A review of the Cardamome dress by Deer & Doe
I have recently made my second version of the Cardamome dress by Deer & Doe. The Cardamome dress is a really lovely pattern but not one of Deer & Doe’s better known patterns. In this blog post, I talk about the pattern and why I like it, as well as giving some tips for sewing it.
The Cardamome dress is a shirt-dress with a collar, bib, in-seam pockets and a pretty shirred waist. So really it is a shirt-dress with some very pretty feminine details. The pattern offers a sleeveless option and a three-quarter-sleeve option.
Deer & Doe rate the pattern difficulty as a 4/5. This rating suggests it is suitable for a confident intermediate. Although I sewed my first version as a slightly naïve beginner and it was definitely a learning curve!
I first came across the pattern after I saw a fantastic version by Emma @thezipperfoot on Instagram. My first version, pictured below, is very much inspired by hers. I used chambray from Higgs and Higgs for the skirt, bib and collar and a cotton poplin from Sew Me Sunshine for the bodice.
For my second version, I wanted a completely different and more summery look, so I opted for a red viscose challis from Material Girl Laura.
Sizing
My measurements are 32-26-36 so according to the pattern I would fit a size 36 best. However I made a size 34 for both of my versions. I decided to size down as the finished garment measurements on the pattern showed a lot of room for the bust and hips and I didn’t want it to swamp me. Also I thought the shirred waist would make the waist fit forgiving, despite my waist being a couple of inches larger than the size 34 waist measurements.
For my first version, I lengthened the bodice by 1 inch as I have a long body. For my second version, I lengthened by a further ½ inch, as I have found when wearing my first version that the bodice rides up a bit. Actually I find the waist on the second version sits a little lower than I would ideally like. This surprised me as I only added a small amount of extra length. I think it may be explained by how the viscose sits more loosely than the stiffer cotton fabric and so doesn’t ride up.
I didn’t make any other alterations to the pattern except how I finished the armholes (see ‘sewing tips’ section below for more details on this).
Overall I think the fit of the Cardamome dress is fairly forgiving as the bust and hips areas are not fitted and the shirred waist gives a good amount of stretch.
Construction
There are quite a few fiddly bits in this pattern including sewing the collar and the bib as well as button placket, buttonholes and shirring. I would definitely recommend treating this pattern as a slow sew and taking your time over each step.
I always find Deer & Doe’s pattern instructions to be fairly concise but extremely clear. This was definitely the case for the Cardamome dress pattern. I found that the steps to add the collar were particularly good.
However as the pattern is for confident intermediates, I think there is a level of assumed knowledge. In particular, the pattern does not explain how to sew the shirring for the waist. I went online and researched a bit before I tried this step and I have included some of my tips below (see ‘sewing tips’ section).
I used a combination of my sewing machine and my overlocker for this pattern. My first Cardamome dress was actually one of the first projects I sewed using my overlocker. I really wanted to make sure that if I spent so much time on sewing this dress, it would be finished robustly to stand the test of time!
As I mentioned above, for my second version I used a viscose challis. Viscose challis can be slippery and delicate. I therefore used my walking foot and a fine microtex needle to ensure I got the best result with this fabric.
Sewing tips
Fabric choice – The Cardamome dress is designed for woven fabrics. Deer & Doe recommend batiste, cotton sateen or viscose. For a beginner sewer, I would recommend trying it first in a stable woven fabric like chambray, cotton poplin or cotton lawn.
Shirring tips – My top shirring tips are:
- Draw out your planned shirring lines on the fabric before you start to sew the shirring. I used a chalk pencil to draw out the lines. These lines will act as a guide when you start to sew the shirring, and avoid the shirring ending up wonky. Make sure you mark the lines on the right side of the fabric, as this is the side you will see as you sew the shirring!
- Wind the shirring elastic on the bobbin by hand. I found it optimal to wind with a small amount of tension but not too tightly or too loosely, somewhere in between.
- I used the normal tension setting of 4 and a slightly longer stitch length of 3.0 on my sewing machine for the shirring.
Finishing the armholes – For the sleeveless version of the dress (version B), which I made, the pattern recommends using bias tape to finish the armholes. This pattern has fairly narrow armholes and I could not get the bias tape to work for me. I found it would not flex enough and my armholes ended up looking bunched. To solve this issue, I drafted armhole facing pattern pieces. I then attached these in the same way as you would attach the bias tape, but I found they gave a better finish. Here is a photo of what the finished armhole looks like:
Summary
The Cardamome dress pattern is another great pattern by Deer & Doe with some very pretty details. It is a more intricate pattern and I would recommend it for confident sewists who would like a challenge. I can see myself making another version at some point, possibly trying the sleeved version, when I’m in the mood for a more complex project.
I also talk a bit more about my cardamome dresses in my YouTube vlog.