My Easter dress this year was the 3rd and fanciest version of Butterick 6869 I've made. After making my red gingham version recently, I wanted to do one more that was dressier. I actually made this a while ago, and just saved it for Easter Sunday.

I used some vintage cotton I got from an Instagram seller. It's slightly thinner and lighter weight than quilting cotton, but doesn't wrinkle very much, which was a pleasant surprise. 

The larger green and off-white floral print is so lovely and springlike! It's super pretty in person. I accented it with a dark green pique collar, and dark green buttons – I happened to have 4 of them, so it was perfect.

I chose to highlight the daisy motif with some embroidery on the collar, which I think turned out fairly well. It's not perfect, but close enough for this non-perfectionist. 🙂 I really like how that with 3 different fabrics and collar treatments, this pattern can be  so versatile!

As you can see, though it is not a maternity dress, it is still pretty flattering. I am hoping to be able to wear it a few times this spring yet before I grow too big for it. 

Later on in the day I took off my belt, and actually really like how it looks without a belt as well.

Since I pretty much made this dress twice in a row, you can imagine that I had the pattern just about memorized. This time I was able to get the fit better than with my gingham version, and everything went together rapidly and without a hitch. I used a wide hem bias facing for the hem so it would have a nice deep hem without making the skirt too short. 

I flat lined the bodice so it wouldn't be see-through, and even with that extra step and the collar embroidery, the whole thing was finished in just a few days. Quick and easy, but interesting enough to save it from too much simplicity.

We had a gorgeous sunny Easter, but it was very windy (following a rainy Saturday), and quite impossible to take pictures out-of-doors. I considered just waiting until later in the week and dressing up again, but I was having a really good hair day for once – a rare occasion lately, especially when I have an event or am planning to take pictures! – so I decided to take advantage of it and just do indoor photos, despite the less desirable backdrop.

My accessories are all vintage 1950s, except for the belt, and the pearl necklace and bracelet which I made. (Find out how to make your own with my tutorial here.)

The 1950s seems to be my favorite era for Easter! With the exception of a 1940s dress two years ago, I think every Easter dress I've made since I started sewing has been from the 1950s. I suppose it's just something about the more extravagant styles that fits with the special occasion, pastel colors, and spring hats.

I tend to stash special or favorite fabrics, but this one got new life relatively quickly. I don't know precisely what era it is from, but I am so happy to see it turned into something beautiful and useful – and perhaps close to what someone may have envisioned for it originally – after all these years.