Skip to main content

Pretty Peplum Top Sew Along: Selecting Fabric


Are you ready to begin? I'm really excited about the Pretty Peplum Top Sew Along and seeing what questions you have and how your tops turn out in the end! We will be covering each step in this sew along as well as modifications, tips and other ideas for this peplum top from Pamela's Patterns. Pamela will also be on hand to answer your fit questions!

So let's get started. Some of you may already have this step taken care of, but there may be some of you that need some guidance. This pattern calls for a good quality knit fabric. Pamela also gives a tip for making sure the fabric snaps back into place. This means it has to have stretch. When someone says "stretch" knit what does that mean? Mostly all knits stretch, but do they recover back to their original state? If they do, then they have spandex, lycra or elastine. (Lycra is a product and trademark by Dupont Company.) There is no technical difference between spandex, lycra or elastine. If you want to learn more about that, here is a good article about that

Here's an example of a knit without spandex/lycra:




Notice that I always have the left side lined up with 19" mark. As you can see with this particular fabric, the fabric was stretched and left go. It "grew" about an inch and did not recover. These fabrics usually will come back to position after being washed. 


Here's an example of a knit with spandex or lycra: 




Here you can see that the fabric was stretched but that the before and after photos measure the same. That means this fabric would be suitable for this pattern because it has good stretch recovery and will not grow as much as a 100% cotton/poly/rayon/etc. knit. 

I would recommend any light or medium weight knit for this pattern. I would not go much heavier than a ponte knit with some drape, because something that does not drape well will not create a nice, smoothing peplum. A stiff knit will create a peplum that stands out more like a tutu! 

I used a few different kinds of knits for the various peplum tops I created. I used an ITY knit, a jacquard double knit and a ponte knit.

An ITY knit is a lightweight jersey-like knit that is good for tops, skirts and dresses. I use ITY knit all the time and it comes in a lot of pretty prints and solids. I always think the photos showing the twist really help me visualize what the fabric would feel like. LIghtweight knits usually have small folds and that is evident in this photo. See all ITY knits we carry HERE.


A ponte knit, jacquard double knit or any other double knit with stretch would also be good. This type of knit is a light-medium weight so it will have a little more body than any ITY or jersey knit. Again, look at the folds. If they are big folds, this may be too stiff for this pattern. See all Ponte knits HERE.


The white fabric is a stiffer ponte than the tan fabric. You can tell this because of the flowiness of the folds in the tan versus the white. The white folds are much more structured. Of course if you want a structured peplum top, this could work for you!

Other knits that could be used are: rayon or cotton jersey knits, cotton interlock. I would not recommend a really lightweight or sheer jersey knit because they usually do not have a nice stretch and recovery factor. While I'm not sure I would make this pattern from a lace or mesh, it probably could be done! But I would recommend finding a lace or mesh with ample stretch. See our entire knit collection HERE 

So now go pick 2 1/4 yards of your choice fabric and get it washed! I ALWAYS pre-wash my fabric before cutting. I actually wash the fabric before it even makes it to my sewing room, so I always know that any fabric in my sewing room can be used. No guesswork! Then I'll see you next Friday with our first step...cutting out the pattern! 

Comments

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: Did someone say FREE??? All about Free Sewing Patterns

Hi sewing friends! I am SEW excited to share this blog post with you today! This is my fifth post with Fabric Mart since I did a guest post late last year and then joined the blogging team in 2024 but I would say this is the post that 1) I worked the hardest to create, and 2) the one that has me the most excited! Today I am going to talk about FREE sewing patterns, showcase a few free patterns I’ve sewn, and then share some very exciting news at the end of this post about an upcoming! First, let’s talk about free patterns – where they come from, why they exist, and how you can find them. But first, here’s a recent free pattern I sewed. This is the Finn Crop Tee from Petite Stitchery . I used an ITY (Interlock Twist Yarn) for this one and I was able to squeeze it out a yard of a fabric. ITY is one of my favorite fabrics to dress up a t-shirt and it wears well across all seasons. And Fabric Mart gets the most AMAZING designer deadstock designs you will ever see! Petite Stitchery offers...

Made By A Fabricista: Fall is here!

Fall is here, and I have been in a coat/cape mood lately! I have a few that I plan to make, however, this pattern was not in the plans. It was in my stash, but it wasn’t on my “must make” list. I wanted to make a coordinating set but I thought it might be a little too much with this print. Now, I absolutely love animal prints, don’t get me wrong. I am a sucker for them! When I saw this jacquard double knit I had to have it. Instead, I decided to make an easy, comfortable cape that I can wear casually or dressed up. This pattern and fabric were perfect! The pattern I chose to make is McCall’s 8029. This cape has three designs that you can choose from. I chose to make view C. View C has a hood. All three views have a neck and front facing and a belt/tie. Now, if you are wanting to make a cape but would like something on the easy side, this is your cape! I didn’t realize just how easy this was prior to getting started. This cape has minimal sewing. It doesn’t even require a hem. Which, w...

Made by a Fabricista: Structure

Hi everyone!  I can’t believe the year is nearly wrapping up already and this is my last post for 2024! You may have noticed but the barrel silhouette has been very much in right now from pants to sleeves.  To be honest I was a little bit hesitant about hopping on to the trend.  One I was not sure if the proportions would work for my body also I considered would this be a long lasting trend to keep incorporated in my closet?  But after a few seasons the barrel seems to stay in many variations, I think exaggerated proportions are such a thing now.  I saw this Cult Gaia x Gap denim dress collab with the barrel sleeves and wanted to remake it.  When I saw this brown distressed denim twill I knew it was perfect.  I had been debating between making cargo pants but I wanted to try to do something different and went for the dress once I saw the inspiration.   I used McCall’s pattern 8139 as my base with the following modifications.  Instead of...