Davenport Dress by Friday Pattern Co.

I had been eyeing off the Davenport Dress pattern by Friday Pattern Company for a while and finally decided to make one just as the UK winter was getting underway. I was inspired by the Clary and Peg Phoebe Dress, which I had seen on Lindsay Barry from Styling L.A.B. I loved the shape of the dress and the fact that it could work so well with winter tights and boots. I used beautiful Robert Kaufman 21 wale cotton needlecord fabric from Minerva.

What I didn’t consider was the difference in fit between the tops on the Phoebe Dress and Davenport Dress. The Phoebe Dress has a fitted top, which I could have replicated using the pattern pieces from a blouse, such as The Blouse by Avid Seamstress. I don’t think baggy tops tend to suit me well so this is an adjustment I will consider if I make this pattern again. I may have ended up with an accidental Mrs Klaus dress, but I guess it will be good for future Christmas celebrations!

The Davenport Dress was quite easy to make with minimal construction issues. Having looked at photos of other people’s Davenport Dresses, I had thought that the sleeves were 3/4 length, and so I chose to lengthen mine, but this was unnecessary and resulted in the sleeves being too long. They’re also quite baggy, which is something to keep in mind if you’re going for something closer to the Phoebe Dress.

The top has an interesting construction with a facing on the shoulders and back yoke. It was also quite straightforward to assemble, including the optional shoulder ruffle. The skirt was a breeze to make, given it is essentially a ruffle added to another rectangle, with the addition of great pockets.

This is a great dress to throw on and can easily be dressed up or down. My only alteration would be to re-style the top to suit my body shape.