Spring Inspiration with some Fabulous Dresses!

Earlier this week my aunt sent me a link to the Lily Pulitzer website. Oh my goodness gracious! When you click that link, and I know you will, your eyes are in for a delicious treat of absolutely precious spring and summer dresses. Since seeing them for the fist time the other day my mind seems to always be wandering from the task at hand to that gorgeous collection of dresses. Luckily for those of us who know how to sew, some of the styles could easily be recreated with the help of out trusty sewing machines. Given the prices of these dresses, the only way I will be getting one is if it comes off my sewing machine. I have been exploring the internet in hopes of finding some similar fabric. It seems that Amy Butler has quite a few fabrics that, while not exact, are very similar to the Lily Pulitzer collection. Granted, the Any Butler fabric is quilting cotton, but with the right pattern that doesn't need a lot of drape I don't really see a problem with using quilter's cotton.

Here are my picks that have my mouth watering just looking at them. Well, maybe my mouth is watering because it's dinner time and I'm hungry. Well, either way take a look at this collection of fabulousness.


1. Wouldn't this dress be so adorable for a summer picnic? Perhaps I'd be a tad overdressed if I did wear it to a picnic, but since I plan of being as gaudy and over the top as Joan Rivers when I'm 70 I think I could use the practice.  $148

2. Next up is another great summer dress. This dress might be a bit hard to recreate in quilter's cotton because the original is in silk jersey. Nonetheless, it is still cute.

3. Here is another lovely number. I adore the print of this dress and it seems to turn up frequently throughout all the garments. I think a dress like this could work with a quilter's cotton. $248

4. I love yellow, and this dress fits the bill perfectly. The bill that would ensue from ordering this dress however would not be so perfect. $198

5. I love this little dress! A dress that looks like a perfectly pink cloud of cotton candy? Where do I sign up? $228

6. A cute summer dress with sleeves is hard to come by, but this one would certainly fit the bill. While I have nothing against showing my arms, and I wear a lot of sleeveless in the summer, some occasions really do call for a dress that covers your arms. Sadly, I have not found any similar fabric to recreate this one at home. $148

7. For some reason this dress makes me think of Woodstock, free love, and flower children. My generation will never experience these things but that won't stop me from dressing like I am. $278

8. The eye candy just keeps on coming! I need need need one of these and I think it could be recreated. $268

9. This dress is retro mod inspired fabulosity at it's best! I want one! Actually, I want one of all of them. $178

10. I love the lace embellishments that some many of these dresses have, and this one is no exception. Despite the fact that I currently have hundreds of yards of lace in mu closet I have been scouring Etsy for the perfect lace to recreate these dresses. $268

11. Now, for my favorite dress in the entire collection. Lately, it seems that I cannot get enough navy, so naturally this dress and I experienced love at first sight. It really is perfect with the exception of that pesky little price tag. $278

Here are the fabrics that I have found that could be used to make some similar dresses.

1. Amy Butler rose fabric. $8.98/yd

2. Another Amy Butler rose print in a slightly different shade. $8.98/yd

3. This fabric is similar to the second dress in the lineup. $8.98/yd

 Hopefully this weekend I will have time to look on a few more websites for more fabric that would work.

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on the dresses. Do you love 'em or hate 'em? Happy sewing and have a wonderful weekend!