Autumn is here! And a change of season inevitably means new sewing inspiration.
After light dresses, summer tops and fabrics that help us survive heatwaves, we slowly start craving shirts, trousers, pretty blouses, sweatshirts and light mid-season jackets.
Well… we’re in Belgium. And in Brussels, autumn can be very mild and then suddenly make us feel as though winter has already arrived. You never really know what to expect!
So I wanted to introduce you to the fabrics I particularly love sewing – and above all wearing – in autumn.
And believe me, I had to restrain myself because with all the new arrivals in the shop, I could easily have shown you half the store!
Siloé by Cha Coud
Cotton poplin: always a safe bet
You know how much I love cotton.
At C’est du Joly, we always try to offer you as many natural fibres as possible, and cotton is obviously one of the great staples of our collections, whatever the season.
In summer, I love using poplin for dresses, skirts or little tops.
In autumn, I tend to use it more for shirts and blouses.
It really is the perfect time to sew a pretty shirt that you can wear on its own while the weather is still mild, then layer under a cardigan, sweatshirt or jacket as temperatures begin to drop.
And today, shirt patterns are far from boring! There are so many styles with beautiful collars, detailed sleeves, gathers or original details.
You can of course choose a plain poplin, but I personally love playing with prints.
Stripes, for example, always work beautifully. You’ll find them in classic shades such as blue, red or navy, but also in more unusual colours: pink, yellow, lavender…
And then there are checks. Just be careful with pattern matching when choosing large checks. But you can cheat a little too! For instance, cutting certain pieces on the bias creates a lovely diagonal contrast while avoiding the need to match absolutely every motif.
Eyra by Instinct Couture
Sirine by Cha Coud
Japanese fabrics, of course!
Could I talk about my favourite fabrics without mentioning Japanese fabrics? Of course not!
You know how much I love them. And above all, don’t think Japanese fabrics are only for small accessories. Depending on their weight, you can make a huge range of garments with them.
The finest Japanese cottons, similar to poplin, are gorgeous for shirts and blouses.
I especially love prints that look fairly understated from a distance and reveal a little surprise when you get closer. The Japanese are particularly good at this: slipping an unexpected little detail into a pattern.
And then there are the heavier, textured Japanese cottons. Honestly, you really should dare to use them for clothing! A beautiful Japanese indigo cotton can become trousers, dungarees, shorts, a jumpsuit or even a slightly more structured shirt.
Traditional Japanese motifs and indigos give a sewing project so much character without making it difficult to wear. I love them.
Sanaz by Coralie Bijasson
Men's shirt in Japanese fabrics
Cotton jacquard: that little chic touch
Here’s a fabric I absolutely love and that isn’t always easy to find: cotton jacquard.
What makes it special is that the design isn’t simply printed onto the fabric. It is created directly in the weave. And that changes everything!
You get a textile with lots of texture and an instantly more refined, almost luxurious appearance.
What I also love about some jacquards is that the reverse is just as interesting as the right side. The motif appears in negative, so you can really play with both faces of the fabric.
Imagine a blouse made mainly with the right side showing, with cuffs or a pocket made from the reverse of the fabric… It’s exactly that kind of small detail that immediately gives a sewing project so much personality.
I find jacquard works especially well for vintage-inspired blouses, with gathers, pleats or pretty collars.
Honestly, if you’ve never sewn cotton jacquard before, give it a try!
Discover all our beautiful jacquards here
Cotton satin for more fluid blouses
Another fabric I already introduced for summer and that I’m happy to keep in my autumn selection: cotton satin.
I find it particularly interesting because it gives a more fluid, slightly lustrous result while still being a natural cotton fabric.
It’s therefore an excellent alternative when you want to sew a blouse with lots of pleats or gathers but don’t necessarily want to wrestle with viscose moving in every direction.
Cotton satin is much easier to control.
In autumn, I especially love deep, vibrant colours: petrol, rust, orange, garnet…
Just looking at those shades already makes me want to pull out my patterns!
Roslyn by Mimoï
Roséa by Atelier Brizane
And with a beautiful dark pair of trousers and a cotton-satin blouse in an autumn shade… honestly, it looks fantastic.
Denim: impossible to overlook
Let’s move on to the lower half of the wardrobe. And of course, I have to talk about denim.
I’m always talking to you about my trousers, so you probably guessed denim would show up fairly quickly in this selection!
Denim is incredibly versatile. You can obviously sew trousers or jeans, but also a skirt, jumpsuit, dungarees or pinafore dress.
And depending on its weight and softness, the result can be completely different.
I particularly love denim pinafore dresses for autumn. You can wear them with a simple T-shirt while it is still mild, then switch to a roll-neck when the temperature drops.
It’s exactly the kind of garment that takes you through the whole season.
Sienna by Atelier Jumadi
Agathe by Cha Coud
Fine corduroy: autumn in a fabric
If there is one fabric that instantly makes me think of autumn, it’s fine corduroy.
Plain or patterned, it’s a fantastic fabric for trousers, shorts, skirts or dresses.
I have several corduroy garments that I love bringing back out when temperatures start to fall.
And above all, don’t hesitate to choose patterned corduroy.
We sometimes think we have to stay very classic with this fabric, yet a beautiful printed corduroy can make an absolutely gorgeous dress.
I once made one and put it in the shop window… and several people came in just to ask whether they could buy it.
Sorry, that one was mine!
But I can teach you how to sew it. 😉
Caroline by Atelier des premières
Cléo by Fibremood
Gabardine for trousers and skirts
For trousers, skirts and structured dresses, also think about gabardine and cotton twills.
A classic gabardine will give your garment more structure.
But nowadays there are also some beautiful, softer or lightly brushed gabardines with an almost woolly feel.
That means you can make pleated trousers with a much more fluid drape while still keeping enough structure.
For a beautiful pair of autumn trousers, it’s really a fabric I love.
Astau by Atelier Brizane
Viscose is still very much in the mix
Just because summer is over doesn’t mean we have to put away all our viscose fabrics! Quite the opposite.
A stretch viscose with a little weight can be absolutely brilliant for a mid-season dress or fluid trousers.
For palazzo trousers, for example, I really like this type of fabric.
The drape remains very fluid, while the stretch adds comfort when you sit down, bend your knees or move around.
And of course, finer viscoses are still perfect for all the little blouses we’ll wear with our autumn trousers.
Black trousers, a pretty slightly floaty blouse tucked in… it always works.
Kallima by Laetietlea
Linger by Maison Fauve
And now for knits!
You can’t talk about autumn sewing without talking about knit fabrics.
The first essential is obviously cotton jersey.
Because a good T-shirt is one of the easiest things to wear in autumn: on its own while it’s mild, under a cardigan, sweatshirt or jacket when the temperature drops.
You can of course make the classic crew-neck T-shirt, but there are now so many patterns with much more interesting details: square necklines, cowl necks, little bows, panel lines…
And for me, there is one extremely important point when choosing jersey: its quality and its ability to recover its shape.
A poor-quality jersey can quickly stretch out of shape. And sometimes we think we don’t know how to sew jersey, when the problem is simply the fabric! That’s why I pay particular attention to this point when we choose the jerseys we offer in the shop.
And in autumn, I can never resist a beautiful stripe for making a Breton top.
A Breton top with jeans… it’s hard to think of anything more timeless.
Envie by Coralie Bijasson
Mamma mia by Mimoï
Top 004 by DP Studio
Viscose jersey and bamboo jersey for more fluidity
If you want more fluidity, also consider viscose jersey or bamboo jersey.
They are particularly well suited to styles that need a beautiful drape.
For a T-shirt with a cowl neck, for example, this is exactly the kind of fabric I like to use.
The fabric falls naturally and creates the beautiful drapes intended by the pattern much more easily.
Emno by Coralie Bijasson
My girl pack by Sewing Soon
French terry or brushed sweatshirt fabric?
After the T-shirt comes the sweatshirt; and here we have two main options.
French terry is perfect for the mid-season. It adds a little warmth without becoming too thick.
Brushed sweatshirt fabric, on the other hand, has that lovely soft inner face that almost feels like a light fleece. It traps more air and therefore keeps you much warmer.
The choice will mainly depend on where you live… and how well you personally cope with the cold!
You can obviously use it for sweatshirts, but also think about autumn and winter pyjamas.
And to make the most of your plain fabrics, why not sew a colour-block sweatshirt? A few well-chosen colours and a fairly simple pattern can produce a really fun result.
Sixteen sweatshirt by Sew la Jupe
Butterfly sweatshirt by Clématisse pattern
Quilted fabric: my favourite for jackets
I’ll finish with a fabric I absolutely love: quilted fabric.
It’s brilliant for making little jackets and mid-season vests.
And when the fabric is reversible, even better, because you can play with both sides to create contrasts.
Some of our quilted fabrics have a more floral side and a more graphic reverse. Others feel wonderfully soft or are made from double gauze.
And above all: keep your scraps!
For example, I made a laptop sleeve from the leftovers of a quilted jacket. Because the fabric was already quilted, I didn’t even need to add interfacing or batting.
A jacket with a matching sleeve: I love it!
Tina by Dress your Body
And now… what shall we sew?
That’s my selection of favourite fabrics for our autumn sewing projects.
With poplins, Japanese cottons, jacquards, cotton satin, denim, corduroy, gabardines, viscoses, jerseys, sweatshirt fabrics and quilted fabrics… there is certainly no shortage of ideas!
And of course, choosing is always the hardest part.
If you’re looking for the perfect pattern to go with your fabric, have a look through our selection of PDF and paper sewing patterns on the website. There are several thousand, so I’m sure you’ll find something you love.
And if you want to get started but would rather have some guidance, we also offer plenty of classes and workshops in Ixelles and Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, either around set projects or in open workshops where you can come and make your own sewing project with us.
And now tell me: which fabric are you most excited to sew this autumn?
I already have far too many ideas… as usual!
Happy sewing!
