options in the shop would make amazing holiday pjs.

One of my favorite woven patterns for my kids is the Holiday Pajamas by Sew A Little Seam. It is surprisingly quick and the construction of the facing and collar give it a nice, polished finish. The piping is my favorite detail though. I actually love sewing with piping. It adds that professional detail without much extra work. Another favorite detail I love to use when sewing with plaids is to turn cuffs, pockets and yokes on the bias. It adds interest and helps you avoid pattern matching on those smaller pieces. This pattern also comes in women’s sizing and I really think I need a pair to match him.

I hope this holiday season, you find time to slow down and do something you love. Thank you to the RCF girls for inviting me to join in the fun this week! Happy Holidays!

Make sure to visit the Raspberry Creek Blog this week for lots of holiday inspiration and enter the daily giveaways each day on Raspberry Creek’s Instagram.

Today’s makers include myself, Anshu of Meowrantine Sews, Anna of Kainara Stitches, Katie of Made by Kates, and Tami of SewSophieLynn. You can also join in the fun by tagging your instagram makes with #rcfholiday21. It is so much fun to browse the hashtag. RCF really does have the most talented sewists!

Raspberry Creek Fabrics Blog**

We all do it. We see a piece of clothing and the first thought is “I think I could make that.” This is exactly what happened with the inspiration for this dress. I saw a young mom at the pool last summer wearing a white eyelet, 3-tiered maxi dress. It had a small v-neck with binding drawstrings and it looked adorable over her swimsuit. The top half looked exactly like the Rhapsody Blouse by Love Notions. I had just tested the top a few months earlier and knew it would do the job. 

Obviously, Raspberry Creek’s Rayon Challis was the perfect match for this dress. The soft, flowy drape is perfect for ruffles. The light, airy weight will be perfect as it gets hot outside. And, the coral abstract print is so much fun for summer. I love that I didn’t have to focus on stripes or pattern-matching since the variance in shapes hide anything that don’t exactly line up. I intended for this to be a pool-side dress but I really think it will get more wear at BBQs and dinners out. 

I already had a couple Rhapsody tops in my closet, so it was easy for me to try one on and measure exactly where I wanted to cut the bodice off. I chose to cut it at my natural waistline to start, keeping in mind that I’d be able to trim it more before adding the skirt if needed. I eventually cut off another 1” once it was sewn up. I also omitted the back center pleat by placing my center back fold at the same width as the bottom of the yoke piece.

Calculating the tiered skirt:

This technique could be used to add a skirt to the bottom of any woven top. Just keep in mind that the weight of extra fabric could pull on your bodice a bit. Just in case, I reinforced the waist seam with binding around the seam allowance.

First, I tried on the finished bodice and measured from the bottom of it to my desired hem length. Mine came to roughly 38”. I divided this by three tiers and rounded to 12.75”. This is how tall each tier would be before adding seam allowances and the hem.

Then, I measured the circumference of the bottom of the bodice. This was 36” around, or 18” from side seam to side seam. I didn’t want to add too much weight, so I went with a width of 1.5 times the bodice width for a very slight gather. This made my pieces as follows: 

• Tier 1: (cut 2, one for front and one for back)
  • Height: 12.75” (see above) + 0.75” (top and bottom 3/8” seam allowances) = 13.25”
  • Width: 18” (Bodice width) x 1.5 = 27” + 0.75” (side seam allowances) = 27.75”

• Tier 2: (cut 2, one for front and one for back)
  • Height: 13.25” (same as Tier 1)
  • Width: 27” (Tier 1 width) x 1.5 = 40.5” + 0.75” (side seam allowances) = 41.25”

• Tier 3: (cut 2, one for front and one for back)
  • Height: 12.75” (see above) + 0.375” (top 3/8” seam allowance) + 1.375” (1” hem & turn raw edge under) = 14.5”
  • Width: 40.5” (Tier 2 width) x 1.5 = 60.75” + 0.75” (side seam allowances) = 61.5” *I just used the width of fabric, which is listed as 58-60”. If your measurements come out larger than this, you could cut with the length of your fabric or add an extra panel.

Finally, I constructed each tier and then the full skirt before attaching it to the bodice, but you really could choose your favorite method here. I also waited to hem until the very end to be sure the length was correct.

When I make another one (and I definitely plan to), I think I will size down on the bodice. The weight of the fabric pulls the armholes down a bit and the extra ease feels a little boxy . This would not bother me at all if I use it poolside over a swimsuit; but for other uses, I think I’d like it to be a little slimmer on top.

I love this dress and wearing it feels so dreamy. I couldn’t stop swishing and waving the skirt around while I moved. I won’t pretend that cutting rayon challis is quick and easy, but rest assured, you will not regret sticking with it. Raspberry Creek’s Rayon Challis just cannot be beat! It is soft as can be, and so much fun to wear.