I’m kicking things off with Art Gallery Fabric‘s Rayon Blog Hop today! Rayon is their newest substrate and I can’t even tell you how much I luuuurve it. I was lucky enough to get an advanced preview when April Rhodes release her Heritage Fabrics and I just am obsessed with the drape and feel of this fabric. You can read more about it here.
When most people hear “Rayon,” they think of summery dresses or slippery nightgowns. But in this blog hop, we were tasked to come up with other ways to use the fabric. As fall was approaching and while I was looking through the fashion blogs, the maker light bulb went off when I started to see bomber jackets. The 90s fashion trends are back (some I’d rather not relive…) and I thought a fun bomber made of rayon would be perfect to ride the satin and army green trends showing up on the streets right now. Check out my Pinterest Board here to see my inspirations.
I’ve had my eye on the Cookie Blouson by Waffle Patterns for awhile now. The design is a great feminine take on a track jacket with the gathered sleeves and gathered body around the yokes. Even though it’s a track style versus a bomber, I knew this pattern would give me the same feel…The only difference is the collar.
I was in-between sizes per the measurements, but after reviewing the finished measurements, I decided to size down for a more fitted look. With the fabric and bold pattern, this jacket would look great in heels as much as in sneakers 🙂 I wanted to make sure it would be a great jacket to wear indoors and out.
For the right statement fabric, I chose Floret Sunkissed from the Blush fabrics collection by Dana Willard as the shell. For the interior, I used Hex Rose from the same collection, but in quilting cotton. AGF Solid Knit in Sahara Sun was a great complementary color to really make this jacket pop and add some fun!
While working through the jacket, it was very important to reinforce the high stress areas since rayon is so delicate. I used Pellon 906F interfacing around all the metal zippers (due to their extra weight) and even on the exterior yokes to provide some additional structure as well.
These zipper pockets are such a great detail. However, the pattern called for a 5″ zipper opening. After taking 1/2″ allowance away for the zipper head and stopper, I would be left with a 4.5″ opening….which is pretty tight (and I have small hands!) I increased the opening to 6″ for a little more room to maneuver because I HAVE to use pockets if they are there.
With the track collar, I wanted it to stand up when zipped, but it also needed to handle the weight of the metal zipper. So I doubled up the layers of the Solid Knit jersey. Not only does the collar stand up (mission accomplished,) but it keeps my neck extra warm!
For the construction of this jacket, I used Polyester thread throughout for the strength. A jacket is going to experience a good bit of wear and this thread allows for a bit more give and movement. However, I used matching Sulky Rayon Thread for all of the top-stitching to match the sheen of the fabric. I’m pretty hooked on the look of rayon thread….it’s so beautiful!
The Cookie Blouson pattern itself, was not too difficult. Even with the zippers, I would rate this as advanced beginner. But then came the lining… It was a free add-on via a few blog posts by Waffle Patterns. The pattern designer’s first language is not English, so the translations were a bit rough. I was pretty frustrated at some points, but made it work. I would consider the lining at an intermediate level because you are essentially drafting your own pattern pieces. If I would’ve known this beforehand, I probably would’ve skipped the pattern altogether because I needed a lining with a rayon shell. But, of course, I love the final product 🙂
I’ve made a handful of Rayon garments, and have a few tips I’d like to share:
- For accurate cuts, I cut on the floor for an even cutting surface…especially if you are pattern matching. Any fabric hanging off the edge of a cutting table can pull and distort your cut.
- Don’t be shy with fabric weights. This points to the slippery and shifty nature of rayon. You want an even and accurate cut. Iron and smooth out your fabric with your fabric aligned and then set the weights down.
- A small rotary cutter is great to cut out patterns because scissors can cause movement and shifts in your fabric as you cut. (This doesn’t matter as much if you aren’t pattern matching.)
- I use ultra fine pins (with the blue heads, shown above) for construction. The traditional quilting pins (with the yellow heads) are a bit larger and can cause pulls in the fabric. With the slippery rayon, I also use a lot more pins that I would with cotton – probably twice as many to keep my fabrics aligned together.
Project Summary:
- Exterior Shell Fabric: Floret Sunkissed Rayon by Dana Willard for Art Gallery Fabrics
- Lining Fabric: Hex Rose Quilting Cotton by Dana Willard for Art Gallery Fabrics
- Accent Knit: Sahara Sun Solid Knit by Art Gallery Fabrics
- Pattern: Cookie Blouson by Waffle Patterns
- Piecing Thread: Gutermann Polyester
- Top-Stitching Thread: Sulky Rayon 50 wt
- Zippers: YKK Brass separating and jeans zippers in Camel by Wawak Sewing Supplies
Don’t forget to stick around all this AND next week for the rest of the #AGFrayonbloghop. I’m so excited to check out all of the projects alongside you!
Monday, October 9 – Cristy @loveyousew_ (you are here!)
Tuesday, October 10– Nicole @modernhandcraft
Wednesday, October 11 – Sarah @sariditty
Thursday, October 12 – Jesy @needle_ink_and_thread
Friday, October 13 – Danyella @madesewmodern
Monday, October 16 – Nichole @wildboho
Tuesday, October 17 – Cynthia @cnytz51
Wednesday, October 18 – Vicki @orchidowlquilts
Thursday, October 19 – Amanda @pinkmandarinhandmade
Friday, October 20 – Jenn @jennrossotti
I hope you have found some inspiration or just enjoy some fabric eye-candy! Do you have a rayon project lined up or on the wishlist? I’d love to hear what you would make.
Happy Sewing Friends!
Cristy
***This post was sponsored by Art Gallery Fabrics. While the fabric was provided for the post, the ideas, execution and post are all my own work and words. Please also note there are affiliate links which help run this blog. Thanks for your support!