Rayon crepe is an amazing material that is very hard to come by. The manufactures snatch it up, it rarely makes it to the jobbers, which means you’ll never find it downtown. You can find it online, but I’m spoiled, I love to feel the fabric before I buy and with so many option in LA, I don’t like shopping much for fabric online. They simply don’t make it for the Over the counter, home sewers – so it’s never in the big box stores.
Imagine my delight when I found some a few months ago at Momen+ in Torrance. I bought 4 yards.
Rayon is a wonderfully comfortable fabric. When it is woven as a crepe fabric it is even better. Crepe is a very high twist in the actual thread and it makes this lovely slubby fabric that gives an almost elastic feel. It both hugs the body and has lovely drape. This is true of any good crepe, be it wool or rayon.
I used Simplicity 2247. These days I pay extra attention to what fabric the pattern calls for, this one recommended crepe, or challis, nice soft drapey fabric. I have sewn with a lot of cotton, nothing wrong with a good cotton, but there is nothing like rayon crepe.
I find I need much less fine tuning, the fabric has more give and it both hugs the body where it should…
As well as have that swing when moving.
Which is why I’ll always grab a skirt or dress off the rack when I find this fiber. Or buy the fabric itself, luckily I like the print well enough.
I put it on my dress form for some close ups. I didn’t adjust it all that well, on my body the dress sits beautifully, here it is a little torqued. At least you can see the nice detail of the princess seams, that sort of get lost in the busy print.
Lately I have been enjoying the more couture lapped zipper, rather than using an invisible zipper. I even hand sewed the overlap so as not to have a strong visible machine sewing line.
I had just got my new Threads magazine with instructions on how to draft a more comprehensive facing than the pieces given in most patterns. I have this very thin knit fabric (need to get some in white as well) which worked well with the crepe.
I also love my serger, this fabric unravels easily, the tight crimp in the threads is the cause of that. So being able to quickly serge all the seams makes for a very professional looking dress both inside and out. It eliminates the problem of continuous stray threads. Sure I always serge cotton garment as well, but in this case it was a necessity.
So now I’m on the lookout for any rayon crepe I can find.
Leah