Made By A Fabricista: Keeping Cool in a Charlie Caftan

Intense summer weather is very much here in the northern hemisphere, and I thought it would be so lovely to sew and wear a stylish and classic pattern that’s been floating around for several years, not to mention it’s very high-temperature appropriate. Nothing like a light and carefree dress!

The Closet Core Charlie Caftan is a pattern with a few differing views for dress length and pleats versus gathers, and the big design element is the front waist panel. Naturally, I chose the maxi version for all that sweeping drama. There are waist ties that attach to the front panel, and two options of sleeve depth.

I opted for the higher sleeve opening which gives a little more coverage. View C also includes side splits at the hem for ease of walking in the long skirt.

Big, deep pockets and a fairly wide and deep V-neck finish the details.

Like many sewists in the loads of reviews I read, the panel can be challenging; it’s basically a welt pocket which can be tedious and finicky, particularly in lightweight woven like this dress calls for! I found a fantastic workaround that a few people mentioned, and it’s perhaps best illustrated on the Coco’s Loft blog, which I recommend you take a peek at if you want to hack like I did. Basically you cut all the same pattern pieces, but after gathering the bottom of the front skirt to match the front bodice, you stabilize your gathers with a strip of interfacing, and then sandwich that area between the hidden back panel piece and the front panel piece, and simple topstitch the whole thing! So, so much easier, and the end result looks the same.

I chose to sew this Yale Blue Cotton Leaf Print Voile. This voile is a spectacularly lovely quality. The hand is very smooth and silky, and there is a radical amount of drape for cotton. I can’t comment enough over how SOFT this fabric is. The motif of leafy fronds (or feathers? I can’t decide) goes right along with a breezy caftan, don’t you think?

Something I’ve been doing for several years is using a lightweight knit interfacing to stabilize all my lightweight woven fabric versus using a woven interfacing, which are somehow never as light and always too stiff. The knit really permits the original drape and movement to shine through as intended, and I suggest you give it a try! For this dress, I grabbed some of the White Poly Fusible Knit Interfacing, and it was perfect.

The cotton gathers so well! I love those teeny even ruffles. And, of course, cotton voile presses so fantastically. The Charlie is lightweight and fluttery, utterly comfortable, and looks so fresh and airy, even in the heat.

Summer can get a person all wilty, so I hope you’re finding motivation to sew something comfortable that keeps you cool and stylish!

Happy sewing!

KATIE | @kak513

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

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