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fabric for hot weather
alexisart   Intermediate FL Member since 4/10/12 Posts: 59	Login to reply to this post 1 member likes this. Date: 1/30/13 8:50 AM I live in Florida and have a HORRIBLE time handling heat - I sweat the minute I'm outside if the temp is above 75 and there is any humidity. I need simple dresses and can't seem to find anything that meets my criteria - must be washable and hold up to frequent washings, prefer solid colors or very subtle/soft prints and VERY cool but not sheer - because if I have to line or wear a full slip it sort of defeats the purpose and I don't want something that wrinkles when you wear it like most linen. I have some rayon challis prints that have worked OK but can't find solids. I've made dresses out of quilting cotton but somehow they often seem to look homemade. Has anyone found a tried and true fabric that is of decent enough quality to stay looking good through washings? I bought some solid rayon Challis online awhile back that shrunk more every time I washed it - and it just seemed to stay wrinkled and weird looking - the dress is a wadder!
smutnys   Intermediate FL USA Member since 2/15/06 Posts: 86	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 1/30/13 1:47 PM Oh yes! I am in south FL and I would like to know the same thing! Do you want to sew mostly wovens or knits or both? Do you have specific patterns you are interested in? Nadine ------ Heirloom sewing for my girls! http://nsosaat.blogspot.com
stirwatersblue Intermediate KS USA Member since 12/13/08 Posts: 2532	Login to reply to this post 1 member likes this. Date: 1/30/13 3:42 PM If you can learn to overlook the wrinkle-proneness of linen, it meets all your criteria: It's soft, lightweight, has magical wicking properties, comes in every solid color you can imagine, and looks BETTER the more it gets washed. There's a reason--well, MANY reasons--humans have worn linen for thousands upon thousands of years. It's just *so* ideal for hot climates, and the more you wash it, the softer and less wrinkle-prone it gets. I find linen behaves better in simple styles--I have a harder time keeping cuffs, collars, pintucks, etc staying neatly pressed. But clothes without those kinds of details shake off the wrinkles after washing a little easier. ------ ~Gem in the prairie
PattyE   Intermediate MI Member since 9/7/10 Posts: 676	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 1/30/13 3:52 PM In wovens I like linens and silk crepes. In knits I like the liquid-knit rayons or bamboo. All make comfortable hot weather garments.
smutnys   Intermediate FL USA Member since 2/15/06 Posts: 86	Login to reply to this post In reply to stirwatersblue << Like this post Date: 1/30/13 4:00 PM I agree about the linen. I just made a linen a-line dress for my daughter and I thought something in lined for me would be so comfortable to wear. But it sure does wrinkle. ------ Heirloom sewing for my girls! http://nsosaat.blogspot.com
Elona   Advanced CA USA Member since 8/24/02 Posts: 7457	Login to reply to this post In reply to stirwatersblue << 1 member likes this. Date: 1/30/13 5:19 PM And Marcy Tilton has often said that bias-cut linen is much less prone to wrinkling.
Sarsez Intermediate AUSTRALIA Member since 7/2/09 Posts: 607	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 1/30/13 6:00 PM Hands down, my go to hot weather dress is Vogue 1179 made out of a rayon knit. I wore the brown dress to a NYE dance where the temp inside the hall was getting close to 100F (it was about 35C) and was fine and comfortable. Come to think about it, my favourite hot weather top is also a rayon knit. I bought both fabrics from EOS. HTH ------ 24th Nov 12 to 28th Nov 13 Fabric and patterns rules for me. Remember to shop your stash girl! Remember to keep sewing to your wardrobe plan!
Sarsez Intermediate AUSTRALIA Member since 7/2/09 Posts: 607	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 1/30/13 6:03 PM As another thought, why don't you look at technical fabrics? The ones that are designed to wick sweat away and keep you cool? The down side is they tend to come in bright sporty colours but you never know until you look around. ------ 24th Nov 12 to 28th Nov 13 Fabric and patterns rules for me. Remember to shop your stash girl! Remember to keep sewing to your wardrobe plan!
Doris W. in TN   Intermediate TN USA Member since 2/9/04 Posts: 6803	Login to reply to this post In reply to Sarsez << 1 member likes this. Date: 1/30/13 8:17 PM Quote: Sarsez As another thought, why don't you look at technical fabrics? The ones that are designed to wick sweat away and keep you cool? Yes, I was going to suggest this. After living through the 1970s and 1960s in polyester, I had sworn off. But . . . these new wicking polyesters are the bomb. I started wearing golf shirts made of that stuff two years ago and I have not. looked. back. I feel so much cooler in it (Tennessee can get bad tho not as bad as Florida) that I have enough now that I wear them every day including around the house. Nike Dri-Fit golf shirts, as well as EPPro golf shirts for women, are great products to go touch, feel, look, examine so you can see what I'm talking about. Surely someone sells it in yardage? I think I got some from fabric.com a couple years ago. Seattle Fabrics often has it. Google "wicking fabric for sewing" and I got quite a few answers. But . . . get samples first. Some wicking fabrics are hot to wear. I have two shirts, out of the dozen I own, that I avoid in the heat of summer.
patternaddict Intermediate IN USA Member since 4/19/10 Posts: 105	Login to reply to this post In reply to alexisart << Like this post Date: 1/30/13 8:26 PM Have you considered seersucker and/or plisse? Or chambray? Or how about the cotton-silk blends? (They can be a bit hard to find but are so pretty, a dream to work with, and very comfortable. And washable.)

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