Cashmerette Holyoke Dress Pattern: Twirl and Review - Sewing |Pattern Review, Tips and Tricks

I recently made the Cashmerette Holyoake dress and thought you may like to hear my tips and tricks that I found when sewing this pattern for the first time.
This great sundress comes in a range of cup sizes so you can find your perfect fit. Whilst it's not got any fastenings, it's just an over-the-head design, it's not quite as straightforward a sew as you might think, therefore I would say this is a confident beginner project.
You can buy your pattern from www.cashmerette.com and follow their UA-cam here ‪@Cashmerette‬
I bought the Holyoke pattern and the fabric I used myself and all opinions are my own.
I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.
Happy stitching!
Claire x
www.ko-fi.com/claireengland

[@dorothyfielding8209]

You look lovely in this. Great job.

[@ClaireEngland1]

Thank you very much Dorothy 🥰 Happy stitching 😘

[@Kakkydidit]

Thank you! This is an instructive video. I've had very similar RTW dresses and loved wearing them. Now I know I could have one again made for me.

[@ClaireEngland1]

Hi, I’m so pleased you found the video helpful, there’s a few videos like this in my channel so make sure you see those too. Thank you for watching and happy stitching 🥰

[@annegrailey7045]

Beautiful dress Claire and video , the dress looks very easy to wear , A.a

[@ClaireEngland1]

Hi! Thank you, it is really comfy to wear. Thank you for your kind words, love you! xx

[@tracyoconnor8045]

Thanks so much Claire for such a detailed review. I have the pattern on my to make list and will certainly give it a try now based on the tips you have given. I would love to see the method for the pockets and will look forward to seeing that whenever you get a chance to film. Never heard of "dart be gone" so will certainly be looking into that tip also. X

[@ClaireEngland1]

Hi Tracy, thank you for watching and for your kind words. I think the sewalong will be in the Spring ready for next summer as I have a fabric already to make it with. I'm pleased you are interested in the pocket suggestion and I will include that for sure. I hope you enjoy making your dress too. Happy stitching! 🥰

[@ZeldaSews]

You look so pretty twirling in your dress! I think any dress you make on a first attempt. Is it learning curve because for me? It definitely is! I have made 2 Cashmerette Rivermont dresses.

[@ClaireEngland1]

Hi Zelda, thank you very much for your kind words on my limited modelling skills 🥰 I really think it helps to see the way the dress moves when it's worn and so I'll keep adding the short twirls to my videos to try and inspire others to give the pattern a go. I agree, the next one will hopefully be a little more polished, inside and out. I've seen your Rivermont's and they are lovely and look just as comfy as mine. I'll be using the pocket pattern from the Rivermont as a quide to adding pockets to this dress for the sewalong I plan for next Spring, as I'm not a fan of in-seam pockets as they add too much bulk to my hips and I don't like the look. I'll be looking out for your Friday Sews later. Happy stitching! 🥰

[@djsiminoff]

You’ve convinced me to give the Holyoke another go. My first one I made too many alterations and really changed the design lines and didn’t end up liking it. Hopefully I can find a fabric as beautiful as yours! Did you also take a sliver off your facing as you did the princess seam? Or compare it to the bodice after lowering apex? If not might explain the wonkiness. Also love the dress you’re wearing, are the sleeves part of the upton expansion?

[@ClaireEngland1]

Hi, thank you for watching and I'm pleased that you're going to give the Holyoke another chance. I think getting the fit to our satisfaction is one of the hardest parts of sewing for ourselves and certainly it's taken me a while to understand what I need to do to fit for my body and curves. On this one I didn't take a sliver off the facing, but it still wasn't quite long enough for me, or I didn't fold over sufficient width on the plackets, which resulted in the flapping facing that is shown in the video. Your point about comparing the facing to the altered bodice is a good one and I wish we had talked sooner! I'll try that for next time. I do think making the same garment multiple times does help us perfect it over time. Yes, the green dress is the Upton with princess seams and the tie sleeves that come as part of the expansion pack. I know it's expensive but well worth the investment as I now have at least five all with different design features! Good luck with making your dress and happy stitching! 🥰

[@BeautyLit]

What is the lovely dress your wearing here?

[@ClaireEngland1]

Hi Beauty, thank you for watching. I’m wearing the ‘Cashmerette Holyoke dress’ in a floaty 100% Viscose fabric. I can’t post links in the responses but if you ask in Google for the words in the quote marks the pattern link should come up for you. Happy stitching 🥰

[@BeautyLit]

@@ClaireEngland1 Thanks, I didnt realize bc it looked so different. Is there an expansion for those sleeves and scoop neck, or did you draft those yourself?

[@ClaireEngland1]

@@BeautyLit Ah! Sorry the dress I’m wearing is the Cashmerette Upton! Im so sorry, I didn’t look at the video again before posting. It’s a great pattern with lots of options!