I’ve been digging through my patterns lately to find TNTs for knits. Over the last year I bought so many wovens that I don’t have many knit patterns in my current size! Of course, Cashmerette comes through with the knit basics, and so this Pembrooke dress was born.
I’ve made many dresses in a similar style over the years, using both the Pembrooke and the Closet Core Patterns Nettie. I think a slim pencil dress is the perfect use for Liverpool knit (aka a beefy textured polyester double knit) because it doesn’t cling, but making it sleeveless allows plenty of armpit ventilation! (Yeah, I said it.) I didn’t cut back the shoulders at all on this one, and you can see the back is very wide because it is designed to have sleeves. Do I care? Currently, no, because I’ll always wear it with a cardigan!
Like all my favourite prints, this fabric has cool and warm tones, darks and lights, and a large organic print. It matches a ton of my cardigans and coatigan/jackets, which is always a good sign! Cardigans are in heavy rotation in my closet all year long, so I wanted to feature a few favourites in this post.
If you follow me, you probably also follow Doctor T Designs, right? She has been doing an awesome series called “Sew, where are they now? looking back at many years of makes and tracking which got worn, tossed, etc. It is so inspiring to see someone focus on old garments, and such fun to see projects I remember well from her blog! I’m going to try to highlight some of my older garments as well, like I did with these cardigans and my recent Concord tee post. Coming up soon I want to write about my all time favourite leggings, the Cake Espressos, which of course I’m wearing in this post and every other dress post!
What is your favourite of the colours and lengths of cardigans here? I do occasionally venture out of this now-traditional drapey style of cardigan, but it’s just so comfy and I like the proportions with both straight dresses and pants/leggings. I’ve curious about the boxy cropped Grandpa cardigans that are popular this year (specifically because @sewbynightstudio looks so great in hers) but I’m not sure I would actually wear one. What do you think?
Crafting A Rainbow 
I think I have the exact same RTW cardigan in the exact same color…You’ve got me thinking again.
I just pulled out my serger again after a few years in the closet…
The variations in hemlines is interesting
You and Carolyn (Diary of a Sewing Fanatic) should get together on how you each decide on “Topper” hems and shapes
LikeLike
Cardigans. Mmm. Not something I really have in my wardrobe but certainly food for thought in your post. I love the colours and the variety of shapes. I have always felt somewhat frumpy in them but you have have made them look both stylish and comfortable. Maybe I’ll have a look at the Monarch cardigan that I keep seeing popping up everywhere. Or maybe I should just go with a soft waterfall type one like you manage so beautifully. Decisions decisions. PS love your hairstyle. Looks faaaaaabulous.
LikeLike
I think the burgundy one is my fav – although they’re all good!
LikeLike
What great fabric – each colour cardigan goes brilliantly – think the shape of the burgundy one is my favourite.
LikeLike
That’s fun that you have so many layering options for just one dress! Lengthwise, I think I like the burgundy one the best, but color is definitely that bright seafoam in the last picture.
LikeLike
This looks fabulous and it goes with so many of your cardigans!!! (Ok I know you said that) What a great addition to the closet.
My 17yo is living in the grandpa cardigan phase right now, it’s kind of a cocoon shape and looks great on her (but I kinda thinks everything looks great on her, so 🤷🏻♀️). I bet you could rock it just as well, though, you do so many cardigan shapes!
LikeLike
I love the print and the finished dress! It looks sooooo good! I really like it with the first two cardigans – the light teal and light purple, because I think the colors go together so well with the dress. I really like all of the different lengths though – it’s fun to be able to mix it up with various colors and styles, and it makes the dress super versatile as part of an overall wardrobe look.
Also, thanks for the shoutout! I’m glad you are enjoying the series – it’s been fun to see a lot of other people also starting to take a look back at things they’ve made.
LikeLike
Cute and the several cardigans makes it so practical! Good For You!
LikeLike