Some Preppy Snowmen

My annual Christmas themed project is always a highlight of the year.  I actually came up with the idea for this one last year, so I had an entire year to think about it!

And as many of you guessed from the construction post, the element missing on my dress was a tie.  (This was one of the main reasons I finally constructed my first collar stand!)  The tie itself belonged to my Grandfather or Uncle; I have quite a few of their ties.  Unfortunately, most of them are 1970s polyester, but I found myself drawn to this one.  It's not in the best of condition, but it works well with my dress print, so I made it work.

I have worn ties before with a regular old fold over collar, and it's manageable, but there is a reason men's dress shirts have one.  The stand allows for the tie to sit properly, while not bunching the actual collar.

I thought about adding a bound buttonhole to the collar stand since all of the other buttonholes are made that way, but honestly, I forgot my intention until I had completely edge-stitched around the whole thing.  Whoops.  I was so busy following instructions on an unfamiliar technique that I missed the change I wanted to make. 

But maybe my subconscious was onto something.  The buttons that I used for the dress have a built in shank and are rather large to use under a tie.  But they worked so perfectly with the snowman print, I had to use them.

In the end, I used a hook and stitched a thread loop on the opposite side to keep the collar shut.  That hook did come undone as I was knotting the tie around my neck.  That could be that I don't have a lot of experience with tying a tie, but it's probably more likely that I should have used a snap.  This is certainly an easy fix, although I am terrible at completing alterations to already finished garments.  Someday I will go back and change the closure.  Maybe.

I knew that I wanted a belt for this dress.  The only question was, do I use a contrast or not?

I decided that with a contrasting tie, a contrasting belt might be too much.  And, I might as well make the matching belt to have on hand.  I can alway use a different one, but if I don't make myself a belt while I am making the dress, it's never going to happen.

Looking at the photos, I think the self-fabric belt works quite nicely.

I was reminded that snowmen are not specifically Christmas themed, more of a Winter Wonderland sort of thing.  So theoretically, this frock could be worn outside of December, although I will probably always think of it as a Christmas project.  Or perhaps those sleeves will haunt me, and the dress will get another wear in the month of January!  (Did I mention how much I love the sleeves?!?)

Dress & Belt:  Made by me, Vogue 8772/McCall 8358
Tie:  Vintage
Shoes: Remix "Babydoll"
Earrings:  Gift