Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: A fabulous make outside my sewing comfort zone!

Hi sewing friends!

Have you ever decided to try a pattern or color outside your comfort zone just to try something new? I often try to try to stick to what styles I know, make patterns on repeat because I know I will love it. Sometimes my makes look very similar to the colors I choose as well. This time, I am going outside my sewing comfort zone! I chose the Friday Pattern Company Davenport dress in an orange patterned Fabric Mart rayon.


I have seen so many beautiful Davenport dresses on Instagram. I have made many Friday Pattern Company patterns that usually fit me really well without many pattern adjustments. I thought the ruffle sleeve on the shoulder, high neckline, long sleeves and tie waist would not be my style.


I am so happy to say that I was wrong! I chose a non-floral orange print rayon with a white background which is a gorgeous fabric but not my usual choice of pattern or color. I LOVE rayon, and this one is so soft and very opaque. Rayon is one of my favorite fabrics to wear. I tend to choose dark colors with floral patterns, so this beautiful orange is a very nice addition to my wardrobe!


The dress is midi length dress on ME. It is drafted for a person 5’6’, and I am 5’10” so I was surprised it was so long on me. The photo on the pattern looks like it is knee length. I suggest measuring to make sure the length is what you prefer. The neckline is comfortable and has elastic in a channel that can be made to your preference. I chose to make the elastic a little longer, so it didn’t feel tight on my neck and it was a perfect fit. I made short sleeves and just made the elastic a length that fit me.


I made the shoulder ruffle double sided so when it flips over, you don’t see the wrong side of the fabric. I cut 2 pairs and sewed them together before seeing them to the dress. There were a few more layers to see through, but just go slow. The way the front yolk is constructed was interesting and fun! I enjoy learning new sewing techniques when I make a new pattern.


The tie waist is constructed using an outer channel instead of one on the inside. No buttonholes required, I was quite impressed with this method. I think it looks nice also. The pockets are super deep and big! You could omit the pockets and cut 2 backs.


I added a label on the inside of the yolk before constructing it using the burrito method so no stitches are seen on the outside. I love this dress and can’t wait to make another one with long sleeves for the fall. The Davenport lives up to all the hype, it is beautifully constructed, fun to make and really is like wearing secret pajamas.


I really enjoyed sewing this pattern and the fabric was wonderful to sew and even more amazing to wear! I used a needle for light weight fabric to I hope you will try something outside your sewing comfort zone. You might be surprised and love it like me!

Happy Sewing,

Patricia  |  @Hoppaheedahoe


Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: CHALLIS.

Comments

  1. Going outside your comfort zone really paid off with this beautiful dress!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great sewing skills!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Recent Posts You Might Like

Return to work wardrobe in ITY – which is your favorite?

In June of this year, after spending nearly 11 years at my place of employment and after restructuring and cost cutting, I took a separation package. I was so fortunate to be able to take a few months off, and also to very quickly find a position with a new company. I start my new job on September 14th and I’m super excited!  This new position is also different for me in that it is local to my area (whereas before I worked remotely and traveled to the office every few weeks) – so I’ll be going into the office three times a week. So of course I needed to sew up some new outfits! I’m a huge fan of ITY knit fabric ; ITY stands for interlock twist yarn, which describes the way the yarn is knitted together. I love it for tops, dresses, skirts, and even pants: it’s comfortable, easy care, low wrinkle, and comes in so many beautiful prints. I sewed up three new outfits over the last two weeks and I’m excited to share them with you today! Oh, and also – I need help choosing what to wear fi...

Sometimes The Fabric Chooses The Pattern

Have you ever fallen in love with a fabric and immediately envisioned exactly what you wanted to make, only to realize halfway through the planning process that the fabric had other ideas? That’s exactly what happened with this project. I used Fabric Mart’s Black/Dark Cobalt/Smoky White Poly Foliage Print Chiffon , and while I initially had plans for a detailed dress, the fabric ultimately led me in a completely different direction—and I’m so glad it did. When I first saw this gorgeous chiffon print, I was immediately drawn to the rich color palette and beautiful movement. The dark background paired with the cobalt and smoky white foliage creates a striking look that feels both dramatic and versatile. My original plan was to make a dress with princess seams, buttons, and more structured design elements. However, after spending time with the fabric, I realized that all of those seam lines and construction details would compete with what makes this chiffon so beautiful: its drape, moveme...

Sewing With Intention: New Look 6106 and a More Coordinated Wardrobe

Sometimes a sewing project begins with a beautiful piece of fabric or a pattern you just have to make. This one began with my closet. Recently, I did a major closet purge. I took a good look at what I actually wear, what I kept reaching for, and—maybe more importantly—what was missing. Once the pieces I no longer loved or wore were gone, something became very clear: I want to be more intentional about what I sew next. Instead of sewing individual pieces that I love but don't necessarily wear together, I want to build a wardrobe where my handmade garments coordinate with the clothes I already own—and with the pieces I'm planning to sew next. For this month's Fabricista project, this beautiful lightweight shirting from Fabric Mart turned out to be a wonderful place to start. The Fabric That Started It All Fabric Mart provided this beautiful oatmeal and black heathered shirting , along with the matching thread for my project. One of the things I love most about this fabric is ...

The Perfect Plan for this Linen Blend! Until I Changed My Mind.

Hello Sewing Friends!  It’s Sharon from Sharon Sews with another Fabricista make.  When I saw this linen blend designer fabric on the Fabric Mart Fabrics website, I was intrigued.  After all, I, like many of you, love to find designer fabrics at an affordable price. It is a linen/nylon/rayon/Lycra blend, and I wondered what the designer had created with the fabric as I wasn’t familiar with that combination of fibers.  Surprisingly, I discovered a sleeveless, lined, mid-length vest in the same color with an almost identical fabric composition. Perfect! I’ve been wanting to sew a longer vest with matching pants, and that discovery confirmed this fabric would work beautifully for the look I had in mind.  The vest I’m wearing, from the June 2026 Burda Style magazine, it is not what I was originally going to make.  You see when I found the designer’s vest, I remembered seeing a Butterick pattern that was almost identical.  I ordered the pattern excited to...