Hello, friends!
Long time, no see! No, I did not fall of the face of the earth. I’ve just been moving into and renovating my grandparents’ house. I really did not think it would take so long, but it certainly has been an arduous process. We wanted to be in by Christmas as we hosted our family Christmas brunch and dinner this year. Things fell together nicely, but BOY, I was exhausted! Staying up late sewing my Christmas dress did not help me either…. However, it’s been a wonderful holiday season and a great year for my husband and I. There were a lot of things I wanted to do for Christmas like baking and making special gifts, but I just did not have time to do those things. We didn’t take our annual Christmas photo either, nor send out Christmas cards. I’m shooting for a New Year photo/card instead. The way I see it is that there’s always next year to do all of those little things. The most important thing about this season is spending time with family and we definitely did that! 🙂
Anyway…. I thought I would check in and do a quick end-of-the-year roundup of my favorite makes of 2015. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know I’ve been alive, just very busy. I do have three other favorite makes of the year which I recently finished, but they haven’t been photographed or blogged, so I will stick to what I’ve shared on my blog.
#1. Broderie Anglaise Birthday Dress
This is hands-down my favorite dress of the year and probably my favorite that I’ve made apart from my wedding ensemble. It was in the planning stages for over a year before I started on it and it almost became a fail due to some tea staining issues and a little of my laziness. I hacked and altered and drafted to get this dress to work with the vision in my head. It was a dream to make and even more fun to wear and it makes me feel very beautiful. I can’t wait until it’s warm and I can wear it again!
#2. Sailor’s Are My Weakness Dorothy Lara Dress
I really don’t know what I love more about this dress — the fabric or the pattern. I fell in love with this unique fabric design when I saw it and loved it even more when I felt the luxurious silk. I used my first Decades of Style pattern and quickly became a DoS fangirl. I had planned to make another Dorothy Lara dress, but I apparently haven’t got around to it yet!
#3. Poppy ESP Dress
This fabric is certainly eye-catching and sublime. I just love wearing this dress and I receive many compliments when I have it on. It was a quick make and my second ESP dress. It was a perfect pairing of fabric and pattern and the simple lines of the dress let the fabric design be the star of the show.
#4. Nanette Lepore Floral Embroidered Dress
This is an example of a fabric that I lusted after and couldn’t stop thinking about until it was in my hands. It was also my most expensive fabric purchase of 2015. I used my TNT Butterick 5982 for this dress and it’s another one that I love to wear and it just makes me so happy looking at it. I recently saw a similar embroidered floral fabric in another colorway, so I’ll look forward to that in 2016!
#5. Anchor Print Felicity
Out of all five of these dresses, this one has been worn the most. It was a summer staple of 2015 and one of those few fabric treasures I’ve found at Joann’s. The fabric didn’t fade and the embroidery didn’t unravel and it still looks the same as it does in my blog photos. I dressed this dress up and down and never grew tired of wearing it. I’ve made two other Felicity dresses (one unblogged), and neither has been as wonderful for me to wear as this one.
My list coincides with Gillian’s Top 5 of 2015. I’m not going to go full on with the Top 5 challenge as I do have some misses, but I never did photograph them…. I’m really just looking forward to sewing more cold weather clothing (it’s been cold and rainy and a bit snowy this last month!) and sharing more of my makes as the moving and renovating process goes into slow mode (still a few things to move and lots more to renovate, plus furnishing our old house). I hope to follow through with my sewing goals and make it further down my sewing list. I have one last day of 2015 to mark another project off of my goals for this year and I’m going to do it! 🙂
Happy New Year!
Happy 2016, Tanya! I hope the hard work of the move is mostly over for you and now you can do the fun stuff like decorating!
I love all of these dresses. I have made 2 felicity dresses and I love them for summer. So cool to wear and easy to make. You inspired me with dress #2 and I bought the fabric and haven’t been brave enough to cut into yet. Thanks for the inspiration for 2015 and looking forward to see what you have planned for 2016 🙂
Cute dresses! I love love love the navy anchor Felicity dress!
Really missed this years christmas dress post!!!! But, very glad you spent time with family. As my parents age, im realizing how precious each opportunity to spend time with them is!!! Heres to a blessed 2016!!!
Happy New Year! I love how the carefully planned project and the fabric you couldn’t get out of your head made it to your list. It’s often those special things with the most effort put in that will be loved for a long time. Looking forward to your posts in 2016!
Happy New Year to you and your family. I am in love with your Broderie Anglaise Birthday Dress, although all of your picks are just so pretty. I love reading your blog and looking forward to keeping company with you again in 2016 xx
Happy New Year! I cant wait to see your house when it’s all finished! 🙂
Moving IS the worst, but it’s so nice when it’s done. Happy New Year! And pretty dresses. 🙂
What fabulous choices. You really do make the best dresses. I am sorry to hear that moving has been a bit of a chore (I am writing that surrounded by unpacked boxes at this end so know where you are coming from). 🙂 Hoping that 2016 will bring more that you wish for. All the very best to you & yours for the New Year. Xx