This week for the 1940 McCall Sewalong we are discussing fabrics for the pattern. The back of the pattern envelope lists the following potential fabrics (with links to descriptions for each): a) crepes, b) satin, c) velvet, d) chiffon, e) lace, f) jersey, g) surah, h) challis, i) dimity, j) sheer woolens, k) chambray, and l) dotted swiss.
One of the biggest factors for choosing a fabric will be how well it gathers! This pattern has quite a few gathers across the bodice.
One way to see how fabrics might look while gathered is to pull it together between your fingers. I visited Edinburgh Fabrics--my local fabric store and looked at some specific fabrics to see how well they might gather! The red fabric below is a crepe fabric:
Some fabrics will create thicker gathers--which are good if you want to maximise the bodice area. If you are full-busted, it is better to get a fabric that produces soft gathers, such as the cotton lawn fabric below:
Another great fabric for a dressier look is satin--but this will produce thicker gathers but the shimmer of the fabric would be very classy.
There are some fantastic synthetic fabrics as well:
There's also some great linen-like synthetics:
What fabric would you choose for the pattern? I'm thinking of a couple of options including a silk velvet and a cotton version and I *might* use the hot pink Chinese fabric--not sure yet though :)