A Yellow Tuileries

It's warming up here, and warm weather means dresses.  And dresses are definitely on my brain (and my sewing machine!) lately.  First up is a new Tuileries.  So springy, so sweet.

What I like about this pattern is that it so nicely walks that line between feminine and pretty and playful and youthful.  It's a pretty dress, but it's also playable - not too precious.  Although you could definitely make it dressy simply with your fabric choices.  In fact, this is the pattern I used for one of Lisi Loo's Easter dresses.

Like that one, I fully lined this dress (the pattern only calls for a lined bodice) and used an exposed zipper again.

The fabric was from an estate sale and once I got it home and washed I forgot why I grabbed it.  I feel like it would be very easy to misstep into "homemade" territory, but I think with this dress pattern it just feels sweetly vintage.  (Note to self: take more close-up fabric detail shots!)  If you have any other pattern suggestions, please pass them on because I have yards and yards left still!

In an attempt at making sure it was a little more professional looking I made the floppy bow (similar to this top - which was in very heavy rotation all winter, by the way!) with some perfectly matching sweater scraps. To my eye, it worked.  The only other change I made was when I attached the skirt.  The pattern calls for a pleating and gathering, but I just evenly pleated the skirt all the way around.  Of course I did.

Now sister's got a sweet new spring dress perfect for pretty and play.  And book-nics.