Made By A Fabricista: The Loring Dress

Hello friends, 

This is Byrd, your curvy sewist and I am back with my latest Fabricista make.  This is the newly released Cashmerette Loring Dress, a size-inclusive beginner-confident flowy summer dress.  The dress features a V-neck, pockets and tie that cinches in the waist.  The Loring pairs so nicely with Fabric Mart’s cornflower, magenta and pink floral cotton lawn. 

Fabric Mart’s cotton lawn is a dream for summer projects!  Its lightweight breathable nature and smooth silky drape is perfect for warm weather garments like the Loring Dress. The vibrant cornflower, magenta, and pink flowered fabric is a joy to sew and wear.  Fun fact:  Named after the flower, the color cornflower is a medium blue mixed with a little green. 

Cotton lawn is easy to cut and sew and pre-washing is always a good idea to avoid any surprise shrinkage after your garment is finished. I also recommend using a serger/overlocker for a clean interior finish.

Cashmerette describes the Loring Dress as an explosion of ruffles.  There are views include short sleeves, V-neck and sleeve ruffles and a knee length version.  Cashmerette offers a very detailed pattern booklet along with fitting tips.  

The Loring sizing runs from 0-32 with a finished garment hip measurement that extends to 80 inches. 

There are three (3) bust cup sizes to choose from - C/D, E/F and G/H. Based on my measurements, bust 42, waist 37 and hips 47, I cut a size 16 and cup size E/F.  The only slight modification I made was to slightly round out the V-neck and to raise it an inch. 

I love the exposed ruffle and used my serger to add a decorative rolled hem.  The rolled hem adds texture and a pop of color to the top of the ruffle.  I opted for a bold pink color to bring out the bright pink flowers in the dress.  Using a serger opens up a world of possibilities for various stitches that offer both functional and decorative benefits. Each type of stitch on a serger has its unique advantages, and understanding their applications can significantly enhance your sewing projects. 

Here are a few tips for sewing an exposed ruffle.  Use a disappearing ink marker to mark the location of the ruffle.  Select a straight stitch on your sewing machine and increase the stitch length to the longest setting.  Sew two parallel lines of basting stitches. Space the lines about 1/4 inch apart and do not backstitch at the beginning or end. Leave long thread tails at the start and end of the stitching lines. Gently pull the bobbin threads (the bottom threads) from both ends to gather the fabric. Slide the fabric along the thread to create gathers. Adjust the gathers evenly by spreading them along the stitching lines until the fabric is the desired width. Pin the gathered fabric to the section of fabric where it will be attached, ensuring the gathers are evenly distributed. Stitch the gathered fabric in place with a regular stitch length. Carefully remove the basting stitches after sewing the final seam.

Thank you Fabric Mart for the beautiful fabric and matching Gutermann thread.

**I’m a Cashmerette Club collaborator and I received a year of All Access membership in return for trying the pattern.

Thank you for reading!  

Until next time, happy sewing,

BYRD  | @yogabyrdsews