Well, it is officially summer but we haven't really had much of a summer so far. With a lot of rainy days it has been fairly depressing weather wise but it has been forecast that we are due to have a heat wave in the next few weeks so fingers crossed. For those of you who aren't waiting for the heat wave to get some sun, just in case it doesn't actually appear, and are going on holiday instead it is time for you to do some summer dressmaking. With some gorgeous Dress Fabric from Calico Laine, you can create the perfect summer dresses, skirts and tops to make you feel fabulous when you manage to get out and enjoy the sunshine. Here is a rundown of some Dress Fabrics that would be great for holiday clothes : Rose and Hubble Cotton Prints : Rose and Hubble Dress Fabric is always very popular as it is renowned for its high quality and gorgeous prints. Rose and Hubble specialise in cotton fabrics and manufacture these in the EEC. Many of their designs feature floral prints which are ideal for the summer months and with several in bright colours, they are great for making dresses and skirts to wear in hotter climates. This Dress Fabric is easy to work with which is always a benefit and is a good weight as it is not too lightweight that it would need a lining nor is it too heavy to be too hot in the sunny weather. Gingham : Although gingham Dress Fabric is usually associated with children's school uniform it is a great fabric for summer and never really goes out of style. Gingham can be used for children's clothing, of course however it can also be used to create blouses and dresses for adults. Gingham is available in a number of colours including red, green, yellow and royal with a choice of 1/8, 1/4 and inch wide check. Personally I would stick to using the smaller check for clothing however the inch wide check could be used for a statement dress if you are looking for a bold piece of clothing. Jersey : Jersey Dress Fabric is great for creating clothing with a comfortable fit due to the fact that it has a good stretch to it. Lycra jersey in particular is very stretchy and is ideal for making maxi dresses and even an 'infinity' bridesmaid dress if you are going abroad for your wedding. Lycra jersey at Calico Laine is available in plain colours however we also stock a number of printed jerseys which would be great for creating long, full, flowing dresses for evening wear on holiday. Here at Calico Laine, we also stock a range of cotton jerseys which can be used for making t-shirts and bandeau tops for during the day. This Dress Fabric may be harder to work with than an ordinary cotton due to the stretch in the fabric however with a little patience and use of the zig zag stitch on the machine, you can create some beautiful, comfortable garments with jersey fabric. We always love to see what our customers make from our fabrics so why not share your creations on our facebook page. We would love to see your holiday snaps and won't be jealous at all! We promise!