I’m posting a bit out of order here, but I wanted to make sure I posted about this Cashmerette Irving Dress because it’s the May 2025 Cashmerette Club members pattern, and I want to give you all a chance to grab it before May is over. This one is a breezy, casual dress for knits, and as soon as I got the email about it, I knew I wanted to make it!
I’m still very much sick with Long Covid, and I didn’t want to waste precious “standing energy” piecing the skirt pattern pdf pages since it’s mostly just a gathered rectangle. So instead I only printed the bodice and pocket pattern pieces, and chalked the skirt pieces onto my fabric itself (shortening the skirt from 75cm to 65cm so it’s just below my knee).
I had only just ordered 2m of this black Broderie Anglaise Jersey from Veratex Fabrics (95% poly 5% elastane) for £6/m during a big sale when the pattern launched, so it was clearly Meant To Be. (As an aside, I’m not sure I’ll be ordering from them again as they took 10 days to give my order to the courier, and gave zero response when I enquired about the shipping to their official customer service email address…)
Since broderie anglaise has distinctive little holes everywhere, I wanted to make sure I lined it to avoid skin-showthrough. So for the bodice and skirt lining, I had a lightweight beige silk mix jersey that’s been in my stash for ages (used for a Sophie Hines Axis Tank a while back). The pattern calls for a bodice lining anyway, and then I gathered the black and beige skirt layers together at the top edge, treating them as one. I separated the two layers below the pockets at the side seams so the hems are independent like a lining.
My current measurements made me cut a size 20 in the bust (the smallest C cup version), tapering to 22 in waist.
I wasn’t sure if I’d have enough of either fabric for this, as the beige offcut was an odd shape, and I only had 2m of black broderie anglaise jersey – and the pattern calls for 2.5m! But after some measuring and sketching, I worked out that I could do it, albeit with a few caveats (CF/CB lining bodice seam & slightly less skirt gathering…) 🥳
I didn’t have enough of the beige to do the bodice, skirt, AND pockets, and I didn’t want my pockets to have the little broderie anglaise holes. I had a look in my scraps and found some black interlock jersey and used that for the pockets instead.
The instructions and drafting were great here, as you’d expect from Cashmeretee, which is why it came as a surprise when I got to flipping the bodice straps right-side out after sewing them burrito style. Let me tell you, I have done a LOT of burrito seams in my time, but this was, without a doubt, THE tightest burrito flip I’ve ever had to do! I was honestly afraid the fabric was going to rip 😬
Both my fabrics are lightweight and I checked my finished strap width against the pattern and it’s bang-on 2.3cm. If I had an even slightly heftier fabric it would’ve been a wadder. Even a 5mm wider strap would’ve helped! Jalie Michelle is a similar pattern that uses a different method I’ve seen before (you can look at the instructions without buying) that I might try next time instead.
And I’m fairly certain I will be sewing this again because it’s a great casual summer dress, and I’m eyeing up some other fabrics in my stash because this is now the only summer dress I have that still fits me…
Even though I’m still feeling rubbish, I’ve found a bit of sewing mojo again, so I drew up a Summer Sewing Plan on my iPad…
…though my next few posts will actually be catching up on a handful of garments I sewed earlier this year – a jacket which I’ll post about soon, and a jumper and pyjama bottoms that I love, but have been dragging my feet taking photos of. Maybe this will prompt me to just take some flat photos or something so I can just post them already!