Alabama Chanin Christmas Dress

Years ago I made this skirt (you can read more about it here , scroll down to the end of the post).

I've always loved the way the painted and cut burgundy fabric reminds me of velvet. Tucked away in the back of my mind was the idea to make a dress using the negative reverse applique technique in burgundy and apple to mimic this look. This summer I stenciled a number of projects, including my new Alabama Chanin Factory dress. You can read more about the stenciling process here.

It's the perfect Christmas dress. The princess seams are very pretty.

I'm keeping the embellishment simple, as I'd like to rotate this dress into my year-round wardrobe and not keep it exclusively for the holidays. I was tempted to apply the reverse applique technique to make for a warmer garment, but I stayed true to my idea that negative reverse applique would have more cut edges, thus achieving the look I was after.

I used the rosebud stitch to apply the binding. The smaller, more delicate stitch compliments the larger scale new leaves stencil. My options were stitching with burgundy or red thread. I chose the burgundy thread to keep the garment more tone on tone.

I added a French knot in red at each rosebud for a little pop.

I'm indecisive whether I'll keep this extra pop or not. This photo really shows the detail, but when you look at the dress overall it's not as noticeable.

I'll leave it for now, but may pick it out after the holidays. Here is the final dress, just in the Saint Nick of time!