Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Sewing Silks with Ann



Silk charmeuse.  Aahhhh.  Just the thought of it brings me bliss.  Is there anything as light as a feather, shimmery as a star, and fluid as a mountain stream?  All wrapped up in one glorious fabric. Sometimes I look at the prices of clothes in the stores, and wonder "Why am I sewing?” But one touch of silk charmeuse and I remember. This is the stuff that you can't buy a top made from silk for less than $200, but you can make it for $50 or less.


When I saw this stylized animal print silk charmeuse at Fabric Mart, I grabbed up 3 yards of it right away. One of silk charmeuse's best qualities is its drapability, and I'd been looking for a fabric with fabulous drape to make a crossover draped front blouse pattern from Style Arc- the Dotty Blouse.


Dotty is really designed for a fabric that looks the same on both sides, as the pattern piece for the front is just one piece that flips at the hem.  Since my fabric is different on the reverse, I decided to split the pattern piece into two at the hem level, add a seam allowance, and sew them together.  Now, when it folds back on itself, you'll see the right side of the fabric. 



Cutting silk charmeuse can be tricky.  Here is my go to method:


1.  Lay a layer of tissue paper underneath the fabric, and pin the fabric to the edges.  (Save all that tissue from your gift bags!)

2.  Use fabric weights that have pins at the bottom of them to hold the pattern in place.   These are by Olfa. I don't think they make them anymore, but if you ever see them at a garage sale or eBay, snap them up, as they work remarkably well!

3.  Change the rotary cutter blade to a brand new super sharp one. Silk fibers are very strong, and if your blade is not 100% sharp, you'll end up with uncut fibers.   

4.  Cut firmly through all layers. And voila! You have a beautiful cut edge.


Hemming slippery silks can be a bit of a challenge.  I hemmed the back bottom edge using a technique called the Baby Hem.  It's my favorite way to hem delicate and slippery fabrics.  





Since Dotty is so loose fitting, I needed something form-fitting on the bottom.  I found this soft black and tan stretch denim at Fabric Mart to go with Burda 6879- a skinny pant with pockets and a back yoke.   



The faux fur vest is made from Burda Style pattern magazine issue 11/2012, #103.  The vest is lined, and really quite warm. I bought the dusty pink faux fur from Fabric Mart a couple of years ago. It's super soft and fun to wear. I love combining it with the silk draped blouse for a contrast in textures. 

If you’ve been tempted by the silk sales at Fabric Mart, give some of these techniques a try, and you’ll find that sewing with silk is very rewarding. 

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!  Stay warm, have fun, and have a wonderful New Year!

-Ann





Comments

  1. Gorgeous outfit. I love every bit of it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ann, this is lovely! Well done and thanks for the tips on sewing silky fabrics!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing Summery ITY

Hi sewing friends! I’m dropping in to share a few makes sewn with ITY fabrics and inspire you to try out this slinky, cool-to-the-touch fabric for hot weather if you haven’t yet, or to recommend some patterns that work fabulously if you already love it. This is by far my favorite knit to wear in summer. Since it moves easily there’s lots of airflow, and it just skims the body. More often than not, it has a four-way stretch that doesn’t grow when worn, so it works great for loads of styles.  ITY stands for Interlock Twist Yarn and the knit gives it some wonderful drape and stretch. There are lots of different weights and even some differing textures. Because it’s so fluid, the fabric really resists most wrinkling. I’ve sewn three different weights and prints here to show off just what ITY can do!  This white floral is a lighter weight and features a slightly crepe-textured finish, and I think that combined with the large and spread-out floral makes it quite elegant and eye-cat...

Made By A Fabricista: I Sewed a Chic Matching Set with Fabric Mart Knit Fabric

There’s nothing I love more than sewing a project that is both stylish and comfortable—and this one checks all the boxes! For this make, I paired two Pattern Emporium designs with a gorgeous designer knit fabric from Fabric Mart, and the result is a matching tank and wide-leg pant set that’s as easy to wear as it is to sew.   The Fabric Fabric Mart always has hidden gems, and this designer knit caught my eye right away.  It’s the Urban Taupe/Gold/Black Polyester/Lycra MK Chain Print ITY Knit - NY Designer - 56W.  The weight, stretch, and drape made it perfect for both a fitted top and a flowy pant. It’s soft against the skin, has great recovery, and presses beautifully. When working with knits, having a fabric that behaves well makes all the difference. The Patterns To build my set, I chose two favorites from Pattern Emporium: • The Works Tank Top – Simple, classic, and versatile. It skims the body just right and works beautifully as a layering piece or on its ow...

Made By A Fabricista: From Paris with Love!

Bonjour! I am still in bliss from my recent trip to Paris!!  It was much more than I expected and I absolutely fell in love with the city. I can honestly see myself living there one day. I knew before leaving I wanted to make something to fit into the Parisian landscape because I knew it would be a special opportunity. I was inspired by one of my favorite fashion creators Juliette Foxx. Her checked gingham corset and wide leg pants were on my list to remake. For fabric I used this red and white pin stripe denim twill and deep red sateen for the pants.  The pattern I used for the corset was McCall’s #M8182 with a few modifications.  The fit was a little large so I took it in along the sides and shoulder seam.  I then lowered the neckline since the shoulders were taken in. I used the sateen as my lining which gave a great contrast.  My pants are my unreleased pattern which happens to be exact from the inspiration.  I drafted these last year and have been wo...