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July 07, 2022
Hello RCF Sewing Friends!
Mary here, from the Sew Mary Mac sewing blog. I’m so happy to be back again on the Raspberry Creek Fabrics Blog. This week I want to talk about all things stretch crepe!
With the introduction of the Design Library and Designer Studios, “Raspberries” are now able to choose to have their designs printed on an array of fabric bases. It can certainly be overwhelming if you aren’t familiar with all the various bases. What base do you pick?? To start, I have 2 suggestions.
With all these options available, branch out and try a few different fabric bases. You might just find a new favorite!
So let’s talk about Stretch Crepe. To begin, we’ll go over all the Pros and Con(s) of stretch crepe.
Pros
There are just soooo many!
Cons
All great things always have a few, but don’t let it sway you.
That’s the only con I can think of. I know that many sewists prefer to sew with natural fibers for a variety of reasons. I’ll be honest, I typically do as well. I love nothing more than rayon and linen, but this stretch crepe certainly has a place in my wardrobe!
So there you have the Pros and Cons of stretch crepe. But what is it exactly?
First off, don’t let the name fool you. It is a woven fabric, not a knit. RCF stretch crepe is 98% polyester and 2% spandex. That small amount of spandex content gives the fabric just a touch of stretch. It makes movement when wearing it just a tad easier. This small amount of spandex does NOT mean you can use it for patterns designed for just knits. FYI: Not all crepes have spandex in them.
Crepe is a woven fabric. During weaving a yarn is twisted . That twisted yarn gives the fabric surface a slight texture. This crepe texture adds dimension and interest to the fabric. Some like to refer to it as “pebbled” or “bubble” crepe. You can see this texture in the photo below.
RCF stretch crepe is great for flowy dresses and pants, skirts, tops and blouses. It is a nice weight and drapes beautifully. It is heavier than RCF rayon challis. It also has more body than a rayon challis, so it creates THE best flutter and bishop sleeves. I absolutely adore a stretch crepe flutter sleeve! Stretch crepe is comfortable to wear, and can easily work for both a casual or work settings.
Flutter sleeve Rhapsody blouse
Harmony top with a Rhapsody bishop sleeve
Tips for Working with Stretch Crepe
Fabrics
As you can see, colors print so vibrantly on stretch crepe. The Navy Tropical Floral was originally offered on just swim fabric, but is just so perfect for a blouse that it was selected during the “March Madness” game as a stretch crepe print. You can find the fabrics I used below. They are all still available as retail in the shop with the exception of the Navy abstract floral.
Navy and Blossom Tropical Floral print
Teal and Green Abstract Watercolor Seaweed
Green, Light Red and Pink Hydrangea Print
Pattern Recommendations
I am a Love Notions Ambassador, so I sew a lot of Love Notions patterns! I sew them because I have loved them long before I became an Ambassador. My favorite patterns to use with stretch crepe are the Love Notions Rhapsody (blouse and dress) and the Harmony top. Those are the two patterns that you see pictured in this post. Links to them are listed below.
Use the code MARYMAC10 to receive 10% off the purchase price of Love Notions patterns.
For more details on the Rhapsody blouse visit my blog post HERE.For more details on the Harmony top visit my blog post HERE.
A few other good options would be:
Thanks for reading and happy sewing!!
Mary Anne :)
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