Skip to main content

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

Image
By

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. AnonymousOctober 30, 2023 at 8:37 AM

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

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousOctober 30, 2023 at 9:07 AM

    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. PatriciaNovember 9, 2023 at 1:35 AM

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

      Delete
  3. AnonymousOctober 30, 2023 at 3:18 PM

    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. AnonymousOctober 31, 2023 at 7:30 AM

    Rocks!! Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousOctober 31, 2023 at 8:33 AM

    Congratulations on becoming a doctor. Your dress is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousNovember 1, 2023 at 8:16 AM

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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PatriciaNovember 9, 2023 at 1:36 AM

      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.

Recent Posts You Might Like

Return to work wardrobe in ITY – which is your favorite?

By
In June of this year, after spending nearly 11 years at my place of employment and after restructuring and cost cutting, I took a separation package. I was so fortunate to be able to take a few months off, and also to very quickly find a position with a new company. I start my new job on September 14th and I’m super excited!  This new position is also different for me in that it is local to my area (whereas before I worked remotely and traveled to the office every few weeks) – so I’ll be going into the office three times a week. So of course I needed to sew up some new outfits! I’m a huge fan of ITY knit fabric ; ITY stands for interlock twist yarn, which describes the way the yarn is knitted together. I love it for tops, dresses, skirts, and even pants: it’s comfortable, easy care, low wrinkle, and comes in so many beautiful prints. I sewed up three new outfits over the last two weeks and I’m excited to share them with you today! Oh, and also – I need help choosing what to wear fi...
18 comments
Continue Reading »

Sometimes The Fabric Chooses The Pattern

By
Have you ever fallen in love with a fabric and immediately envisioned exactly what you wanted to make, only to realize halfway through the planning process that the fabric had other ideas? That’s exactly what happened with this project. I used Fabric Mart’s Black/Dark Cobalt/Smoky White Poly Foliage Print Chiffon , and while I initially had plans for a detailed dress, the fabric ultimately led me in a completely different direction—and I’m so glad it did. When I first saw this gorgeous chiffon print, I was immediately drawn to the rich color palette and beautiful movement. The dark background paired with the cobalt and smoky white foliage creates a striking look that feels both dramatic and versatile. My original plan was to make a dress with princess seams, buttons, and more structured design elements. However, after spending time with the fabric, I realized that all of those seam lines and construction details would compete with what makes this chiffon so beautiful: its drape, moveme...
6 comments
Continue Reading »

Sewing With Intention: New Look 6106 and a More Coordinated Wardrobe

By
Sometimes a sewing project begins with a beautiful piece of fabric or a pattern you just have to make. This one began with my closet. Recently, I did a major closet purge. I took a good look at what I actually wear, what I kept reaching for, and—maybe more importantly—what was missing. Once the pieces I no longer loved or wore were gone, something became very clear: I want to be more intentional about what I sew next. Instead of sewing individual pieces that I love but don't necessarily wear together, I want to build a wardrobe where my handmade garments coordinate with the clothes I already own—and with the pieces I'm planning to sew next. For this month's Fabricista project, this beautiful lightweight shirting from Fabric Mart turned out to be a wonderful place to start. The Fabric That Started It All Fabric Mart provided this beautiful oatmeal and black heathered shirting , along with the matching thread for my project. One of the things I love most about this fabric is ...
9 comments
Continue Reading »

Hillhouse Nap Dress Dupe with Fabric Mart Fabric!

By
I have been wanting a Hill House Home Nap Dress for the longest time, but when I saw the reviews that the fabric was too sheer and the price tag—often well over $200—I decided it would be much more fun to make my own! I found this gorgeous abstract navy and white cotton voile from Fabric Mart and knew it would be perfect for the light, floaty dupe I had in mind. Cotton voile is soft, lightweight, and beautifully suited for a shirred dress like the infamous Nap dress. This abstract print gives the finished dress a more modern feel. I love a floral fabric, but I was excited to find this abstract print in my favorite color of navy.  Rather than using an entire dress pattern, I followed Just Lauren Johnson’s YouTube tutorial on how to create a Nap Dress from rectangles. Lauren walks you through how to use your own measurements to calculate the dimensions of the bodice, skirt tiers, and other pieces. I loved this approach because I could create the dress specifically for my measurement...
7 comments
Continue Reading »