Cambie Dress Review

The Cambie Dress has been on my garment sewing wishlist since I first saw it. I love the sweetly vintage look of the fit-and-flare shape with the cap sleeves and sweetheart neckline. I had been anxious about making lined dress (I always skip the lining on my Emery Dresses) but the look of Cambie was just too enticing. With this Texas winter being warmer than usual, Cambie seemed like a good option for a Cotton + Steel Christmas Dress.

The wind wasn't being very cooperative.

I did some research on what fabric to use for the lining, and decided on using imperial batiste after reading this post. I wanted something light for the Texas weather as well as inexpensive. I found some 60" wide white imperial batiste on sale from an etsy seller for $5 per yard. 

I started off by tracing my pattern. My bust size calls for a size 6 but my waist calls for a size 8, so I blended the sizes and traced the waist darts for the size 8. I made a muslin for the bodice and sleeves, and determined the adjustments I needed to make: shorten the bodice by 7/8", and 1/2" to the side seams on both the front and back, and lengthen the waistband accordingly. The second muslin worked perfectly, so I went forward with those revisions. 

The pattern instructions initially surprised me in that they are so susinct, even with the illustrations. I like this because I habitually start skimming when there are walls of text, and that occasionally leads to mistakes. On the other hand, I've had experience making dresses so I don't need much hand-holding. A beginner would probably find the Sewholic instructions sparse and have lingering questions. For that reason, I'll say they are better suited for sewers with garment sewing experience, particularly with darts, invisible zippers, and finishing techniques. 

The lining ended up being no big deal. It came together without a hitch. The most time consuming part for me is always gathering, so that was standard. 

My finished dress fits wonderfully and is comfortable to boot. I love how the sleeves offer a natural range of movement without being sleeveless. And of course it has pockets! I'm definitely going to be making more Cambie Dresses in the future.