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Cashmerette Montrose: Picnic Edition

Montrose Picnic top

I’m amassing a collection of hacked Cashmerette Montrose Tops for workwear since I can now easily cut-out and sew one of these in about half a day. I’ve added neckline facings, which cuts down enormously on the time (I find bias binding to be a huge bummer).

This Cotton Herringbone from The Fabric Store was bought specifically because I hoped it would go well with my orange wool pants from Alice Alexander Co, which are proving to be hard to match with my wardrobe of muted colours.

Montrose Picnic sketch

Since I’ve done more imaginary sewing than actual sewing lately, I sketched out what I hoped I might be able to do with this picnic-table-esque cotton using my croquis from My Body Model App. Since I bought the fabric online I wasn’t 100% sure it would go well with the pants in real life but fortunately the colours worked fine together.

Montrose Picnic hand stitching

Having an inner facing has given me the perfect space to attach my Kylie & The Machine labels, and you can see that my handstitching isn’t getting tidier, but you’ll have to take me word for it that I’m getting a good rhythm going!

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Amarante double gauze Montrose

Double Gauze Montrose 2

This gorgeous double gauze, ‘Stardust Amarante’, came from Miss Maude in New Zealand’s North Island and its usage in combination with the Montrose is entirely inspired by/plagiarised from Plum Kitchen who made this exact top in the mustard colourway (she actually has tonnes of inspiring Montrose tops (and other clothes), you should definitely check out her blog).

Double Gauze Montrose 1

I actually sewed this top up before I sewed up the cloud rayon A-line Montrose Hack, so this top has the lengthened arms (but not as lengthened as the rayon version) and front and back facings, but doesn’t have the extra width through the hips.

Double Gauze Montrose Label

I also took the opportunity to use this cute pink ‘Sewing is sexy‘ label from Kylie and the Machine, since red & pink is a great match!

Size Details: I use the C/D cup bodice in a size 20, grading out to size 22 at the hips. I’m also using the Full Bicep sleeve, with extended length.

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Cloudy weather Cashmerette Montrose hack

Cloud Montrose 3

The latest Cashmerette Montrose in a wardrobe that already has a decent amount of Cashmerette Montrose tops: I’ve lengthened the sleeves, made the body more ‘A-line’, drafted facings for the front and back necklines and tested it all out in this cloud-print rayon from Drapers Fabrics.

Cloud Montrose

I used the Cashmerette Harrison sleeve as a template to increase the length of my Montrose to bracelet length. Because I usually cover my tattoos at work (depending on who I’ll be seeing), it’s nice to have the option of not wearing a sweater because my top is long enough!

Montrose Facings

The facing of the Peppermint Ruffle Sleeve Top ensured a tidy finish to the neckline (I’ve made this version and this version). I’ve found the facing is quicker to apply than bias binding as well as being neater and since it gets attached to the arm holes, the facing shouldn’t up and out of the neck hole!

Montrose Facings 2

Following Emily from In The Folds’ instructions on how to draft an all-in-facing, these facings were a cinch. I’ve always hated finishing my Montrose necklines with bias binding. It’s one of my least favourite activities and strikes me as being a bit of a ‘cop out’ finishing.

Montrose Cashmerette Clouds

Size details: In addition to lengthening the sleeves I redrew the sideseams so that they were straight but angled out (like an A-line dress). I use the C/D cup bodice in a size 20, grading out to size 22 at the hips, but my redrawn sideseams added some width at the hip. I’m also using the Full Bicep sleeve, with extended length.

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A woolly Cashmerette Montrose Top

Cashmerette Montrose Top Hacked Wool

Ever since I saw this glorious sweater/top from Alice Alexander Co (a company I’m just a touch obsessed with) I’ve been a little bit obsessed with the idea of a non-stretch woolen top/sweater. I’ve pinned a lot of inspiration to my ‘boiled wool sweater’ pinterest board and taken numerous inspirational screenshots.

Boiled Wool Sweater Montrose Top

I consulted the instagram hive mind a few days ago and was flooded with recommendations and folks sending me pictures of their own non-stretch wool sweaters and was totally inspired to jump into action!

I made this sweater from my Cashmerette Montrose Top pattern and hacked the pattern quite a bit but totally unprofessionally to get to this long-sleeve box!

Cashmerette Montrose Boiled Wool Sweater

I didn’t want to buy a new pattern and I wanted something I already knew fit, and since I’m obsessed with the Montrose Full Bicep sleeve,
I very haphazardly used the top half of that and joined it on to the bottom half of the Harrison Shirt Sleeve (sans cuff piece). The sleeve is in two parts- mostly because I think it looks cool and also for pattern tetris and cutting ease.

Boiled Wool Sweater Montrose

Size details: I sewed the C/D cup bodice in a size 20, and since I knew I wanted a very boxy look and split side seams, I cut straight down from the underarm seam on both the front and back bodice pieces. When sewing up the top, I sewed only a seam rippers length down from the underarm seam (very scientific).

Boiled Wool Sweater


Since I cut the top part of the front bodice in two pieces, I decided to add some decorative top stitching along the seams there, and also on the arm seams. I left the bottom hem unfinished, but I think I’ll go back and add some similar top stitching to a largeish hem down there too!
I did a bit of a messy job with my bias binding neckline, I thought that this ‘Perfectly Imperfect’ label from Kylie and the Machine was an excellent match!

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Toile of Harrison Shirt from Cashmerette

Cashmerette Harrison Shirt

I started this Cashmerette Harrison Shirt, my first shirt, with the intention of making a ‘wearable toile’ but have settled for a toile that included plenty of ‘firsts’ for me!


Usually when making Cashmerette Patterns, I’m able to pick my cup size, select my bust measurement and then grade out a size or two where the curve starts for the hips on the pattern pieces. But since the Harrison has double princess seams, I only graded out on the outside seam of the outer pieces of the back and the front, and it just wasn’t enough extra fabric to encourage my shirt over my hips.

Size details: I made a size 20 in the bust and graded out to a 22 on the two side pieces of the back and front. This didn’t give me enough additional fabric, and next time I’d grade out to a 24. I also used the very handy Full Bicep Sleeve piece for a great fit in the arms! My current measurements are 47″B 43″W 56″H