News — Fabric Inspiration

The Maple Cardigan is a classic wardrobe staple that you'll love to make over and over. You can whip up a Maple Cardigan with a relatively small amount of fabric (one and a half metres/yards) and this makes it easy to experiment with different types of fabrics without blowing the budget.

The pattern calls for a fabric that has a stretch ratio of 20% or more. Two-way stretch is fine, as is four-way stretch (which will give you a somewhat more drapey result). There's a "stretch gauge" in the pattern that will allow you to test a small swatch of fabric before you start.  Or if you are shopping online, check the product listing or contact the seller to ask about the stretch percentage before purchasing.

The Maple Cardigan pattern test team had lots of fun choosing fabric for their cardigans and you can see some of their creations in my previous blog post. They used a wide range of different knits including spandex jersey, french terry, stretch lace, linen mix jersey, bamboo jersey, double knit/ponte and double brushed poly.

I had fun rounding up the fabric resources links for this post. I've used some of these sellers and their fabrics to make my own Maple Cardigans (love the drapey Merino wool from The Fabric Store!). I've divided the fabrics into ones that you might choose for the Drape Front cardigan on the one hand and for the Band Front Cardigan on the other. But really, you can mix it up with any of these no matter which of the pattern options you choose to make.

First up is the very pretty Drape Front cardigan:

1. Double Brushed Poly from Raspberry Creek Fabrics

2. Premium Merino Wool from The Fabric Store

3. Double Brushed Jersey Knit Bohemian from Fabric.com

And for the classic Banded Front cardigan:

1. Peachy Pink Melange French Terry/Sweats Knit  from Wicked Fabrics

2. Crushed Mink Velvet from Tessuti Fabrics

3. Twinkle Night Sweater Knit from MaaiDesign

And because it's possible to get such a diverse range of looks out of the Maple Cardigan pattern, why not try one for special occasions with something a little more luxurious like the fabrics below. (Note: the picture of the Gold Sequinned Cardigan below is from Pinterest and was not made from this pattern but you could easily get this look using the Drape Front cardigan option.)

1. Telio Lux Metallic Knit Stripe from Fabric.com

2. Telio Stretch Velvet Burnout Circles from Fabric.com

3. Telio Ornamental Stretch Lace Navy from Fabric.com

4. Printed Sequin Jersey Knit Natural/Gold from Style Maker Fabrics

Picture of Gold Sequinned Cardigan above from Pinterest: Link

That's it for now! I hope you enjoyed this post and that you are inspired to grab the Maple Cardigan pattern and get sewing :)

Pattern link: Maple Cardigan for Women PDF Sewing Pattern

This is the second part of a two part blog series about the Peach Patterns Mama Leilani Top & Dress PDF Sewing Pattern. In this part we're covering everything you need to know to choose the best fabric for your top or dress. The series also covers pattern options, sewing tips, design inspiration and blog reviews in Part 1 (here).

The key to getting a great finished top or dress with the Mama Leilani pattern is choosing the right fabric. The main feature of the design is the ruffle overlay and in order to create the pretty folds you are aiming for with this feature its important to use a fabric that will behave in the right way when being worn. This is especially so with the women's dress as there is the added consideration that the overlay needs to drape over our curvier figures.

Rayon

The rayon fabrics pictured here are (clockwise from upper right):

Watercolor Burst Rayon Challis in Blue/Coral from Style Maker Fabrics

Premium Floral Picasso Rayon Poplin from LA Finch Fabrics

Turquoise Digital Boho Rayon Challis from LA Finch Fabrics

Ginger Yellow Rayon Fabric by JPFabrics on Etsy

The favourite fabric choice for this pattern is undoubtedly rayon (also known as rayon challis or viscose) as it will give you the optimum drape and flattering silhouette.  All of the big chain fabric shops and loads of online sellers now carry rayon in a huge range of both prints and solid colours.  Rayon can be a little more challenging to cut and sew than cotton.  The best tip for cutting your pattern pieces when using rayon is to find as large a surface as possible and spend extra time smoothing your fabric out and aligning the selvedges. Use plenty of pins AND fabric weights.  If the fabric does shift a little and you find your matching pieces are slightly different, pin them together and trim them to match before sewing.

Silk or Crepe

The silk and crepe fabrics pictured here are (clockwise from upper right):

Crepe Amaranthe from MaaiDesign

Designer Silk Crepe de Chine from Cali Fabrics

Telio Moda Crepe Bird from Fabric.Com

Savannah Crepe Ivory from Fabric Godmother

If you are up for a challenge and want to create a pretty, special occasion dress you may want to have a go at using silk or crepe for the pattern.  The advice about cutting and sewing fluid fabrics (see rayon) applies even more here!

Cotton, Voile or Lawn

The cotton fabrics pictured here are (clockwise from upper right):

Paisley Block Print Cotton from IndianStores on Etsy

Textured Printed Tencel from Spotlight

Parakeets Cotton Lawn from Fabric Godmother

Art Gallery Sage Voile Painted Night Desert by Bari J from Fabric.Com

If you are going with a cotton fabric, avoid any mid weight to thicker cottons such as patchwork, quilting weight cotton and broadcloth. Instead choose soft and light weight options like voile or lawn or tencel. Indian style block print cottons are another fabulous choice as they usually come on a base cloth which is super soft to touch and comfortable to wear.

No matter which fabric you choose, don't forget to wash and press it before cutting your pattern pieces. Many of the fabric types discussed here will shrink after washing and this is especially so for rayon.

Adjustable Straps

Image at left: by Susana of Suco by Susana Image at right: Sew Squirrel

You won't regret having a go at making a Mama Leilani Top or Dress with Adjustable Straps. It's easier than you think and there's an additional full photo tutorial in the pattern to show you exactly how to do it. Here are some links to suppliers who sell the ring and slider hardware you'll need for this option:

Australia:

I have used and recommend Sew Squirrel.

Textile Traders.

Europe and the UK:

English Couture Company

Evie La Luve DIY

Studio Costura Shop on Etsy

North America:

A search on Etsy for "rings and sliders" and/or "bra making hardware" will bring up several US sellers of these supplies.  Arte Crafts is one we found which offers a good range.

Another tip shared in the Peach Patterns Sewing Group is to recycle rings and sliders from old bras or lingerie that you’re no longer wearing.

And that's about it for now! I hope you've enjoyed reading this series and if you make yourself a Mama Leilani Top or Dress please hop over and share it in the Peach Patterns Sewing Group and/or on Instagram with the hashtags #peachpatterns and #mamaleilani.