How many days until Christmas?

This would be the point in the month when I realize how far I've not come in my present/Christmas sewing game and start to panic. Advent scarf? What stinking advent scarf? Do you see all this smocking I prepped for in October and stuffed somewhere immediately after?

Words cannot express how much I love it so far which is why it has become the most important of my projects. The taffeta, a poly (shudder) that I bought two black Fridays ago at Joanns is just the prettiest color ever. It's not quite emerald and not a dark jade. It's something in that neighborhood and it's wonderfully light and shimmery. I couldn't resist even when I knew a pleater shouldn't have to deal with that high of a fake fiber content. I even broke a needle in my successful efforts to bend it to my will.

I'm using DMC floss colors 347, also known as very dark salmon but in reality should be called Rosie the Riveter red lipstick and 610, also known as drab brown but should be called Olive-y gold. The colors were pulled from a yard of trim I bought at Joann's a few months ago that's sort of renaissance looking. Or perhaps a 70's era interpretation of renaissance. That sounds hideous, doesn't it? But it's not, I promise.

Not all that impressive, is it? You'll just have to trust me when I say that it all works well together and I love it. So please don't remind me how many days I have left to turn all that above into all this below.

This dress is from an issue of Sew Beautiful Magazine, which issue I can't quite remember. Neither can I remember what issue features the Pascale dress I'm using as my base. But you can buy the pattern all by its little lonesome and in extended sizes to boot over at Martha Pullen's online store. I'll do a post later on all the details, including sleeve modifications to give it less of a little girl feel.

Can we have a moment of silence for my little girl, btw? 

I made her two pretty little dresses over the summer and this girlchild of mine has completely outgrew them. She's also outgrown their style. Alas, I believe the dress I'm working on right now might very well be her first and last traditional smocked dress. But truth be told, she's developed some ::ahem:: assets that don't fit behind a smocked panel all that well. So I suppose it's for the best. But still, WHY IS SHE SO BIG?? WHY IS SHE MY ONLY DAUGHTER???