Made By A Fabricista: Caftans and Cocktails!

I selected to sew up the Charlie Caftan by Closet Core patterns in View B, a long, gently gathered bodice with waist tie. I chose a lightweight rayon in a pink and yellow floral, 70s-style print from Fabric Mart. I think this pattern is a great opportunity to use bold and large print since there are large pattern pieces. Overall, the pattern was easy to sew except for the front panel, which I will discuss later on.

Closet Core recommends lightweight to medium wovens like rayon challis, tencel, crepe de chine, or voile—all my favorite fabrics to wear because they are soft and cool which make a caftan feel so comfortable.

The pattern pieces are very long and are cut on the fold. I made sure that my fabric was on grain so it would hang properly. I used pattern weights and a rotary cutter to cut the fabric out. I chose to make the sleeves that are longer. I may adjust the opening as the opening is more revealing than I prefer. I increased the length by 4 inches since I am tall. It is oversized and I may size down next time for a closer fit. The V neck was not difficult to sew with a facing but I would like to change the neckline to be either round or square next time.

The panel is the most challenging of this pattern but after following a sewalong by a youtuber called Sew Sew Live for this part, it was easy and very straightforward. It is constructed similarly to a welt pocket, so with precision and patience can be done without too much difficulty. I think I need to stabilize both pieces of the panel next time or make the caftan in a cotton so the panel can be more study.

Best tips I can offer:

• Mark all your dots and notches with washable marker

• Add lightweight interfacing to the stay-stitch area for support

• I did not pin anything, I just lined everything up and sewed slowly

• I recommend to hand-stitch the closure—it’s slow but consider it yoga for the soul (I could not find a way to avoid hand sewing this part, my hand sewing skills are not the neatest.)

The inset panel turned out well and I love this detail that elevates the whole dress.

From there, it’s smooth stitching: facings go in, pockets slide into place, side slits get stitched, and the magic of it all comes together when the sides are sewn shut.

This caftan is forgiving as it is meant to be oversized. I tend to not make muslins and I think you can skip one with this pattern. The tie makes it more fitted if it is on the big side. You can size down if you don’t like a lot of easy and it still will be roomy.

The long View B Charlie Caftan is now in the rotation for hot days, vacation, or just feeling fabulous with a refreshing cocktail in hand. It’s roomy, flowy, and feels glamorous without fuss. Definitely secret pajamas! The inset panel is a great sewing challenge and it is really fun to learn a new construction technique.

I cant wait to start hacking this pattern to make a few more in a loud, bold print!