Tilly and the Buttons’ Francoise Dress

I’m on a real Tilly and the Buttons kick these days. I completed my first Cleo last week (post coming next week!), and I just completed my Françoise dress yesterday! Shown here is Françoise. I used a medium weight stretch jacquard that I had in my stash and I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

Here are some things that I love about Tilly and the Buttons’ Françoise Dress:

The name:

Françoise Hardy or Françoise Dorléac? Both came to mind when I first saw this pattern. It’s the perfect name for this super cute shift dress pattern inspired by moods and makers of the sixties.

The raglan:

It works very well with this pattern. Practically, it adds ease of movement, and visually, it adds a lovely little detail. The raglan is not super visible here because of the dress’s busy fabric, but I will definitely emphasize this feature on my next Françoise with a contrasting colour or piping, etc.

The 3/4 length sleeve option:

Shift dresses are among my favourite garments and I have a closet full of them. Most of them are sleeveless, so I always feel the need to cover my arms with a cardigan. But doing so hides most of the dress’s cuteness! Hence, shift dresses with three-quarter length sleeves are my absolute favourite because, well, no need for the cardigan!

The French darts:

The long French darts give the dress a semi fitted shape, making for a flattering silhouette.

The fit:

I cut a size 2, made no adjustments, and am happy with the way the dress fits! It’s very comfy, but has the right amount of snug in the right amount of places.

The instructions:

I was so impressed with how clear and easy-to-follow Tilly and the Buttons’ instructions were! Lots of step-by-step pictures and tips. And the package design is adorable.

Now some pictures:

 

Thanks for looking!