It is clear that summer is behind us and it’s time to think about the winter wardrobe... So, this week I suggest you consider the textile materials that are well suited for creating winter dresses, whether for women’s or girls’ fashion.
Let’s go!
Corduroy
Corduroy is a really nice material to use for autumn/winter creations. Still too often associated with the thick-ribbed pants of our elders, today, you can find very pretty plain corduroys, patterned, fine-wale... and of very good quality.
Corduroy is perfect for making winter dresses. Since it is a fabric with little elasticity, it’s better to choose a pattern designed for woven fabrics.
For my part, I love using the Ditte shirt dress pattern from Maison Victor to make my winter dresses. Whether with fine or thick ribs, the corduroy shirt dress remains a best of my winter wardrobe.
There are different types of corduroy: panne corduroy, velour, corduroy, burnout corduroy, viscose or silk corduroy... Not all are easy to sew! If you have never sewn corduroy, I recommend corduroy which will be much easier to sew because it is much less slippery than panne corduroy or burnout corduroy... even if the result is worth it... I had actually chosen a burnout corduroy to participate in the Burda contest and it was a great sewing experience for me.
In the shop, you will find plain and patterned corduroys of very good quality to make your dresses, but why not also jackets, pants, overalls or jumpsuits?
Denim
The denim dress remains a staple of the autumn/winter wardrobe. Sewing a denim dress is also a great introduction to sewing jeans. Indeed, it allows you to get familiar with the material before tackling the much more complex sewing of a "real" pair of jeans.
I find the denim dress very charming. Woven fabric patterns are perfect for making these projects. For my part, I am currently sewing the La Baroudeuse model from Française une fois in denim. I really like the safari style this model gives.
For more comfort, you can also choose denim containing a small percentage of elastane, which will make the fabric less stiff and more pleasant to wear. In the shop, you will find 3 denim colors with 5% elastane: medium blue, raw blue, and black in 150cm width.
And if you want to know more specifically about sewing denim, feel free to read or reread the dedicated article by clicking here.
Knit fabrics: sweatshirt, french terry, milano, knit fabrics, viscose jersey...
What a pleasure to wear these soft jersey dresses for winter! Add a belt and boots and you’re ready to go out!
Knit fabrics work very well for making pretty, very practical dresses that are also quick and quite easy to sew. I’m thinking of models like the Givre dress from Deer and Doe, the Mia dress from L’Usine à bulle, or the Boann dress from Urban Fairy Pattern... in short, there’s no shortage of patterns to make this kind of project.
In the shop, you will find jerseys, french terry, sweatshirt fabric to make these kinds of models. And if you want to know more about sewing knit fabrics, click here to see the full article.
Crepe
For parties or to make a slightly more elegant dress, crepe can also work well. You will probably need to add a cardigan or a small jacket to complete your winter outfit.
For example, you could make the Sonia or Tamara dress from Maison Fauve or the Orchidée dress from Deer and Doe... Crepe will give a chic touch to these patterns.
In the shop, you will find beautiful viscose crepes from Atelier Brunette as well as beautiful Japanese cotton crepes with cherry blossom patterns.
To learn more about crepe and how to sew it, feel free to click here.
There are also other materials, especially artificial fibers (polyester blends, polycotton, wool/polyester blends...) used in the ready-to-wear industry that I will not cover in detail in this article (nor their ecological impact).
Personally, I discourage the use of these artificial fibers for making dresses, if you can afford it. Indeed, these non-breathable materials do not allow sweat to evaporate and can quickly become unpleasant during the day both to wear and for the nose. I find these materials more suitable for making pants or skirts where sweat evaporation is less of a major issue.
So, now you know more about autumn/winter materials for making dresses. I hope you enjoyed this article and feel free to tell me in the comments which materials you prefer to wear in winter.
