Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: Breezy Summer Style with Rayon Challis from Fabric Mart.

Hey there my sewing friends!  Summer is here and I am all for it.  It has been exceptionally hot here in Southwest Florida. We have had temps in the high 90’s.  I want to keep cool and comfortable and still look pulled together this summer.  That’s why I chose rayon challis for this month’s summer make.  

Rayon Challis is lightweight, flowy, soft and extremely comfortable to wear. It’s an excellent choice for summer outfits.  It has a beautiful drape making it an excellent choice for maxis, tops, dresses, and shorts. The fabric is lightweight and depending upon your sewing project you may need to use a lining with this fabric. Also use a lightweight interfacing when working with rayon challis.  If you are a beginner at sewing, you may find the fabric a bit fiddly to work with, but the end result is so worth it.  Fabric Mart has beautiful challis fabric to choose from. I chose this fun tropical print on an off-white background.

This summer season vests are in.  I love the ease of wearing a vest style top, so I chose one of my favorite patterns.  New Look 6598 view E.  I used self-covered buttons to elevate the look and not compete with the fun tropical print.

I paired the vest with elastic waist shorts from New Look 6737 for a fun summer short set.   The challis fabric is perfect for the breezy style shorts.  I love the movement and comfort of these shorts!


This set can be dressed up or down.  When I wear a kitten heel shoe, I feel the outfit is perfect for a summer luncheon event or even to wear to church on a hot Sunday morning.  If I’m on vacation, I can wear the two pieces with white tennis shoes as I stroll along window shopping.

With the fabric left over I made a quick wide elastic waist skirt using New Look 6354.  The skirt is an easy 2 hour sew.  I made view F.  The skirt works with the vest beautifully. 

Each piece can be mixed with other pieces in my closet. The shorts and skirt work well with tee shirts or button-up/tie front tops.  The vest can be worn over a layering piece allowing for wear in cooler environments. Changing up jewelry and shoes makes it easy to transition from day to night with these fun summer pieces. 

I have upcoming plans to make drawstring flowy pants and a sundress with a few other pieces of rayon challis that I recently acquired.  Make sure you are following my Instagram or YouTube channel to see how they turn out.  Thank you, Fabric Mart, for this fun fabric.  This is my new favorite summer outfit.  

CARMEN  |  @carmensalome


Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: CHALLIS.

Comments

  1. What a lovely combo! You did a fabulous job pairing fabric with patterns.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Really cute pieces, Carmen! You wear them well.💕 —Viv

    ReplyDelete
  3. Carmen, such a great look on you! I like all three pieces, And I’m sure they will see a lot of wear in this hot hot season. - Sharon

    ReplyDelete
  4. Perfect uses of this fabric! Looks so professional and cool. Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Coordinating separates were definitely a great use of the fabric. Super cute pieces - so perfect for the sunny & hot Florida lifestyle! Great pieces, great fit, great fabric , great seamstress!

    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

Help Our Buyers Shop!

  Comment on this post with what you are looking for right now and our buyers will seek it out!  I am craving wool gabardines and ponte knits in fun autumn colors. What about you?

Made By A Fabricista: Turning the Page

We had a lovely, warm September in central New Jersey but as of last week, fall has finally started to set in. While I’m no longer operating on a school calendar, I always look forward to the return of fall, the crisp air, the colorful leaves, and the opportunity to “turn over a new leaf.” While exploring the Fabric Mart website, browsing all their gorgeous cottons, I was incredibly inspired by the Eggshell/Black 100% Cotton Horizontal Stripe Weave Lawn . It looks exactly like a lined piece of paper. I thought it would make a fun top for work during this transitional season, one that sparks “blank page” creativity. I wanted to pair the top with a simple yet classic pair of pants, allowing each piece to be a quality addition to my work and loungewear wardrobe, working together and as separates. I picked up the beautiful Midnight Navy/White 100% Tencel Chambray , which has a fun denim-look while being quite soft and flowy. When designing the top, I wanted to play with the stripes. I chos...

Made By A Fabricista: Getting Ready for Fall with a Pinafore

Hooray, the best season has finally arrived again! I don’t know about you, but I spend all summer sweaty and wishing for cooler weather despite my massive appreciation for sundresses. I prefer a chill in the air, a breeze rustling my skirt, and layered garments for coziness!  Would you believe I have never sewn a wrap pinafore dress in all my hundreds of garments? It’s shocking, I know. I’ve had one on my mind for at least a year or two, but narrowing down the final pattern wasn’t easy. In the end, I chose the Fibre Mood Khloe Pinafore because I really like the straight, high neckline and the finishes at the wrapped bodice.  So here we are, combining the best of all possible worlds, a wrap pinafore that is utterly magnificent for summer, BUT adding a long sleeved layer underneath to take it seamlessly right into autumn.  On the dress, my only change was to widen the shoulder straps by doubling their width for better bra concealment when I wear it alone. I do wish I’d adde...