The Sewing Place

Rayon challis/crepe - please enlighten me

Vezelay

Rayon challis/crepe - please enlighten me
« on: July 22, 2018, 15:46:36 PM »
I want to make a pair of summer pants, probably using Tilly's  Marigold pattern, using 100% woven viscose fabric in a print.

Plenty of it online but there seem to be three choices - viscose, viscose challis and viscose crepe, and I don't really know what the difference is between them, if any. Some lovely challis and crepe options around but I'm not sure if they're suitable.

I have various woven viscose rtw clothes of course but that doesn't help.  Hoping someone here will help fill this hole in my sewing knowledge.
« Last Edit: July 22, 2018, 15:55:47 PM by Vezelay »

dolcevita

Re: Rayon challis/crepe - please enlighten me
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2018, 16:41:46 PM »
I'd go with either the viscose or viscose crepe as the challis may be too fine.  Crepe would be a nice option as it's often easy-care and no ironing required. 

I don't know what the pattern instructions are, but if you're using a finer fabric, get yourself some narrow stay tape (just narrow cotton tape) and stitch it into the crotch seam, all the way up to the back waist.  This will take a lot of the strain from this seam that gets a hard time with all the sitting down and stretching and will stop that soft viscose shredding at the seam before the rest of the garment is worn out.

Efemera

Re: Rayon challis/crepe - please enlighten me
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2018, 16:44:41 PM »
Anything viscose will crease like the devil, a crepe maybe slightly less... a pattern will show less creases. Unfortunately there’s no substitute for feeling and scrunching a fabric in the flesh.

Vezelay

Re: Rayon challis/crepe - please enlighten me
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2018, 17:39:20 PM »
Great tip re the tape, thanks Dolcevita. It sounds as if the challis is, as I suspected, too fine. I think the similar rtw pants I already have are standard viscose, except they don't crease much - or maybe the pattern hides it.

Unfortunately there’s no substitute for feeling and scrunching a fabric in the flesh.

No chance, sadly. I did check the local fabric shop but most of their stock isn't identified, and there wasn't anything I liked that felt like viscose.