Indulge your bohemian side with the Briarwood Top! Follow along with 5 makers to see how they made up their Briarwood Tops.

If you’ve shied away from boho-style tops because they don’t have enough room for big boobs, have shoulders that always slip off, or if they simply fall on your figure in an odd way, have no fear—the Briarwood Top is here!  With a bust-friendly fit for cup sizes C-H and designed for curves, comfort, and style, the Briarwood features:

• Effortlessly cool gathered bust detail
• Stylish seamed bodice with side zip for great shaping
• Versatile options: choose between a cropped or hip-length look
• On-trend full raglan sleeves and elastic wrists for a comfy yet fashionable feel
• Add a playful touch with a delightful ruffle hem
• Customize your style with an optional decorative drawstring for a bit of extra flair

For a look that can take you from a casual happy hour to a weekend festival, this  month’s Cashmerette Club pattern is the free-wheeling summery top you need.  The Briarwood comes in sizes 0-32 and cup sizes C-H is is available exclusively to Cashmerette Club members. Not a member yet? Join today for as little as $9 (cancel anytime).

The Briarwood is rated advanced beginner, and you can sew your first Briarwood with confidence thanks to our free sewalong! See for yourself in the creativity of five amazing sewists who’ve put their own spin on the Briarwood!

Tiffaney’s Briarwood Top

Tiffaney showed up with a great make that shows just how easy it is to hack the Briarwood Top into a dress! We love this gorgeous linen dress with a shortened puff sleeve. Tiffaney made a size 20, graded up to 26 in the mid-section, and omitted the zipper. She used View B and lengthened the peplum to skirt length. Those hacks, along with the precious pink fabric, come together in Tiffaney’s joyous Briarwood dress.

Her measurements are 46” high bust, 48” full bust, 48.5” waist, 56” hips, and 17” bicep (116 cm high bust, 122 full bust, 123 cm waist, 142 cm hips, 43 cm bicep).

Here’s what Tiffaney shared with us about her Briarwood:

“This top pushed me out of my comfort zone! Neckline facing with elastic, my first time. I lengthened to a dress length and created a really comfortable dress. Shortened the sleeve to make a statement, puff sleeve. I see myself making this again.”

Follow along with more of Tiffaney’s makes on Instagram at @tiffaneytmakes.

Phoebe’s Briarwood Top  

Phoebe used a viscose rayon from Spotlight for her lovely dark navy floral Briarwood Top.  After pre-washing and drying, she gave her fabric a gelatin bath to give it some temporary structure while working with it—a good idea for working with slippery fabrics! She made her Briarwood in a size 10 G/H bust, 12 waist and 14 at the hem. We love the way she modified the sleeves for a little extra flair.

Her measurements are 35” high bust, 40” full bust, 32” waist, and 45” hips (90 cm high bust, 103 full bust, 81 cm waist, 115 cm hips).

Here’s what Phoebe shared with us about her Briarwood:

“It was a very straightforward sew. The only part I found a little tricky was getting the facing to sit correctly at the front. I decided to include the zip but in retrospect it probably wasn’t necessary for me. It’s not a style of top I’ve worn before. Made up in rayon it is lovely and cool, I could see it paired with a long skirt for casual wear or trousers for the office. I made my sleeves very long but the wrist elastic means I can pull them up higher if I don’t want them dipping in things.”

Follow along with more of Phoebe’s makes on Instagram at @leafypeas.

Kathryn’s Briarwood Top  

Kathryn used a 100% cotton gingham seersucker that has been in her stash for a while. She found it in the kids’ section and was instantly drawn to the cheery colors and fun texture. It’s a bit crisp, lightweight, and floaty—perfect for the Briarwood!

Kathryn chose to hack the Briarwood into the milkmaid-style dress of her dreams by doing the following:

• Changed the shape of the upper front gathered panel to curve around the outer and center bust
• Split the upper front piece in two, added a center seam allowance, then sewed the pieces together, adding a keyhole at the top
• Instead of adding elastic above the bust, she made a casing (with a cute ruffle on top!) and added ties
• Cut off the sleeves at the lengthen/shorten line and added an elastic casing with a ruffle
• Added a skirt with two rectangles sewn together, hemmed, and gathered onto the bodice instead of the peplum

She made her Briarwood in an 18 E/F bust, 20 waist and hip.

Her measurements are 43” high bust, 47” full bust, 40” waist, and 51” hips (109 cm high bust, 119 full bust, 101 cm waist, 129 cm hips).

Here’s what Kathryn shared with us about her Briarwood:

“This was such a fun dress to make. I’ve never hacked a pattern before to this degree and it was a simultaneously exciting and daunting experience. Using the Briarwood pattern as my base was a game-changer – I knew I had a well-fitting, impeccably-drafted pattern out of the gate. This gave me the confidence to let my imagination go wild with different additions to the pattern. 

I can’t wait to make more Briarwood dress variations as the weather warms up here in California – I’m already envisioning a multi-tier, midi-length dress in double gauze. This gingham version feels like a bit of sunshine and happiness. I had a blast twirling around in my yard, taking pictures in it!”

Follow along with more of Kathryn’s makes on Instagram at @WhatKatMakes.

Sheree’s Briarwood Top  

Sheree chose a grand gingham for her size 10 C/D Briarwood top. We love the way she made this brown and white gingham work as a casual and elegant top that is perfect for spring days.

Her measurements are 34” high bust, 38” full bust, 33” waist, and 38.5” hips (86 cm high bust, 95 full bust, 83 cm waist, 97 cm hips).

Here’s what Sheree shared with us about her Briarwood:

“I really enjoyed sewing this top. At first I was apprehensive about the amount of time that it would take to make this top; given the fact that there are so many pieces, I would be installing elastic and an invisible zipper. However, the top came together pretty quickly. The instructions were clear and the details in the design of this top make it a really lovely and enjoyable sewing project. Normally, if I saw a pattern like this I would pass on it because I would assume it wouldn’t fit my bust and it wouldn’t be flattering on me. I am so glad that Cashmerette patterns designed this beautiful flirty blouse for us busty babes. This top is perfect for spring.”

Follow along with more of Sheree’s makes on Instagram at @shereethomas30.

Emma’s Briarwood Top

Emma made her Briarwood in a blue and white floral viscose dobby which can be quite challenging to work with but she certainly made it work.  She made View A in a size 4 C/D cup. We are so happy that Emma discovered how great it is to not have the shoulders slipping off! The way the shoulders fit is one of our favorite features of this top!

Her measurements are 33” high bust, 35” full bust, 28” waist, and 38” hips (84 cm high bust, 89 full bust, 71 cm waist, 96 cm hips).

Here’s what Emma shared with us about her Briarwood:

“I love peasant style blouses but don’t have many in my wardrobe so I was excited to give the Briarwood top a go. I was a little apprehensive about the peplum as typically I don’t feel that they suit me. However by slimming the width of the frill down by a small amount it made the gathers softer which worked really well. My favourite feature is the beautiful billowy sleeves with a clever elasticated cuff that is super simple to achieve. As a person with narrow shoulders I am thrilled that the elasticated neckline doesn’t slip off my shoulders in the slightest – a rare find! Very happy with this top and it will be a lovely garment for spring/summer.”

Follow along with more of Emmy’s makes on Instagram at @emmsy.sews.

Join the Club to get the Briarwood Top

Want to make your very own Briarwood Top ? Join Cashmerette Club today to get this cardigan sewing pattern plus many other patterns, fitting masterclasses, exclusive discounts, and more.