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Fabric choices for daughter's spring formal dress Help choosing "best" fabric for a novice
MrsCharisma   Advanced Beginner MN USA Member since 2/1/13 Posts: 361	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 3/18/13 11:26 AM My daughter has chosen this dress for her spring formal. (Yes, I'm being ambitious -- I know). I want to start it right away in April just in case it's a horrendous fail we can buy a dress Simplicity 3878 Anyway, it calls for either: Crepe back satin, silk linen, satin, shantung, taffeta. Are any of these fabrics more forgiving to a novice? ------ Nakisha - A new sewist with a passion! :) www.sewcraftychemist.blogspot.com Singer Talent 3321 | Brother 1034D
luckysweetheart Advanced Beginner TX USA Member since 9/17/07 Posts: 247	Login to reply to this post Like this post Subject: Fabric choices for daughters spring formal dress Date: 3/18/13 11:56 AM I would guess the linen or the shantung would handle the best; the satins and taffeta could be starched into submission if you're open to washing and using starch.
MrsCharisma   Advanced Beginner MN USA Member since 2/1/13 Posts: 361	Login to reply to this post In reply to luckysweetheart << Like this post Date: 3/18/13 12:19 PM At the start of my sewing adventures, I bought tons of pretty printed charmeuse and then realized it was going to be a nightmare to cut and sew accurately. Someone here told me about starch and OH BOY! How happy I was! :) ------ Nakisha - A new sewist with a passion! :) www.sewcraftychemist.blogspot.com Singer Talent 3321 | Brother 1034D
PattyE   Intermediate MI Member since 9/7/10 Posts: 676	Login to reply to this post In reply to MrsCharisma << Like this post Date: 3/18/13 4:06 PM My experience with silk linen was that it ravelled like crazy, although it was beautiful. The shantung and taffeta will have nice body and are relatively easy to work with. Good luck with your project!
sarah in nyc Advanced NY USA Member since 1/8/05 Posts: 1594	Login to reply to this post In reply to MrsCharisma << 1 member likes this. Date: 3/18/13 4:36 PM Crepe back satin, silk linen, satin, shantung, taffeta. Are any of these fabrics more forgiving to a novice? satins can be fairly unforgiving. Silk linen is a great fabric but really isn't dressy enough for this bodice. I would go for a silk shantung. it's realtively inexpensive ( try fabric.com or www.fabricmartfabrics.com or www.supersilks.com for well priced shantungs) It sews in a similar way to cotton so it won't make you crazy. Shantung does tend to fray so be sure to zig zag the seam allowances. the really slippery silks tend to crawl as you sew them or cut them and can drive a novice to madness. Silk shantug gives you the cglory of sewing with silk with very little of what can be difficult about sewing with its more slippery cousins. ------ sarah in nyc www.sewnewyork.blogspot.com
Andi Advanced NY USA Member since 8/24/02 Posts: 752	Login to reply to this post In reply to sarah in nyc << Like this post Date: 3/18/13 8:09 PM Also look at www.thaisilks.com
carry Member since 10/26/07 Posts: 197	Login to reply to this post 1 member likes this. Subject: Fabric choices for daughters spring formal dress Date: 3/18/13 10:07 PM Are you going to do the tulle overlay? I made a dress like this a few years ago.Lining up and cutting all those tulle layers because you can't pin to well was the hardest part.I ended up basting them all together before i cut and after
B Intermediate MN USA Member since 12/5/03 Posts: 627	Login to reply to this post 1 member likes this. Date: 3/18/13 11:52 PM I will suggest a lovely poly crepe back satin from Vogue Fabrics Store .com. It can be reversed from satin to crepe for matching trim. It was one of my favorites to work with, except for bias pockets which I replaced with non-bias pockets when the colors didn't look the same. They have many, many colors. I wouldn't want to try a cheaper poly satin, however. If interested you can see picture of child's western shirt (the one in pink) that I reviewed long ago by clicking on my "name". I had to make a second pair just like them when they grew out of the first ones! ------ Janome serger 634D, Brother PC6000, Singer 500A & 328K, Bernina 600, White Rotary treadle, New Homestead A VS treadle
Erica B. Advanced AL Member since 6/6/06 Posts: 358	Login to reply to this post 1 member likes this. Date: 3/19/13 9:57 AM I would make it in a poly taffeta. The fabric is crisp and I feel it would be a lot easier to work with than a slippery fabric. Here's the review from my daughter's homecoming dress. ------ Erica B. Birmingham, AL http://www.ericabunker.com
Janie Viers   Advanced OH USA Member since 4/8/02 Posts: 2176	Login to reply to this post 1 member likes this. Subject: Fabric choices for daughters spring formal dress Date: 3/19/13 11:32 AM Use a rotary blade to cut the tulle. That way it's all one line and not interrupted by the start and end of a scissor cut. ------ JanieV

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