I love looking through all of the fabric options and dreaming up the endless versions of the item I am making. And since it's not possible to for me to make all of the amazing versions, I might as well share them with you :) Seriously though, I feel like more and more fabric companies are providing options for apparel sewers and it makes me so happy. I found so many good options for the
Roscoe pattern and I am excited to share them with with you in preparation for the sewalong starting next week.
The
Roscoe blouse and dress sewing pattern calls for lightweight, woven fabrics with movement such as cotton voile, rayon challis, crepe de chine, lightweight linen, and gauze. I have separated my recommendations between crepes, rayons, and cottons/linens for brevity, but really you can use any fabric you choose that has movement and drape to it.
Crepe
Crepe is a light, soft fabric characterized by a slightly textured surface. There are a lot of fibers that can make up a crepe fabric including polyester and rayon, but my preferred choice when I want a nice item of clothing is always a silk crepe de chine. If you are not ready to spend the money on silk, there are lots of cheaper options that still give great results. Crepes tend to be opaque and yet still very flattering and drapey which is why they work so well for projects like this one.
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Rayon
I love sewing with rayons, especially rayon challis, because it is very affordable, easy to find, presses well, and is still lightweight and flattering. The biggest downfall to 100% rayon fabric in my opinion is that it can be very wrinkly. It's best used on a project like a dress so that the length of the dress will weigh it down and prevent wrinkles. If you are not ready for the slipperiness of a silk, but are ready to graduate from cottons, I highly recommend trying out some rayon.
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Linen and Cotton
It's hard to go wrong with simple lightweight linens and cottons such as voile, lawn, gauze and lace. I am dreaming of making up a version of the
Roscoe once it's warm again in a white gauzy lace for the beach. These fabrics will have a bit more structure than the rayons or silks which may cause them to hold the shape of the garment away from the body a bit more, so be aware of this when making your choice.
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I hope that these fabrics help you find the perfect fabric and get you excited for the Roscoe Blouse and Dress sewalong starting on Monday October 19th. Let me know if you have any questions.