A Phoebe Dress for the Holidays

A few years ago I purchased a Pendleton dress that I love and have been wearing to holiday parties since 2012. This year I decided I needed a new Pendleton dress for my holiday get-togethers. Phoebe is the brand new sheath dress pattern from Colette--the perfect shape I had been imagining for my holiday dress.

Pattern: Phoebe by Colette Patterns
Fabric: Pendleton Plaid Shirting weight wool (available in our Denver shop), double gauze solid in brown for the lining
Size Made: Size 4 graded to a size 6 at hips
Modifications: None

Dreamy Pendleton wool! We carry a variety of Pendletons in shirting and jacquard weight and it was a tough choice. I wanted something that looked "holiday" but that I could also wear in the winter and fall not around the holidays. This beautiful Tartan plaid fit the bill perfectly. Working with this fabric is a dream. It is simple to ease wool fabric making these princess seams a cinch to sew. The hardest part of working with this fabric was matching the plaid. It was my first time matching plaid and I used Seamwork's tutorial to figure it out - I did a pretty good job. The curved princess seams and darts created made it hard for everything to line up perfectly, but overall I am pleased.

I've worked with Colette patterns before and knew that the size 4 would fit my bust. I graded out to a size 6 through the hip which was a good idea - the dress is form-fitting and it fits perfectly! The princess seams line up with the darts on the skirt creating a flattering shape. I love it. I've paired it with a RTW black shirt, but it would be great with a cardigan over top as well. I'm excited to make this again in a chambray for a more year-round shift.

The dress came together easily thanks to the fact that the top is fully lined. That might sound intimidating, but trust me - you'll love it. A fully lined bodice means no facings or bias tape to finish the neck and arm holes. It's so easy! The fully lined bodice also means that the wool fabric isn't next to my skin. I used a soft and simple solid brown double gauze to line this. Phoebe is finished with a zipper closure at the back.

If you are in Denver you will probably see me in this soon. I've already worn it to 4 holiday parties! Happy Holidays!