Are you ready to elevate your fashion game to dazzling new heights? Meet the Cassandra Kaftan Dress—where exotic allure meets contemporary luxury. Seamlessly merging the timeless grace of a Kaftan with the fierce glamour of snakeskin, this dress is designed for the modern woman who’s fearless in her style choices. The dramatic flow of the viscose georgette, selected from The Killimanjaro Collection, serves as its crowning feature. Often made from sumptuous materials like silk or high-quality viscose, the flowing fabric not only adds visual excitement but also enhances comfort, offering both breathability and a luxurious feel against the skin. This sense of comfort doesn’t come at the expense of luxury, instead it amplifies it. Designed to naturally glide around the body, the fabric creates a mesmerizing, ethereal effect that captivates attention wherever you go.
Purchase Materials Used Below:
- 4.5 yards of Mood Exclusive Kaa’s Charm Viscose Georgette
- 1 to 2 Spools of 502 Sahara 100m Gutermann Sew All Thread
- 1 Vintage Natural Wood Beaded Double Strand Braided Belt
- MDF348 – The Cassandra Dress Sewing Pattern (free download below!)
Alternative Recommended Fabrics:
Originating from ancient Mesopotamia, the Kaftan has journeyed its way through various cultures and epochs, retaining its special charm and adaptability. Over the centuries, it evolved into a versatile garment adopted by many different cultures, worn by men and women for a myriad of occasions. Initially worn as a symbol of status by royalty and nobility, the Kaftan gained Western popularity in the 20th century as a symbol of bohemian luxury, worn by fashion icons like Elizabeth Taylor and Jacqueline Kennedy. In more present times, the design continues to live vividly as fashion houses like Oscar de la Renta embrace the unique silhouette in their 2020 spring/summer collection. This trendsetting dress fuses the aged elegance of the Kaftan with today’s edgy snakeskin print, further elevated by spectacular drape and a waist-cinching belt, making it a sartorial masterpiece that’s as comfortable to wear as it is stunning to behold. So, shed out of your old style and slither your way into this bold new look!
How to sew the Cassandra Kaftan Dress:
Step 1
Sew the 2 front pieces together at center front up to the neckline and the bottom slit.
Step 2
Sew both shoulder pieces onto the front. As an option, apply interfacing on the shoulder pieces like I did for structure support.
Step 3
Sew the back piece onto the shoulder pieces.
Step 4
Sew the 2 extension strips together, then sew across the side edges.
Step 5
Sew the front and back together by topstitching over the line indicated on the pattern, from the bottom to the torso.
Step 6
Sew the buttonholes on the marked locations for the belt.
Step 7
Finish the raw edges with a double folded hem around the sides, the bottom, and the neckline.
The dramatic flow of the garment enabled by its generous cut, adds a layer of surreal style, allowing for unrestricted movement and a unique form of self-expression. With its captivating animal print and waist-cinching belt, this dress combines both comfort and flair. Each of these elements contributes to an experience of both physical ease and luxurious living. Whether you’re stepping out for a friendly event or attending an elegant soirée, this Kaftan dress ensures that you’ll be the epitome of fashion brilliance. So why settle for ordinary when you can dress extraordinarily?
Beautiful
This is fantastic! I think I need it in my life!
The kaftan is certainly having it’s moment. I can see this in an orange and green chiffon print for a Mrs Roper bar crawl.
MERCI Pour le patron ,ça ferait très longtemps que cherchait le patron pour ce vêtement et pour ma taille (3xl).Merci encore.
Is there a way to download this pattern? Or how do I get it? I don’t care for the featured fabric. Can I just get the pattern? Honestly I frankly don’t understand how to work this section at all. Do you offer a tutorial or instruction?
You can download the pattern for free by entering your name and email address into the field under “Download Your Free Sewing Pattern”. Then, check your email inbox (and your spam, just in case) for an email from Mood Sewciety Patterns with the subject line “Your Free Download from Mood Sewciety”. Scroll down to the blue link under the title of the email and click on that. It will bring you to a web browser page where you have to scroll down and find the orange button that says “click here to download your free sewing pattern”. That button will redirect you to the webpage with the PDF of the pattern, which can be printed on 8.5×11 paper on your printer at home. Let me know if you need any additional help accessing the pattern!
Thank you! Now I can sew beautiful and stylists designer kaftans for gifts! Gwen
I can’t wait to get my hands on this pattern too see how different it is from a similar pattern I used in the past.
Please has anyone sewn this pattern, I’ve downloaded it but I’m confused, anyone with a sew along?
Me too. Can’t work out from thw instructions what happens with the extension piece C
Hi Holly, we’re sorry for the delay in responding to your question! We get dozens of comments and questions each day, and so many questions get buried and, unfortunately, unanswered. We are now focusing user support on patterns 2 years and newer. We hope this will prevent questions on our more current patterns from going unanswered. Although this is late, we wanted to respond in case anyone else has the same question: the extension piece is just supposed to go onto the sides (sleeves) from the bottom of the front, up and over the shoulder to the back. The extension piece is not needed, unless you’d want extra flair to the sleeve edges.
i can’t wait to get this pattern i already have fabric perfect for it if i have enough and i think i do i’m short
Hi there, I get error message when downloading this pattern. It says it can’t be opened. Could you please assist?
Hello, you can contact patterns@moodfabrics.com for any issues on pattern downloads and we will email you the pattern
Hi there! I’m confused about the extension strips – the pattern instructions indicate cutting 2 strips of fabric (128”x6”) but then the instructions on here say to sew the strips together. If you needed 4 3.5 yard strips, wouldn’t that be way longer than the kaftan itself?
Hello you will cut 4 strips and sew 2 together so you have 2 sets of longer strips, which will go 1 on each side along the edges almost as cuffs. Start from the bottom of the front, up across the shoulder, and back down towards the bottom of the back side. Do this for both sides left and right.
Weird question would I be able to add pockets to it with ease I’m asking I’m thinking of making the dress more of a coverup much love can’t wait ❤️❤️
Hello Aly, you can easily install side seam pockets, like the ones from the Tamarind Dress, and sew them into the side seams.
Hi Mike this is a beautiful pattern thank you for your hard work on this. Could you advise on the difficulty of moving the front split further to the right? Maybe to be about thigh high. Thank you!
Hello, and thank you! It shouldn’t be too difficult to move the slit to the side. First, sew the front pieces together at center front, starting below the neckline and sewing all the way to the bottom. Choose where you would like to put your side slit and mark a line with tailor’s chalk. Add a strip of interfacing to the marked line, then cut a slit through the line and finish the edges with a 1/4″ double-folded hem!
Greetings Mike. Thank you for a lovely pattern. I love caftans and want to try out this pattern. While I understand it is designed to be flowy, I am concerned about the seam lines from the waist/torso on down. They do a wonderful job of fitting the silhouette of the body, but I fear they will make getting into the garment difficult.. Also my personal preference is to put an insert into the front and back neckline V for modesty, perhaps lace or a contrasting or coordinating fabric.. Lastly, I know that in a multi-size pattern and in current commercial garment production, facings have gone away, but in making my own garment, I would draw and then cut facings for the front and back neckline, for structural support.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback on the Cassandra Kaftan Dress! We’re thrilled you’re excited to try this pattern. Your insights are incredibly valuable. You’ve raised excellent points about potential entry challenges with the side seams and the desire for neckline modesty inserts—both are fantastic ways to personalize the design. We also completely agree on the benefits of facings for structural support; that’s a classic technique for a beautiful finish on a handmade garment! We love seeing how sewists adapt our patterns to their preferences, and your suggestions offer wonderful ways to customize this design. Happy sewing!
Hello . I was reading the finished measurnent . what do top width single side Shoulder-wrist means on the measurment chart means?
Hi Curlie,
Top width single side actually refers to the sleeve length measurement, which in the case of a kaftan like this runs from the edge of the neckline to the edge of the wrist.
I was wondering if a Rayon Challis would be good for this pattern? I have some yardage in that fabric type that I think is screaming at me to make it in this pattern. My 50th birthday is coming up and looking to do a Kaftans and Cocktails type evening with my girlfriends.
That would be perfect for this pattern! Rayon Challis has a beautiful drape without being as sheer at the Kaftan in the post. Show us how your project turned out by tagging us on socials with the hashtag #MadeWithMood.
If I don’t want the lower front slit, can both the front and back be cut on the fold or is the slit needed for move ability?
Hi Vickie! What I would do to eliminate the front slit line up the SHORT edge on the righthand side of the pattern with the fold of the fabric. Then, instead of cutting around the pattern piece and making two mirrored pieces, you extend the bottom hem of the dress all the way to the folded edge of the fabric so that you have a wider front piece. This will make sure that you have mobility in the dress. Let me know if this works out for you!
Just made this in lace and finished the hems with elastic, which gave a rippling effect that I’m not upset about. I feel beautiful in it! Great pattern!
Hello! Could this be done with a stretchy knit fabric and if so, do you have any suggestions on making sure it doesn’t deform? Should I size down to allow for negative ease for the stretch? Thank you!
I wouldn’t recommend making this out of a stretch knit, but if you do, here are my suggestions:
1. Choose a knit fusible interfacing to use on the parts that call for interfacing in the pattern. Knit interfacing has a little bit of stretch to it.
2. Use a stretch stitch (also known as lightning stitch) to sew all the seams.
3. When cutting out your pattern, make sure that the stretchiest part of the fabric is oriented horizontally on your body. You want the fabric to stretch left to right, not up and down. If your fabric is 4 way stretch, this doesn’t matter, but I’m assuming its 2 way stretch because its knit jersey.
Thank you for this pattern, I would love to sew a mystical and flowy kaftan! I was wondering about working with a semi-sheer fabric, how would you go about reducing the transparency?Doubling on the fabric? Thank you!
Hey Anca! If you want to use a sheer fabric but have the final garment be more opaque, you can always line the kaftan with a similar color lining fabric. To do this, you’ll make the kaftan as instructed in the tutorial, but you’ll do every step with two layers of fabric (one lining and one main fabric) instead of just the sheer fabric. I hope this helps point you in the right direction!
HI there! I just downloaded this pattern. I am confused that there seems to be two sets of measurements on the pattern pieces. For a size 4, should I cut the pattern at the left most size 4 line or the right most size 4 line?
Hey Sabrina! There are two sets of measurements intentionally. The first set of measurements are an estimate of the body measurements that would most ideally fit in each size. The finished garment measurements tell you exactly how long and wide the dress is, so that you can make sure the size you cut out will actually fit over your head and hips.
For cutting out a size 4, you have to cut out the 4th line from the size line key on the pattern PDF. Since it is on the smaller side, you have to count from the inside of the pattern toward to outside to find that 4th line. I hope this clears up your question!