Cashmerette Ellington Dress

American sewists – how y’all doing?  You hanging in there?  I’m still here – hanging onto sanity with frayed embroidery thread.  Yesterday, after what seemed like months of waiting, one of my new online fabric suppliers restarted shipping to the US.  I went to check it out and was immediately crestfallen.  My $114 worth of fabric quickly turned into $225 worth of fabric due to shipping and tariffs.  And the worst part is that I can’t even blame the business – they are trying their best to stay on top of the ever-changing requirements this administration pulls out of its butt.  And these are just my first world problems.  Don’t even get me started on the assholes trying to cut healthcare during flu season and literally stopping the poor from buying food during the holidays. RAGE!!!!

But you didn’t come here for angry rants of a woman disgusted by her country (although shout-out to the 92%). You came here for sewing content and that’s what you’re gonna get!  

So, I’ve been bountifully blessed boobwise since I was 15.  I literally went from an A cup straight to a C cup in a matter of weeks.  Because of this, anything strapless has been a no-go.  My G cup girls need more support than bandeau bras can handle and most commercially available strapless bras pull and poke so fiercely that they cause painful bruising.  I fully gave up on strapless dresses until Cashmerette released the Symmes Strapless bra. I absolutely love it and although this isn’t a review of the pattern, I just want to say that if you have large boobs and are struggling to find a comfortable, supportive strapless bra, try the Symmes.  I haven’t sewn it (again – this isn’t a pattern review), but I was a tester for the finished product and my heavy boobs love it.  As an easter egg, see if you can spot my boobs in the blog of the newly-designed Cashmerette website.

With my Symmes in hand, I was fully prepared to make Cashmerette’s newest pattern release – the Ellington Dress.  The Ellington Dress is a showstopping strapless dress featuring a boned bodice, three strap options, and the ability to mix and match pieces with the Upton Dress & Skirt, Gilmore Skirt, and Mansfield Dress.  I made my dress from matte satin (or Peau de Soie if you’re fancy) that I purchased from Fabric Wholesale Direct.  I ordered my lining from the same company, but I would caution that there is a fair amount of twisting and flipping the garment inside and out, so try to purchase a lining that has minimal fraying.  I completed my dress in a weekend and I love it!  I’ve jokingly said that this is the dress that I’m gonna wear to my Thailand citizenship ceremony.

The top of the bodice is slightly too big (did I mention my heavy boobs?) but that’s an easy fix for next time.  Yes, you heard me right – next time.  I really want to make this dress out of a more casual fabric, like a waxprint.  I also want to play with the bodice shape and try out different silhouettes by mixing with other Cashmerette patterns.  Who knows?  Maybe by this time next year, I’ll have a whole collection of strapless makes!  I never would’ve guessed it.