Oh September – Rachel’s Davenport Dress

When I first saw this fabric come into the shops I knew it would be the perfect fabric for a transitional dress. I often find myself reaching for autumnal colours at the end of August and beginning of September but the weather is usually still quite warm. Little did I know we were going to have a major heatwave in September! But this gorgeous double gauze is just perfect as those temperatures begin to drop again. It is so soft and light weight, keeping you warm when you need to be but also breathable and airy when you need to be cool. It’s double layered nature allows air to be trapped in between the layers keeping you comfy all day long.  After seeing Amy’s beautiful version of the Davenport Dress (your can read that post here) I knew I wanted to have a go at making it myself. It seemed like the perfect throw on dress but with ruffles and puff sleeves just like I love to wear. I was a little daunted when I began cutting it out but Amy told me it wasn’t too complicated to follow if I took my time with it. She was right and I found it a really easy pattern to follow. I also had a go at the burrito method for the first time every and absolutely loved it! I did have to make some adjustments to the length of the bodice, shortening it by about an inch but that was very easy to do. I will definitely be making the pattern again but I will make some adjustments. Firstly I will go down a size or two as although it is supposed to be an oversized fit, it did feel very oversized. I will also make the bodice shorter again like I did on this one and I would love to try it in a different fabric. This double gauze worked perfectly but it is a very drapey fabric, it would be interesting to try it in a stiffer cotton like Amy used for her silver version and see the difference. Unfortunately the double gauze in this colourway has run out in the summer sale but we do have it in four other colours all perfect for a transitional piece or you could stash the fabric away for next year. Check out our double gauzes here.