Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: Ready for Sun-Drenched Days with Rayon Challis Separates

Image
By

Hello Sewing Friends! Summer has arrived bringing sunshine and hot, humid weather.  Where I live there are days when the heat is downright oppressive, but I still want to look stylish.

That’s why I choose to use rayon challis to sew myself a few summer pieces.  It’s lightweight and breathable with a lovely drape, making it a great choice for flowing, loose, unstructured garments that are comfortable to wear in warm weather.

I sewed a top as well as a matching set consisting of a top and wide-leg pants.

For my top, I chose the Style Arc Selina Top sewn out of a dusty cherry blossom print rayon challis.

I did make a few minor changes to the pattern.   I added a small dart, lowered the neckline making it a scoop neck, increased the narrow ruffles by 3/4”, and added an additional 2” to the back gathered section. The extra fullness in the back really showcases the drape of this fabric.  

By the way, I ordered matching thread along with my fabric. I love that Fabric Mart offers that service as I have to do the majority of my fabric and notions shopping online due to limited availability locally.

Once my Selina Top was completed, I sent a photo of it to my daughter, who liked it as much as I did. Guess who now owns this top.  Yep, my daughter.   

For my matching set, I picked a primarily pink floral rayon challis. I’m glad I ordered coordinating thread as I would have used pink thread, but Fabric Mart sent orange thread, and it was perfect!

The top and pants are from the April 2016 issue of Burda Style magazine, top #114 and pants #106.

As I sewed, my mind wandered to visions of me wearing my matching set – or faux jumpsuit - to dinner with friends, strolling through the Farmer’s Market, or enjoying a free concert at the park.

With the last seam stitched and pressed, I quickly donned my new creation and turned to my full-length mirror. Only to realize it appeared that I had sewn myself a pair of extremely cute summer pajamas. 

And I love it!  With costume jewelry, a pair of cute sandals, and a hat, I’m ready for my trip to the local winery or an afternoon tea with my girlfriends.

Look at the cute detail on the back of the top.


Now excuse me while I go shop the rayon challis fabrics to sew myself another Selina Top to replace the one my daughter now owns.

Until next time, Happy Sewing!

SHARON  | @thesharonsews

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

Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 26, 2023 at 8:03 AM

    Your new pieces are perfect for hot weather, and they are very flattering too. Easy to see why you want to replace your gifted top!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJune 26, 2023 at 10:53 AM

    Beautiful. Grand job. Rayon challis is my favorite fabric.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJune 28, 2023 at 7:18 PM

    I love this top. Pink is my go to color and she did a wonderful job with this!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJuly 3, 2023 at 1:58 PM

    Nice. Challis is great for hot days.

    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.

Recent Posts You Might Like

Help Our Buyers Shop!

By
  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?
129 comments
Continue Reading »

Sewing Vintage for Summer

By
Hello sewing friends!  I was highly motivated to try another one of the vintage Polynesian Pattern dresses I’ve collected during our hot weather. The patterns are all dramatic and fashionable and really apropos for summer styling. This one is number 204, the Pilialoha Dress.  The gown includes a wide boatneck that many of them feature, plus a very beautiful back gathering and wraparound closure. I always find that the special details on the back are such a chic surprise compared to the simple front.  I chose a lemon covered cotton lawn . I am really delighted with the quality of this cotton, it’s luxuriously soft and smooth. The scale of the lemons and blossoms are just right and not overwhelming, and the soft yellow background is beautiful. This could not be more charming and summery!  I also chose some excellent lightweight interfacing for my facings, and the real highlight is these Dritz Floral Sew-On Snaps that I’ve had my eye on for months! Finally, the perfect ...
4 comments
Continue Reading »

Athletic Wear Refresh: A Bold New Gym Set

By
There’s something especially motivating about refreshing your workout wardrobe with pieces that feel like you. As part of my ongoing athletic wear refresh, I’m adding another handmade set to my gym wardrobe—and this one might be the boldest yet. Lately, I’ve been taking a closer look at my handmade wardrobe and thinking more intentionally about what I actually wear in this season of my life. Athletic wear has become a big part of that. Instead of treating workout clothes as an afterthought, I want my gym wardrobe to have the same personality, color, and style as everything else I make. And this fabric made that very easy.  The Fabric That Started It All   The moment I saw this vibrant multicolored paisley, I was immediately drawn to it. The mix of warm reds, oranges, greens, turquoise, and golden yellow against the light background feels bold, energetic, and a little unexpected for athletic wear . There’s something about the print that reminds me of Etro and other higher-end f...
7 comments
Continue Reading »

Falling for Chiffon Again

By
Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Tira from Tira Cooks, and I finally made the perfect sundress too bad summer is almost over! This is my last sewing project of the summer season, and I chose a beautiful red-and-white print. The result is a lightweight, flowy dress that can easily transition from summer into fall and even winter with the right layers. This fabric was actually my second choice. I originally told myself, “You need a break from chiffon!” But here I am, sewing chiffon again. The crisp hems and sewing overall were surprisingly easy. The only reminder that I was working with chiffon fabric was all the fraying! Even better, this fabric is practically wrinkle resistant. I twisted, tied, and scrunched it, and it still came out looking beautiful with zero wrinkles. Because this was a border print, planning my layout before cutting was extremely important. I mapped out the pattern pieces first to make sure the print continued beautifully throughout the dress without breaking up the de...
6 comments
Continue Reading »