{Riley Blake Designs} Winterland by Amanda Castor

Happy Christmas in July! It's hard to believe in just 5 short months (and 2 days if we're getting technical) that it will be Christmas. I love sewing a Christmas fabric in summer because then I feel so accomplished and I'm not rushing around during Christmas season trying to squeeze in a holiday outfit.

This year, I chose winterland by amanda castor for riley blake designs. Not only did I love the color scheme, but this dress will work all season long! This is a gorgeous collection inspired by the wonder and beauty of fresh fallen snow.

For my main print, I selected winterland main midnight and paired it with winterland flurries red. I love the delicate sprigs and bright red cardinals against the teal background with tall birch trees. (Bonus, they look like stripes until you are close enough for the details.)

When I picked out the fabrics, I had just sewn my daughter's Easter dress and knew it'd be the perfect dress for another holiday too. This is the lily dress pattern from peony patterns. We added all the bells and whistles (read: all those micro ruffles) to make it extra special.

I absolutely love the pop of red along the edges and waist. Don't forget to take the extra step to match up your print across the button placket. It's really rather easy and is so aesthetically pleasing.

Access the tutorial here: how to match prints across a seam and placket

This dress has a deep 3" hem which really helps the skirt hold it's shape. I decided to use a blind hem so I wouldn't have a row of stitches running through my trees. Can you find the hem?!

New to blind hemming? Follow along here: sewing a blind hem

No outfit is complete without a pretty bow, right? The bluebell bow sews up in just minutes and comes in 4 sizes from doll all the way to large. Super cute and free!