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

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.

Made By A Fabricista: Did someone say FREE??? All about Free Sewing Patterns

Hi sewing friends! I am SEW excited to share this blog post with you today! This is my fifth post with Fabric Mart since I did a guest post late last year and then joined the blogging team in 2024 but I would say this is the post that 1) I worked the hardest to create, and 2) the one that has me the most excited! Today I am going to talk about FREE sewing patterns, showcase a few free patterns I’ve sewn, and then share some very exciting news at the end of this post about an upcoming! First, let’s talk about free patterns – where they come from, why they exist, and how you can find them. But first, here’s a recent free pattern I sewed. This is the Finn Crop Tee from Petite Stitchery . I used an ITY (Interlock Twist Yarn) for this one and I was able to squeeze it out a yard of a fabric. ITY is one of my favorite fabrics to dress up a t-shirt and it wears well across all seasons. And Fabric Mart gets the most AMAZING designer deadstock designs you will ever see! Petite Stitchery offers...

Made By A Fabricista: Fall is here!

Fall is here, and I have been in a coat/cape mood lately! I have a few that I plan to make, however, this pattern was not in the plans. It was in my stash, but it wasn’t on my “must make” list. I wanted to make a coordinating set but I thought it might be a little too much with this print. Now, I absolutely love animal prints, don’t get me wrong. I am a sucker for them! When I saw this jacquard double knit I had to have it. Instead, I decided to make an easy, comfortable cape that I can wear casually or dressed up. This pattern and fabric were perfect! The pattern I chose to make is McCall’s 8029. This cape has three designs that you can choose from. I chose to make view C. View C has a hood. All three views have a neck and front facing and a belt/tie. Now, if you are wanting to make a cape but would like something on the easy side, this is your cape! I didn’t realize just how easy this was prior to getting started. This cape has minimal sewing. It doesn’t even require a hem. Which, w...

Made by a Fabricista: Structure

Hi everyone! I can’t believe the year is nearly wrapping up already and this is my last post for 2024! You may have noticed but the barrel silhouette has been very much in right now from pants to sleeves. To be honest I was a little bit hesitant about hopping on to the trend. One I was not sure if the proportions would work for my body also I considered would this be a long lasting trend to keep incorporated in my closet? But after a few seasons the barrel seems to stay in many variations, I think exaggerated proportions are such a thing now. I saw this Cult Gaia x Gap denim dress collab with the barrel sleeves and wanted to remake it. When I saw this brown distressed denim twill I knew it was perfect. I had been debating between making cargo pants but I wanted to try to do something different and went for the dress once I saw the inspiration. I used McCall’s pattern 8139 as my base with the following modifications. Instead of...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog