It’s getting to that time of year again when we all look in our wardrobes and decide we hate all our clothes and desperately need a new dress for the Christmas party. Obviously we’ll also need a new bag and shoes to match! It’s time to delegate a few hours to ourselves, get the sewing machine out and treat ourselves to a fabulous new frock. Today I’d look at the benefits of working with Chiffon Fabrics. Many people are needlessly deterred by working with chiffon but this is completely unnecessary. Chiffon is an economical fabric which washes well and looks great. Its drapey appearance makes it ideal for both casual and evening dresses. Here at Calico Laine we offer a fantastic range of Chiffons, the vast range we offer reflects their popularity. We do a lovely light weight cationic chiffon which comes in a great range of both two tone and plain colours. We do an extra wide chiffon (150cm) this is ideal for long full dresses that require a wider fabric. This is a medium weigh chiffon which is available in a fashionable colour range. Finally we do a range of crepe chiffon which is my personal favourite. This is a heavy chiffon fabric with a wonderful drape. The colours are vibrant and rich which make them ideal for a statement dress which is perfect for Christmas in my opinion. So why are so many people deterred from working with chiffon fabrics when they’re clearly so popular. They’re not the easiest fabrics to work with especially if you’re a beginner but there are a few easy steps you can take to make the job much more pleasurable. First of all, make sure you have the right needle for chiffon fabrics. An 80/11 is ideal and will work fine with a standard lining too. Secondly ensure you use plenty of pins while cutting out and sewing. The usual rule is to double the amount you’d normally use. This is time consuming but worthwhile. Finally you can use tissue paper to reinforce your chiffon if you feel it is necessary. This will act as a stabiliser and can be gently pulled away afterwards. I do hope the information here will inspire you to choose a chiffon fabric for your festive dress this year. It’s amazing what you can do when you try!