Deer and Doe Orage Dress

My sewing to-do list has been filled with fairly complicated makes in recent weeks.  Quick sews that interest me have been forced to the side in favor of more involved sewing projects so I can make the most of my time.  Thankfully, Deer and Doe reached out to me regarding their newest pattern, the Orage Dress, and it’s a perfect blend of stylish design and very quick sewing.  Seriously, I think my actual sewing time was slightly over an hour.  I honestly think it took me longer to assemble the pattern than it did for me to actually sew this dress.  I used Minerva Core Range Luxury Viscose Jersey in dark fuchsia to create this sexy but tasteful dress that I can rock in the coming months.

Let’s discuss the pattern for a moment.  The pattern contains pieces to make the dress I made, a curved hem skirt, a top with the chest cutout and long sleeves, a top with a square neckline and ¾ sleeves, and a crop top with short sleeves.  I love patterns like this because it makes it really easy to mix and match.  For instance, it would be a breeze to make a dress with a square neckline and short sleeves.  I’d just have to cut the appropriate pieces out and combine them like a puzzle.  A fashion puzzle, some might say.  Another thing that I really enjoyed about this pattern is that the pattern piece outlines are printed in the margins of the pages.  This makes it so much easier to put the pattern pieces together.  Finally, I loved that no special notions or materials are needed to make this dress.  All you need is fabric and thread (and a bit of elastic if you’re just making the skirt).

Since this pattern only requires fabric and thread, using the right fabric is the key for a successful Orage dress.  The instructions recommend a lightweight knit that contains elastane (aka spandex) and has at least 60% stretch.  I couldn’t find the right fabric at any of my local stores, but thankfully I had some mid-weight viscose jersey from Minerva in my stash.  It has 60% stretch, contains elastane, and is the perfect weight for a swishy dress without losing opacity when stretched.  I haven’t experienced any pilling nor color bleeding during laundering.  The dark fuchsia color is absolutely stunning and reminds me of juicy berries.  This jersey comes in nearly 70 colors, which is quite impressive.

Like I mentioned earlier, the actual sewing flew by.  I did much of the construction with my serger and hemmed the dress using the zigzag stitch on my sewing machine.  I didn’t bother pulling out my twin needle because it’s always a bit of a hassle for me.  One quick note about the 46-60 size range.  The front bodice in this range has some built-in fullness to accommodate the wearer’s bust, so it’s a little longer than the back bodice.  I prefer the cutout to be a little larger, so I trimmed the front bodice to be the same length as the back bodice. The resulting dress is marvelous!  The cutout is sexy without being too provocative and the dress’s silhouette is so flattering.  I can’t wait to try out the other pieces of the pattern.  I’ve got my eye on that square neckline top.