For our Dakota Sewalong friends in the southern hemisphere, and our
optimistic ones on the northern side, we've got a treat for you today!
Vicki from Minerva Crafts, who kindly supplied mine and Rachel's Dakota
fabrics, is sharing some
inspiration and tips on sewing up this pattern in Summer fabrics! In support of
the sewalong, Minerva Crafts are also giving our readers a 10% discount on all dress fabrics until the end of the year...another reason to join us! Just quote code 'MDAKOTA10' at the checkout on our website,
or bring the code in to the Minerva Craft Centre store to claim your
discount!
When I was contacted by Rachel and Marie to guest blog about suitable fabrics for the Dakota pattern my first thoughts were its endless possibilities - it really can take you through from Spring/Summer to Autumn/Winter and it will be fascinating to see everybody's projects.
When I was contacted by Rachel and Marie to guest blog about suitable fabrics for the Dakota pattern my first thoughts were its endless possibilities - it really can take you through from Spring/Summer to Autumn/Winter and it will be fascinating to see everybody's projects.
Choosing
fabric is probably the most fun part of any sewing project, isn't it?
What you choose can dramatically alter the effect of the finished
garment, so it's important to know what fabric you
need for your desired look. Hopefully I can help you with this!
In
terms of fabric recommendations for Dakota, the Named website says
that “You can choose almost any material from stiff elastic jersey
to chiffon, as this dress is not fitted at the waist”, which leaves
it very open for you to decide. To help narrow down your options, I
think you need to decide first whether it's going to be a Summer
or a Winter garment. Do you want a lightweight, floaty dress that's
perfect for holidays and will keep you cool for days by the beach?
Or, do you want a Winter dress that will look great with your winter
boots and keep you cosy and warm?
Two
other key considerations are weight and drape. A drapey fabric will
give you a soft, flowy dress, that will pull in softly at the waist
with a belt. A crisp fabric will give you more of a structured dress
and will pull in at the waist in dramatic folds. The lovely details
such as the pockets and detailing at the cuffs mean that you don't
want to go for a fabric which is too heavy, as it will be clumsy to
sew with and will be harder to create a professional looking finish
with.
So, I'm going to talk through some fabrics suitable for a Spring/Summer
Dakota and the two main factors to consider when choosing - lightness
and fluidity versus breathability and coolness.
Let's
start with natural fibres:
Cotton Lawn would make up beautifully in this pattern and is one of my favourite fabrics. It's 100% cotton that is very finely woven and lightweight. It breaths well and will keep you cool in the heat. Due to its finely woven properties it's silky smooth (unlike many cottons) and feels as good as it looks. Even though it's lightweight and fine it's still easy to sew with, so if you're relatively new to sewing, or just want to keep it simple, then cotton lawn may be the fabric for you!
Linen and blends are another favourite of mine. Like other natural fabrics it's prone to creasing quite a bit, so if you don't like this either choose a linen mixed with a synthetic fibre or avoid linen! Personally, I think the creases add to its character! Linen comes in lots of different weights, from finer linens like our crisp linen, up to heavier linens, like our washed linen. A lighter weight linen will usually be crisp and make for a more structured garment (although it will get softer with washing and wear), whereas a washed linen is heavier, drapes beautifully and will give your dress a softer look. Whichever linen you go for, it will breath well, keep you cool and be easy to sew with.
Rayon
or 'viscose' is considered a semi-natural/semi-synthetic fabric, and
like linen, creases pretty much as soon as you put the garment on!
But it makes up for it in other ways. Viscose hangs and drapes so
beautifully and so softly that even the most tom-boyish girls amongst
us will feel pretty and girly whilst wearing it! It can be a little
tricky to sew because it is so soft and slippery, but your efforts
with be worth it.
Next,
let's look at synthetic fibres. For Summer I would stick to something
lightweight like chiffon and georgette that give a beautiful soft
floaty effect due to their delicate properties, but you would be best
to leave off the Dakota pockets if you go for either of these.
Chiffon
is sheer and very lightweight. It will float and drape beautifully in
a summer breeze. If you go for a chiffon remember to always use a
very fine needle and good quality thread to avoid puckering. And
don't try to sew this in a rush or you will end up getting frustrated
if you are anything like me! Take your time and you will end up with
a stunning Dakota. Chiffon garments allow you to be playful when
styling as the look of it will change depending on what you layer it
over. Slipping a chiffon Dakota on over a bikini at the beach will
give you one look. Slipping it on over a slip will give you another.
Of course you could also choose to line it, but I would always
recommend using an anti-static lining so your dress doesn't start
riding up your back when you walk! That wouldn't be a good look :)
Georgette is semi-sheer and similar to chiffon. It will give you the lovely drape and handle that chiffon does, but is slightly heavier-weight and a little easier to control and sew with. Georgette comes in a huge range of prints and plains and gives you lots of options.
If you
have never sewn with good quality crepe before then you are in for a
treat! Our Prada crepe (as chosen by Marie) has the most wonderful
handle, is beautifully soft and is a medium weight, no lining
required. With one side matt and one side shiny, you can play around
by using both contrasting textures. For example you could make the
pocket flaps and cuff details with the shiny side and the main body
in the matt side to an extra bit of interest. Or, why not use the
satin side for the main body and wear your dress on a glam night out?!?
Some
final things to consider
What colours will compliment you and make you want to wear your Dakota often? What will you wear it with? Do you already have suitable shoes or would you end up having to buy new, possibly influencing whether you end up wearing the dress or not! Do you have time to tackle a difficult patterned fabric like stripes or checks, or should you use a plain or abstract patterned fabric that doesn't require matching up?
What colours will compliment you and make you want to wear your Dakota often? What will you wear it with? Do you already have suitable shoes or would you end up having to buy new, possibly influencing whether you end up wearing the dress or not! Do you have time to tackle a difficult patterned fabric like stripes or checks, or should you use a plain or abstract patterned fabric that doesn't require matching up?
I
hope this post has been informative and given you some inspiration in deciding what type of fabric to go for. If you're looking for a Winter weight fabric for your Dakota, please look out for my guest blog over at Rachel's blog tomorrow.
Happy
Sewing Everyone!
All photos above taken at the Minerva Craft Centre, Lancashire, BB3 3BY.
All photos above taken at the Minerva Craft Centre, Lancashire, BB3 3BY.
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