Sewing Stretch Crepe with Yuli of Kiwi Bruin Creations

July 28, 2022

My garment sewing journey began with knit fabrics and a sewing friend introduced me to Raspberry Creek Fabrics. My first few orders were knits and swims. Over time, the beautiful prints from Raspberry Creek enticed me to venture into woven fabrics, and I ordered some stretch crepe with no clue what I was going to do with it.  I really didn’t know what I was getting into and certainly didn’t know how to work with these fabrics.

Stretch crepe is a polyester 98% / spandex 2% blend.  The fabric base used by RCF is considered lightweight and has a nice drape.  While named “stretch” crepe, it is still considered a woven fabric. (More information about the different fabric bases can be found on the website). 

Stretch crepe works great for dresses, skirts, and blouses. I’ve used it for a few different projects, including Rhapsody by Love Notions, Stinger Dress by SBCC, and Livie Tank by JillyAtlanta (not pictured). 

The Deep Teal Peach and Mauve Petite Ditsy Floral is one of my all-time favorite prints.  I was excited to see it selected during RCF March Madness and released on stretch crepe for RCF Spring 2022.  It worked wonderfully for the Orchid Midi by Chalk and Notch. 

Today I would like to share some tips and tricks about sewing with stretch crepe. Stretch crepe, although textured with a slightly wrinkled appearance, can be slippery at times.  It is otherwise considered a fairly stable woven fabric.

1. Starch spray: I don’t always use starch spray when working with stretch crepe, but when necessary, I reach for starch spray to help stabilize the fabric (e.g. making bias tape). Remember to wash it out before you wear your garment. 
2. Rotary Cutter: I prefer to use my rotary cutter and pattern weights when cutting fabric on my cutting mat. This minimizes the shifting that can occur when using scissors.  Occasionally I directly pin my pattern pieces to the fabric when precision is needed. 
3. Needle: Always start with a fresh needle! While Universal needles will work fine with stretch crepe, my personal preference is to use a Microtex needle to counter some of the spandex and to reduce snagging. 
4. Walking foot: Highly recommended when working with slippery fabrics.  It ensures the layers are fed evenly from both the top and the bottom.  This will minimize shifting when sewing. 
5. Finish your seams: I generally use my serger (overlocker) to finish my seams.  But my daughter doesn’t prefer serged seams, so for her I have also used French seams for an enclosed finish.  If you don’t have access to a serger, an overcast or zigzag stitch would work too. 

6. Heat setting: Stretch crepe is polyester-based; you will want to adjust your iron to the proper setting to avoid burning a hole in your project.  Use of pressing cloth may also further reduce the risk of melting your fabric. 

Hope you give stretch crepe a try! Some of these tips could also apply when working with rayon challis, another personal favorite for woven garments.

Thanks for reading. If you’d like to see more of my makes, you can find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiwi.bruin.creations/.

Yuli

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