There are brands we love... and Deer and Doe is one of them. I had even put making a Cardamome dress on my 2020 resolutions wish list; now it's done!

So here are my Cardamome dresses, which are shirt dresses with a smocked waist. I like the classy little look they give with their pretty small collar and subtle details. Indeed, to personalize it, I like to add piping at the pockets and at the front neckline and back yoke.

This dress is offered in 2 versions by Deer and Doe:
- sleeveless
- with 3/4 sleeves

For my part, I prefer to make this dress for the summer season, so I sew it sleeveless. I simply add a pretty visible lurex bias to match my lurex neckline piping.

I made 3 versions each time in Japanese fabrics from Tokyo: 2 sleeveless dresses and one with 3/4 sleeves.

The Cardamome dress is available from size 34 to 46 as a printed pattern and from 34 to 52 as a PDF pattern at the respective prices of 14 and 11 euros on the brand's website. 

For sizes, the dress can be sewn for measurements of:
- bust circumference from 80 to 123.5cm
- waist circumference from 60 to 96cm
- hip circumference from 86 to 148.5cm.

For the supplies, you will need for the version:
- with sleeves: 2.60-2.70m in 140cm width or between 3.1 and 3.4m depending on your size in 110cm width
- sleeveless: 2.30m of 140cm wide fabric or between 2.70 and 2.90m depending on your size in 110cm wide fabric.

Not to mention a bit of interfacing for the collars, button placket, and cuffs; buttons and elastic thread.

Deer and Doe rates the pattern as 4/5 because it combines several difficulties.

I do think you need some sewing experience to make this dress.

If you are a complete beginner, it’s better to start with a simpler dress; on the other hand, if you are more experienced, you will really enjoy making this model.

If we sum up the technical points, you will need to complete the following technical steps:
- making the button placket
- assembling front and back yokes with concave-convex curves
- attaching neckline
- attaching collar with collar stand
- smocking
- making hems
- making buttonholes

To add for the version with sleeves:
- attaching sleeves
- making slits
- making sleeve cuffs
- making buttonholes.

Elastic band

slit and sleeve cuff

To make the smocking, I use elastic bands that allow you to quickly create smocking.

Simply place the elastic band on the wrong side of your fabric and sew it with a zigzag stitch so as to keep the elastic side of the band.
For my part, I include 1 or 2 elastic threads in a zigzag stitch, depending on the desired effect (large or small zigzag), and I run a row of elastic threads between 2 rows of zigzag stitches.

For my latest version, the green dress, I didn’t make buttonholes or place buttons at the collar because I always wear it with the collar open.
I wonder if I might make a fourth one ;-)