You already know that the team at Cashmerette HQ can’t get enough of multi-purpose patterns, and today we have another goodie for you as this month’s Cashmerette Club pattern: the Wickham Shorts & Skirt. Or should I say: the Wickham Skort; the Wickham Skirt; the Wickham Shorts; the Wickham anti-chafe shorts… you get the idea! You can get the Wickham for as little as $9 USD when you join the Club today. 

The Wickham was the brainchild of our ever-inventive Club community, who asked for a skort pattern when we were talking about shorts styles – and then voted it top in our shorts poll! But when we started development, we quickly realized quite how versatile this type of pattern is, because not only can you create a skort – which is a skirt with attached shorts, if you didn’t already know – but you can also mix and match the pieces for totally different styles, coverage levels and pocket options. 

The Wickham comes in sizes 0 – 32, and it’s exclusively available to Cashmerette Club members. Not a member yet? You can join today on our monthly or yearly plan.

The Wickham makes a skort!

Skorts are typically associated with athletic outfits, like the all-white number modeled by future tennis-fashion-influencer Rachel, because they give you total coverage even if you’re bouncing up and down chasing after a ball (that’s what you do in sports, right? I’m not totally sporty, if you can guess). 

Rachel is wearing the Wickham Skort in the shorter length, and a cropped Spruce Tank. Her measurements are high bust 43” (109 cm), Full bust 48” (121 cm), Waist 38” (96 cm), Hip 50” (127 cm), and she’s 5’5”. She’s wearing a size 18 G/H Spruce Tank and size 18 Wickham with a 2” full bum adjustment. Both garments are made from Breathe Tex Athletic fabric from Discovery Fabrics.

But, if you’re anything like me, there’s a whole other reason skorts are amazing, and that’s because of the tops of my thighs are best buddies, and in the summer, can cause me a lot of irritation and downright pain if I don’t wear a layer underneath my dresses and shorts to keep them separated. Well, the Wickham is fantastic for that: you can make a chic little knit skirt, but with hidden shorts underneath for total summer comfort, and they don’t have an in-seam which reduces chafing even more. 

Carrie is wearing the Wickham Skort in the longer length, and a Grafton sleeveless top. Her measurements are high bust 34”, full bust 38” (96 cm), waist 31” (78 cm), hip 39” (99 cm) and she’s 5’4”.  She’s wearing a size 8 E/F Grafton, and a Wickham with a size 10 waist graded to a size 8 hip. Both garments are made from Breathe Tex Athletic fabric from Discovery Fabrics.

The Wickham makes shorts!

We also designed the Wickham to work as a standalone shorts pattern too (you’re welcome!). It’s got two lengths, an elasticated waist, a gorgeous curved gusset with no in-seam and optional pockets for stashing snacks/your phone. Depending on the fabric you use, you could make: 

• Anti-chafe chub-rub shorts perfect for those hot days
• Cycling shorts for your athletic pursuits, with handy side pockets
• “Fashion” cycling shorts… that’s a thing. Honestly. Google it! It’s a thing. 

Rachel is wearing the Wickham Shorts in the longer length, and a ready-to-wear top. Her measurements are high bust 43” (109 cm), Full bust 48” (121 cm), Waist 38” (96 cm), Hip 50” (127 cm), and she’s 5’5”. She’s wearing a size 18 Wickham with a 2” full bum adjustment. The Wickham is made with Breathe Tex Athletic fabric from Discovery Fabrics.

The Wickham makes skirts!

And finally, yes, you can make the knit skirt without adding the shorts underneath. It’s flippy, it’s cute, it’s got a comfy yoke, it comes in two lengths – what more could you want? 

Let’s talk sewing & fabric

The Wickham is a totally beginner-friendly pattern, and a great one for starting to sew with knits. Once you’ve figured out how to use the zig-zag stitch on your machine, you’ll be well underway, and to help you even more, we have a fantastic video sewalong from Mari of Sew Happy. You don’t need a serger (although you can use one) – all our instructions assume you’re using a regular sewing machine. 

When it comes to fabrics, it really depends on what look you’re going for

• If you want an athletic vibe, try fabric like athletic spandex, or lightweight scuba
• If you want a more casual look that doesn’t read as “I’m off to the tennis club”, I recommend lightweight ponte or a beefy jersey
• Going for anti-chafe shorts? More lightweight knit fabric is a great option, like double brushed poly or other brushed knit fabric.  

The key thing is that it needs to be a knit fabric, with 4 way stretch, which means it stretches both across and along the grain (if it doesn’t your crotch will… not be happy). The fabric should stretch at least 30% across the grain, and 10% along the grain – more is okay, but less won’t work. 

Get a discount on amazing fabrics from Discovery Fabrics

Wondering where you can get suitable fabrics? We’ve got you covered. We partnered with Discovery Fabrics, who not only provided the gorgeous fabrics for our samples, but also are offering 10% off orders over $50 during June – check out the Club Dashboard for details. 

For our samples we used the Breathe Tex Athletic, and we can definitely recommend it, plus it comes in tons of fab colours. 

Build a whole sporty wardrobe for 30% off

If you get the sportswear bug when you make your Wickham, we can keep you on a roll – this month, Cashmerette Club members get 30% off our other sporty patterns: the Belmont Leggings & Yoga Pants, the Cedar Dolman Top, the Spruce Tank and the Shawmut Yoga bag – and you can even use it on our Activewear bundle. Stock up using your discount at Discovery Fabrics and you could have a whole mix and match sportswear ensemble, darling. 

Performance meets style with the Cashmerette Belmont Leggings & Yoga Pants! Whether you want simple leggings to pair with tunics or dresses, or athletic wear for hitting the gym we’ve got you, and your curves, covered.

The Cashmerette Cedar Dolman Top is the ultimate quick sew, instant gratification project for curves! The Cedar is a casual dolman sleeve top, with cup sizes from C–H, so you can get a fantastic fit for big boobs, no adjustments required.

Step up your game with the Spruce Tank! The Spruce is a sleek workout tank, featuring princess seams, a v-neck or crew neck, and an easy fold-over elastic finish.

Head to the yoga studio with your new me-made Shawmut Yoga bag! Mix it up with contrast fabrics, add a fun button and stand out from the spandex crowd.

Fabric requirements for the Wickham

Finished garment measurements for the Wickham

What else is new this month in Cashmerette Club?

This month’s Club fitting masterclass is all about alternatives to traditional grading between sizes. Are you a different size at the bust, waist and hip? Join the club! 80% of people are, according to our research. The common solution is to do what’s known as “grading between sizes”, but it tends to get a bit wonky after about a 3 size jump, plus, sometimes there are more sophisticated solutions. This month I’m taking you through the alternatives – I think you’ll love it! Club masterclasses are exclusively for Plus and All Access members – but if you’re a Base member you can upgrade at any time!

The live event is on June 25th at 3pm EST, and it’s all about sewing activewear with special guest Melissa Fehr, of Fehr Trade! If you don’t already know her, Melissa is a legend in the indie pattern world, as the expert in all things activewear. Not only does she have an amazing collection of patterns at Fehr Trade, but she’s also the author of the book “Activewear Sewing for Beginners” which is a treasure trove of info. We’ll be talking about all her tips and tricks and answering your questions! Head to the Club Dashboard to register to attend – and don’t worry if you can’t make it live, all the live events are recorded and available to watch later.

Let’s get going!

I can’t wait to see what you dream up with the Wickham – there’s just so much potential! And if you’re not already a Club member, there’s never been a better time to sign up.

(Joining after June 2024? You’ll need to sign up at the yearly All Access level to get the Wickham Shorts & Skirt)