Asymmetric Ruffle Dress (Goddess Gown by Iviye)
I made an asymmetric ruffle hem dress! Honestly, that was not the plan for this dress at all. I wanted a caftan look but I am happy with the final result. I used the Goddess Gown pattern that was gifted to me by a new up and coming Indie Company called Iviye. As usual, the review of this pattern is 100% honest and mine.
Pattern details - The Goddess Gown is a simple dress with a V neckline and pockets. It is described on the website as being created with the traditional caftan in mind.
Pattern size & fabric details - I made a medium size and graded to a large at the hips, using a tencel blend jacquard from Blackbird Fabrics. The pattern comes in 3 different lengths: thigh length, knee length, and maxi length. I chose to make the knee length version for this one. It is available in XS to 3XL sizes (i.e. 31” to 51” at the bust, and 47” to 59” at the hips).
Illustration vs. Line drawings - I was very intrigued with the drape of the dress and was excited to achieve such a beautiful drape as shown in the illustration. However that was not the case. The neckline on my dress was higher than what the illustration showed and the dress was much straighter as well. The drape shown on the illustration is very different. Please focus on the line drawings instead as they provide a more accurate depiction. The actual dress is much straighter than I expected.
Pockets and Pattern Updates - Although the shape of the pockets that came with the pattern looked pretty cool, it did not fit the pattern at all. The notches were not in the right place and I couldn’t figure out how to install it so I decided to make regular in-seam pockets for this version. Please note that the pockets have been updated now for an easier install. I haven’t seen the new pockets so don’t have any further feedback on them.
Finished Garment Measurements - The finished garment measurements can be found on the website (here). They are not listed in the pattern instructions or the pattern itself.
Pattern instructions - This pattern has very minimal instructions with no diagrams. If it had more detailed instructions, I would have recommended this as being a perfect beginner project to start with. However in this case, intermediate or advanced sewists would be way more comfortable with the pattern than absolute beginners.
Copy shop/pdf pattern - I love that you can print only the version you need so I printed the knee length copy shop version. The pdf pattern is not layered so all sizes have to be printed which is not a problem but one thing to note is to be careful when cutting out your size. Typically, different sizes will have different line patterns to help keep track of what size you are cutting. On this pattern, all size lines look the same so it is up to you to double and triple check to ensure and keep track of which size you are cutting.
Adjustments made -
Because I had to hack the dress which was not initially intended, I lost the “caftan look” I desired but overall I do love the final results. Instead of keeping it as a knee length dress, I cut the hem diagonally, then cut fabric twice the circumference of the hem, and made a ruffle with it.
I also lowered the neckline just a little in an attempt to achieve the neckline in the illustration. I finished it off with bias binding instead of the facings that came with the pattern.
Tips -
Size up at least in the hips. I am so happy I sized up at the hips up to a large because a medium would have fit a little snug.
I hope this is helpful to anyone about to make this pattern. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or send me a message on Instagram (@theravelout)
Happy Sewing,
Sylvia XOXO
