Jewel-toned Goodness - Orage Dress Review
WOW! I cannot believe I haven’t blogged since May. So much has happened since then and I plan to update summer makes soon but today is all about this glorious, jewel-toned dress I made using the Orage dress pattern that Deer and Doe just released. I had the opportunity to get a sneak peek and sew it up before the launch and now I am back to share my honest opinion on. Ok let’s get into it!
Disclosure: Pattern & fabric allowance received in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are 100% mine.
Pattern: Orage Dress, Top & Skirt by Deer and Doe Patterns. The pattern is described as being designed for fluid knits. There are so many versions to make with this pattern: Version A: long sleeves, mock neck, and cutout bodice. Version B: square neck and ¾ sleeves. Version C: short-sleeve crop top. Version D: curved hem skirt.
Size Range: Available in sizes 34 to 48 (31” - 43” bust), and 46 to 60 (41” - 57” bust). You can purchase all sizes or one of the specific size ranges.
Fabric used: I used a ponte knit for this dress. I initially wanted to use a bamboo jersey to get the best drape but realized I didn’t have enough metres a little too late. I am so pleased that was the case because I LOVE the results of the ponte knit. In the end, I got the drape I wanted in a heavier knit which means I can wear it on colder days with some layers.
My body measurements: 41.5” bust, 34.5” waist, 44.5” hips
Size/Version made: I made a size 46 (from the 34 to 48 range pattern package). I made the Version B neckline, which is the square neckline and sleeves with the Version A dress.
Pattern adjustments made:
The only adjustment I made was to take in 1 inch of each side of the skirt. To be honest, I should have made a few more adjustments to get a much better fit in the upper bodice and sleeve area. I feel like the upper bust and sleeves are slightly loose and will look even better if I can fix that. I hemmed the sleeves but chose to leave the hem of the skirt raw.
Pattern adjustments I’d make next time:
Take in the upper bodice by 1 or 1.5 inches. I may consider taking an inch at the bodice waist as well.
Take in the sleeves by 1 inch max.
Feedback:
There are not as many knit dress patterns out in the wild compared to woven dresses (in my opinion) so it is always nice to add another to the collection. Overall, this pattern is pretty simple. I believe the intention is for it to build your wardrobe so it does check that box. It also comes together pretty quickly and a good pattern for beginners wanting to dive more into sewing knits (I wouldn’t consider the mock neck version truly beginner level though).
I was drawn to the pattern mainly because of the shape of the skirt. Knit dresses typically tend to have straight skirts so I love that this goes in a different direction. I really like the length of the skirt and plan to make just the skirt version from the bamboo jersey to see how it compares to this one in ponte knit. Although the mock neck is an interesting and fun design, it is surprisingly not for me (although I am toying with the idea of trying that version without the mock turtleneck). I love the square neckline a lot and will make a few more tops and dresses using that version, once I make the adjustments I have mentioned earlier.
This pattern also gets points for versatility. It is always nice to buy a pattern and have multiple versions as a base. This one has a dress, skirt, top, and crop top all in one, giving us a wider range for hacking to suit our style. That’s a win in my books. What do you think?
Happy sewing,
Sylvia XOXO
