Skip to main content

Fabricista Guest Post: Rayon Challis and Wrap Dresses are Two of my Favorite Things to Sew!

Hello sewing friends! I am so excited to be a guest Fabricista for Fabric Mart today. I participated in the #fmwrapdresssewalong Instagram challenge Fabric Mart had in May 2023 and was randomly selected as a winner.  The sew along with Julie was so much fun that I inquired about being a Fabricista. My name is Patricia, I am a nurse, I just became a doctor last year, been married for 24 years and a mother of two! I have been sewing since I was a child. My Instagram is @Hoppaheedahoe

I selected a colorful animal print rayon challis voile to make the Cashmerette Roseclair dress, view A with long, flowy tiers. Wrap dresses can be a challenge to fit so I was happy to see that Cashmerette offers a fit calculator on their website to aid in selecting a size.  I entered my measurements and made the size they recommended without any further modifications. I also compared the bodice pieces to other wrap dress patterns that I know fit me well. They matched up, so I went with Cashmerette’s suggested size. I am really pleased with the result! Plus, I added pockets!

Rayon Challis is my favorite fabric, but it is slippery to cut. The Roseclair dress bodice, sleeves and ties are cut from one layer of fabric and the tiers are cut on the fold. I made sure to use pattern weights, pins, a cutting mat, a rotary cutter and a ruler to make sure my pieces were cut on grain and precisely. I took my time and labeled each piece on the back with tape so the tiers didn’t get mixed up. 

To keep the tiers cut straight, pins, a ruler and cutting mat made sure the fabric didn’t shift between cutting out each tier. 

I made these pattern weights from rocks, scrap fabric and Mod-podge. They work great and are a fun way to use up your scraps. (I love a good scrap fabric project!)


How do you choose a thread color? This fabric is so colorful with dark and light colors that I chose pink to make it a little more fun. I like to use thread as a design aspect and the colorful palate of this fabric was a great opportunity to select a color that would stand out. 

My favorite part of the Roseclair dress are the sleeves! The gathers, the ¾ length and the cuff at the end are beautiful and stylish. 


The pattern directions were clear and easy to follow. There are so many tiers that I was happy that I labeled each one. Gathering and biased binding is used a lot in this pattern, but these are two of my favorite techniques, so it was a fun sew. 

I love my Roseclair Dress in this buttery soft rayon challis voile fabric. I am already planning another in view B!


Thank you again to Fabric Mart for allowing me to be a guest Fabricista today!

Thank you for reading my guest post. Please leave a message and tell me: Do you also love to sew Rayon Challis and Wrap Dresses? What are your Favorite Things to Sew?

Happy Sewing,

Patricia  |  @Hoppaheedahoe


Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: CHALLIS.
You can shop our selection of Cashmerette patterns HERE.

Comments

  1. PATRICA , YOU DID A GREAT JOB ILOVE YOUR DRESS I LIKE FABRIC TOO

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a beautiful dress, Patricia! Challis intimidates me...😖 Love your pattern weights - great idea wrapping rocks in fabric. Congrats to you on becoming a doctor!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Take your time, it will be worth it in the end. Cut precise and sew slow. You can do it! Thank you!

      Delete
  3. I love your instagram handle, but then I know where it came from!!! Love the dress and your excitement to share your project. Love, Jo

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rocks!! Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Congratulations on becoming a doctor. Your dress is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great job with the fitting. Lovely dress. Congrats on your becoming a doctor.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cashmerette’s website was helpful in picking a size, highly recommended!

      Delete

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: Why I Love Sewing Woven Fabrics Over Knits

Sewing is a creative hobby that allows me to express my unique style while adding a personal touch to my wardrobe. When it comes to choosing between wovens and knits I will mostly always choose woven. There are a lot of reasons I choose wovens as my go-to choice. The project I chose for this Fabric Mart make is from Friday Pattern Company’s Patina Blouse .  I used a gorgeous lightweight rayon .  It’s delicate hand is the perfect blouse weight and it drapes beautifully with this pattern. In this blog post, l'll explore the advantages of sewing woven blouses over knit shirts, highlighting the creativity, versatility, and satisfaction that come with this choice.  The Joy of Creativity Sewing a woven blouse offers a chance for my creativity to flourish. Woven fabrics come in a wide array of colors, patterns, and textures, allowing me to unleash my artistic potential. With knits, the stretch and drape of the fabric often limit my design options. In contrast, woven fabrics give me the fr

Fabricista Guest Post: Perfectly Imperfect

Hey Sewing Friends!! I’m super excited to be a guest Fabricista. I’ve been a fan of Fabric Mart since I began sewing again in 2020. Let me begin with an introduction. I’m Eras, and my Instagram account is sewing_andmore. During the day, I work as a Nurse Practitioner, and I  first learned to sew in my local 4-H club when I was in middle school.  At that time, I had an amazing sewing instructor, Mrs. McKinney, who was extremely patient and was by my side for every step. However, in 2020, the stress of being a Nurse Practitioner during the pandemic made me turn to sewing for my mental health. I started out sewing and creating masks, and I immediately saw a change in my mood. I’m so glad I dusted off my old sewing machine, and I haven’t stopped! After seeing the rush of adrenaline and satisfaction sewing provided, I started making clothes. When I no longer needed fat-quarters, I started looking for online fabric stores. It was during this time that I discovered Fabric Mart and their great

Made By A Fabricista: Skipping Winter - Tailored Outfits in Twill & Shirting for Spring

Hi Fabric Mart fans! I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving! This month, while perusing the Fabric Mart collection, I was drawn to cotton twill fabrics. My son, who's growing like a weed, is always in need of new pants! I could easily have made him multiple pairs of pants, however I was also drawn to a bright blue stretch twill for me. I just can't resist a bold color on a jacket, and this blue was calling my name! I hope you love these outfits as much as I do! Since I planned to make pants for my son, I knew I'd need to make a button-down shirt as well. Fabric Mart had a range of fabulous cotton shirtings and it was hard to land on just one, but I eventually picked this royal blue gingham which pairs perfectly with the tan twill pants. When it comes to woven patterns for boys, I can never go past Oliver+S. I've made their dress shirts so many times now - the finishes are always lovely, and always so worth the time and effort. I used the Buttoned-Up Button-Down Shi