A review of the Davenport dress by Friday Pattern Co.

Well, I must admit, the Davenport dress had me a little bit smitten as soon as it was published by Friday Pattern Company.  A dress full of so many pretty details and just perfect for that in between not hot/not cold weather we get a lot of here in the UK.  I don’t know why it took me a couple of months to get the pattern and sew it up!  But now it’s done and I am going to share all the details of my make with you…

The pattern

The Davenport dress is a pattern by the fabulous indie pattern house Friday Pattern Company.  Friday Pattern Company has designed some of my favourite recent patterns including the Sagebrush top and the Vernazza two piece bikini, as well as the extremely popular Wilder gown. 

Friday Pattern Company described the Davenport dress as the perfect throw on and go dress.  It certainly is a really great day dress but it is also quite unusual as it features a whole host of interesting details.  There is an elasticated front neckline, pretty front yoke detail, flutter sleeves, skirt ruffle and frilly cuffs too.  Lots of techniques to get stuck into when you are sewing and lots to give interest to the finished dress too.

The fabric

The Davenport dress is designed for light to mid weight woven fabrics.  I have seen some beautiful versions in a whole range of fabrics from linen, cotton lawn to viscose. 

I decided on a cotton lawn for my version.  I thought a lawn would be crisp enough to show off some of the details of the dress including the flutter shoulders, but soft enough to make a comfortable dress that gathers around the waist. 

I settled on a Lady McElroy marlie cotton lawn, which I got from Minerva.  I really liked the white background and ditsy spot design.  I have worked with Lady McElroy marlie lawns before and have always found them to be lovely quality, silky and soft.  I ordered 2.5m as specified by the pattern for my size and I had very little fabric left over.

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Sizing

Friday Pattern Company have a really inclusive size range on their patterns and the Davenport dress is no exception.  The Davenport dress is available in sizes XS to 7X (from bust 32 inches up to bust 60 inches). 

My measurements are bust 32 waist 26 hips 36.  Based on the size chart this would put me in a size XS for bust and size S for waist and hips.  However, looking at the finished garment measurements I could see there was plenty of ease built into this dress, so I opted to make a straight size XS. 

I am happy with the fit of the XS and I would not want to size up at all.  There is plenty of room in the XS for me and I like how the drawstring waist ensures the dress can be cinched in at the waist to give a really nice shape.

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Adjustments

I did make a few adjustments to the pattern and I have detailed them here:

1. Bodice length – I originally lengthened the bodice of the dress, as I often do on patterns.  However, I found that it came up too long and I ended up cutting the bodice back to the length per the pattern. 

• Sleeves – I originally sewed up the dress with long sleeves.  However, I found the full long sleeves were a bit overwhelming on my frame in the cotton lawn fabric and did not suit me.  I therefore decided to crop the sleeves to just above the elbow length.  I also took quite a bit of the volume out of the sleeves to make them closer fitting.  I then finished the sleeves with an elasticated channel without the frill.  I am really happy with the adjustments I made to the sleeves as I feel they suit the fabric and my shape better.

• Skirt ruffle – I found the skirt length per the pattern a bit too long for me at the front but I really liked where the ruffle sat at the back.  I therefore decided to have a bit of fun with my dress and to create a high-low hem.  I achieved this look by shortening the skirt ruffle by 2.5 inches at the front of the skirt then graduated the length back to the original length at the back.  This was my first time creating a high-low hem and I really like how it has turned out.

Sewing process

I really like Friday Pattern Company pattern instructions.  I have always found them to be very clear, methodical and enjoyable to sew.  I definitely found this to be the case for the Davenport dress.  The dress came together really nicely. 

The pattern states that it is suitable for all skill levels and I think this is right.  It felt very straightforward to sew due to the clear instructions.  I particularly enjoyed the process of making the elasticated neckline and sewing the yoke together.  There is a lot of gathering though, so bear that in mind if you are not a big gathering fan!

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Summary

The Davenport dress is a lovely dress pattern packed full of pretty details, although I did need to make some tweaks to make it feel comfortable for my body type.  I am not sure when I will wear my version as it is not the most practical dress ever being white!  However, it is really comfortable to wear and it was a lot of fun to sew.  I think it will look great accessorized with a denim jacket and a pair of sandals for summer.

I would love to make another Davenport and I think I might give it a go in a viscose next.  Watch this space!