‘Vita’ navy, crimson & pink floral chiffon fabric

The rich shadings of the painted print pattern of this crimson and pink floral chiffon fabric were what caught our eye immediately. These are luxuriant, exuberant roses, scrambling over the surface of this dark navy blue chiffon. We love the depth of the design and the sheer joy of the colour combinations.

What kind of fabric is this?

This is a semi-sheer polyester chiffon which means it’s less inclined to crease and is also rather more robust than you might expect of a very lightweight fabric. it’s not completely see-through due to the intensity of the print and the relatively close and fine weave. Tips for working with sheer fabrics such as this one include:

• Spray your fabric with a fine starch spray before cutting in order to stabilise the fabric on your cutting table
• Use a fine ‘Sharp’ needle for stitching
• Reduce your stitch length a little
• Don’t stitch back-and-forth at the beginning and end of a seam! Leave long bobbin and spool threads for tying-off. You can also gently hold the tension on these threads behind your presser foot to ease the fabric through as you start to stitch
• Use French seams as a means of strengthening your seams as well a finishing them tidily.
• Test your machine on an off-cut before starting on the garment itself.

What does this fabric feel like?

Our crimson and pink floral chiffon fabric has a smooth feel and just a little fresh crispness. It’s very gentle against the skin and since it’s so fine, there’s breathability here too.

How does this fabric move?

This is a fluid fabric which wafts on the air and drapes with soft, rounded folds. You can see how it behaves in this video.

Do I need to line this fabric?

Sheer and semi-sheer fabrics are normally used as a layer over other garments or as a deliberately semi-see-through design element in a garment. For that reason lining is usually counter-productive.

What can I make with this fabric?

French seams will be the order of the day for making up this navy and pink floral chiffon fabric. They’ll provide an elegant finish as well as a little definition for your finished garment. Blouses, tops, unstructured robes and overshirts will all be options for this fabric although as a sheer fabric you’ll want to consider camisoles or layering as a means of bringing a little modesty to the party.

We love the spirit embodied in the Venus Robe pattern shown here – we think it would be the perfect design for our crimson and pink floral chiffon fabric – and a great design to try if you’re new to sewing with sheer fabrics.

Alternatively you could simply opt for a beautifully hand-hemmed scarf to drift over your shoulders.

Fabric width

150cm

Fabric composition

100% polyester

Fabric care

We recommend hand-washing this fabric – see our Fabric care pages for more information.