Rifle Paper Co Orla Dress

Dress: Orla dress by French Navy Patterns. Fabric: Rifle Paper Co for Cotton and Steel

I sewed the orla dress for the third time in a rayon challis by Rifle Paper Co. Rifle Paper Co designs such beautiful florals. I know I am not the only glad that Rifle Paper Co joined forces with Cotton and Steel.  This print is from the Spring 2017 collection, Menagerie- Jardin de Paris. The fabric is floating, drapey and comfortable to wear.


The Orla dress is a free pattern and the directions don't come with illustrations or photos. The pattern is free, though and you can look at another dress pattern instructions or look online for help if needed. The pattern uses metric system and you'll need to convert some measurements if you use the English unit of measurement. It's 3/8 in seam allowance instead of a 5/8 seam allowance.  The metric system does make more sense in the end, but I am used to working in inches. I used 2 yards of fabric and have barely any scraps left.

I made a few adjustments for the pattern to fit me better and my personal preferences.  I added a couple of inches to the length, did a narrow shoulder adjustment and took in the waist a little. I lined the bodice because the fabric is slightly see through.

I researched how to handle and take care of rayon challis. Rayon Challis has to be dry cleaned and handled with care when cutting and sewing with it to prevent stretching it out while sewing it. I have used rayon challis before and just didn't realize the name of the fabric I was using.

 The Orla dress was a great instagram find. I was searching some sewing hashtag when I saw MaddieMadeThis's version of the Orla dress. I had never heard of French Navy patterns, but Maddie raved about the dress and said she made little to no alterations. I tried it and loved it so much that I am on my third dress.

Last year marked, when I started using the same sewing pattern more than once. In the beginning, I did not want to sew the same pattern twice because there were so many patterns out there, but now that I have sewn for a few years now it doesn't feel weird or boring having the same exact clothing item in different fabrics. No one has said, "Is that the same dress, you're wearing?".