Happy February! I can’t believe we’re halfway through Winter already. I don’t love Spring (due to my allergies), but I’m seriously aching for longer days and more sunshine. I’m ready to take walks through the woods and bask in the sun’s warmth. Will I actually do any of that? Probably not. But if I do, I’ll be cute in this adorable Davenport Dress by Friday Pattern Company. I paired this pattern with a luscious blue and caramel Atelier Jupe Viscose Challis gifted to me by Minerva. When I first saw the Davenport Dress, I’ll admit that it didn’t really appeal to me. It was totally on trend, but the prairie dress trend was one that I gladly ignored. But after tweaking a few elements, I now have a versatile pattern that’s easy to make and endlessly hackable.
First, let’s talk about this fabric from Minerva. It’s 100% viscose challis and it feels so silky against my skin. It’s light to medium weight and is moderately opaque. I didn’t have any issues, but if you’re planning on wearing this fabric on a brightly lit stage or somewhere similar, you should test the opacity first. The fabric has warm caramel hearts and ribbons on a navy-blue background. This color combination is not one that I’ve seen often and I really like it. The colors stayed vibrant and didn’t bleed after I laundered it. The fabric looks and feels so luxurious that I had a hard time deciding what to make with it. If I had enough fabric, I’d make a dress and separates with it.
With such a luxurious fabric, I decided to pair it with the simple silhouette of the Davenport Dress. To give this pattern the best chance of succeeding, I first omitted the shoulder ruffles. Those dang ruffles were probably the number one reason I was hesitant to make this dress. Friday Pattern Company has some amazing patterns (many of which I’ve made), but those shoulder ruffles screamed “Little House on the Prairie” to me. The last thing I want in 2022 is to look like an extra from a show filmed in the 1970s that was set in the 1870s. Without the ruffles, the dress immediately improved. I also lengthened the sleeves by three inches to take the ¾ length to full length. Both of these tweaks were incredibly easy, and they paved the way for a casual but modern dress.
Overall I’m really happy with my Davenport. The dress has large pockets, a swishy bottom skirt layer and a drawstring waist that’s great when you want a looser or slimmer look. It looks great with a denim jacket and sneakers, chunky boots and a cardigan, or high heels and a clutch. Granted, I don’t wear heels, but I can tell that it would look good with them. I’m so happy that I pushed past my immediate reservations and gave this pattern a chance! Who knows – maybe I’ll actually muster up some bravery and wear heels? Hmm, probably not!
