The 1m double gauze challenge!

20th May 2021

The 1m double gauze challenge!

Hello! Today we have something a bit different on our blog. This blog post is all about our beautiful new foiled double gauze fabric! This fabric is available in 7 different colours so we thought what better way to showcase them than by asking our bloggers if they would like to take part in a little challenge. Over to Jayne to explain a little about the 1m challenge…

Jayne – @loopymabels_closet

This was such a fun sewing project that the Felicity Fabrics Blogger Group took part in. The challenge was to create a garment of our choice using only 1 metre of double gauze fabric. The even more fun part was that we didn’t know what colour we would be given to work with. There was 7 colours and we could choose our favourite 3 and then wait for the surprise delivery. I was so thrilled with the denim blue that I received.

I didn’t have any plan in mind with what I was going to make, except that it was going to be a self-drafted blouse or top. I also wanted some sort of a gathered neckline detail. So, I set to with my paper and ruler and came up with an A-line top with tie back fastening, short sleeves, a ruffle curved hem and a gathered neckline.

I didn’t think that I would get everything squeezed out of the fabric, which also included a bias for the neck and tie, but I was pleasantly surprised. I used a 1cm seam allowance throughout so that I could use as much fabric as possible. The only exception was for the ruffle which was a scant ¼”. I really did use all the fabric available and was determined to add the frill detail on the curved hem. It might be the tiniest frill ever but it still worked and gave that extra detail I was wanting. The gather on the neckline was an experiment so I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but I think it’s just the perfect effect I was looking for.

Working with double gauze can be challenging as it can ‘grow’ as you handle it and also easily frays. So, I was quite mindful of this, and just took my time and enjoyed the process. I also ironed the fabric as little as possible as I didn’t want to lose the wrinkle effect with double gauze and used my organza pressing cloth to protect the gold foil detailing. I am super thrilled with how it turned out and I am in love with the colour, as blue is not something I would normally choose.

Working with a limited amount of fabric has been fun and challenging but more importantly has made me more aware of being less wasteful in my dressmaking. I have had such a fab day sewing with this gorgeous fabric.

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Rebekah – @sewno65

What an exciting challenge to be part of with the other ladies from our Felicity Fabrics blogger group. I chose my top 3 colours of the double gauze and was delighted when I received the lilac. When it arrived I felt the beautiful quality of this fabric, so soft. After pre-washing it at 30 degrees, I decided to iron my 1 metre piece of fabric. I don’t usually iron double gauze but I wanted as much fabric as possible for my pattern. Ironing smoothed it out enough for me to cut my pattern.

The pattern I chose was a Tilly and the Buttons Indigo. I have made this top many times but always wanted to try a shorter skirt piece so I thought this was the perfect time to try. I cut my bodice pieces and sleeves out first then cut the skirt piece with the remainder of the fabric. I decided to French seam the shoulder and side seams and overlock the armholes and bodice/skirt seam. The Indigo pattern is such a fab versatile pattern, I love it! This fabric was easy to work with using a sharp needle and some matching thread. I’m delighted with how my top turned out and even more pleased that this came from 1 metre of fabric.

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Michelle – @sewing.bunny

Not many woven patterns out there advertise as being suitable for 1 metre but if you have been sewing for a little while you will know that a bit of pattern Tetris can work wonders! I came across the Suun top by PM Patterns whilst browsing for inspiration for this project and when looking at the fabric recommended length advertising it at over a metre……challenge accepted!

The double gauze fabric was lovely to work with, the gold foil leaves are beautifully set on top of the Sand colour way I was given and I think it looks super sophisticated (Little tip is to be careful and use a pressing cloth so that you don’t risk damaging the foil).

I wanted even more sparkle so I added some gold glitter piping on the top yoke section to add just that little extra wow factor which I think was a lovely addition. I did have to take the side seams in by about an inch either side and also add a curve at the waist for a little more shaping. The blouse has a V neckline and gathering details at the front of the shoulders and at the back yoke. The shoulder gathers didn’t quite go to plan but I am still happy with it! Team this up with some gold jewellery and i have a perfect little top for many occasions.

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Carol – @chatterstitch

This has been a great little challenge, but the FF blogging team are really chatty and its been tough not knowing what everyone else was planning. They’re all so talented I can’t wait to see what they’ve made!!

I’ve not had lots of experience working with Double Gauze as I’ve only made one garment with it before. Interestingly I only had one metre then as well! That time I made a Tilly and the Buttons Stevie top, which worked beautifully. But I’ve now got three Stevie’s and really wanted to try something different!

So, I made the Datura from Deer and Doe with my 1 metre of white double gauze, it worked really well although the Datura has lined yolks front and back and I didn’t have quite enough for both so I used a plain white poly cotton backing for the back yolk. I did tweak the pattern as I didn’t want either the collar or the bias bound neckline, so I just traced a round neckline instead! I didn’t press the gauze as I loved the crinkle texture. Its a lovely quality so soft and bouncy, I’d definitely use it again. My only concern was making the buttonholes in the back of the Datura bodice, but with the aid of fray check they cut just fine and I’d definitely not be nervous of cutting buttonholes in double gauze in the future!!

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Karen – @sew.little.time

New Look K6434 – I love this pattern! Even though it comes with different views to sew, it’s a great staple top that showcases beautiful fabric. It doesn’t have too many design features to interrupt a print and I can certainly say that about this beautiful double gauze. I think this top is just perfect for this fabric.

I chose to make the simple version but added the sleeve frill to make it a little more interesting. I’ve only sewn with double gauze once before and I had heard that it gathers well, which it did. The fabric was really lovely to sew with too. I decided to lightly iron the fabric to enable me to fit all my pattern pieces onto the metre and I also didn’t want the fabric to grow too much with wear. To add a touch of luxury I finished the neck and hem with some satin bias binding and I love how that looks and feels.

I am so pleased with this top and I’ve really enjoyed wearing it. I absolutely adore this colourway…it will pair so well with denim jeans, shorts and skirts.

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Liz – @thebakerthatsews

When I received this beautiful sage green double gauze fabric from Felicity Fabrics I had to get my thinking hat on to figure out what to turn it into. It’s a beautiful colour and green is my favourite colour so I was excited! I had just bought the Elona pattern from Ikatee Patterns which is a children’s pattern that goes from age 3 years up to age 12 years and perfect for my youngest daughter.
I only had a metre of fabric so I had to be clever when cutting it out. I opted to make a peplum blouse and left off the sleeves. You’re supposed to line the garment but as I only had a metre of fabric I used bias binding to finish both the neckline and the arm holes. The fabric is so soft to touch – I love the gold leaf print too and chose to bring out that detail using gold snap buttons. Lola has paired it with leggings and boots but I can see it working with shorts for the summer time too!

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Sally – @theyorkshiresewist

With my 1m of coral double gauze I decided to make the Grainline Scout Tee.
According to my measurements I would have to make a 14 but nope this has a genourous ease in it so I sized down to a 12 and made a narrow shoulder adjustment. Next time I think I would size down to the 10 as it’s very roomy.
The fabric cut out really well with this and with even being lightly pressed with a iron with the binding it still had it crinkle texture and it’s perfect for summer makes.

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Holly – @holsstevens

With this gorgeous denim blue colour double gauze, I made the Summer Trésor Blouse by Super Bison patterns. It has a lovely lined, V-neck wrap bodice, pretty flutter sleeves and a cute gathered peplum. I used a complementary fabric as the lining, fitting this top neatly into 1 metre of fabric!

The colour of this fabric is just gorgeous, it’s a lovely mid blue with a pretty gold foil design on it which makes it really special. I’m over the moon with how this top turned out, the crinkly texture really suits the garment and its so comfortable to wear. It goes lovely with my pale pink jeans, but it’d also look nice worn with a white or even dark pair of jeans. I can see me wearing this at many different occasions this Summer!’

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Rosy – @rosysewsmodernvintage

When I was asked to take part in the mystery 1m challenge, my imagination started whirring with ideas. I wanted to do something a little bit unexpected! So, I decided that, as I am going camping in Cornwall in June, what I really needed was a bag in which to store all the essentials for a day at the beach! Towel, swimsuit, suncream and of course a good book!

When I used to run my own sewing school, one of my beginners class projects was to make a bag, so I decided to use that process, but to line it as well. As you can see, I “boxed” the bottom, which gives more of a 3D shape to the bag. You can find lots of tutorials on YouTube for this process and it’s very straightforward.

The fabric is a really pretty shade of oatmeal and I love it. But, being someone who loves bright colours, I knew I needed to add a bit of “something” extra! So, I visited my local haberdashery and found this fabulous green stripe cotton webbing! Then, when I’d made the bag, I chose my favourite sew in label from Rosy Little Cheeks that says “Life is colourful!” to sew onto the front of the bag! This label sums up my attitude to life completely! I’m so pleased with how my bag turned out and I can’t wait to take this with me on my holidays!

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Cara – @sosewmad

The idea of a 1m fabric challenge where everyone was using the same base cloth but in unknown different colours really got my imagination flowing… to start off with only 1m of fabric, what could I make? then what colour might in be?, what influence would this have?. Actually I always start with the end in mind, and for me that is a wearable or useable garment or item. I don’t mean for fancy days out, just nightwear or occasional wear, I mean good old wear it anytime, anyplace, just like all the items in my wardrobe.
I had no doubt that the fabric would be fabulous, this is Felicity Fabrics Fabric, but I was nervous about double gauze. Its a beautifully soft fabric, breathable and easy to wear; but it can have other tendencies that need to be taken into consideration in my experience. It is a structured fabric, holds its shape and doesn’t have any drape as such. It also ‘grows’ this is due to the creasing nature of the fabric which can stretch out with wear and the warmth of skin. So what to make?
Well, when the fabric arrived and it was a beautiful white double gauze with rose gold leaves I instantly thought of a summer top. Something simple in order for the fabric to do all the talking. Options included: The Silk cami by Sew Over It, The Ogden Cami by True Bias, a self drafted simple scoop neck top I made last year and the Scout Tee by Grainline Studio, to name a few. I then came across the square neck top by Friday Pattern Company, but it was the GYO top by Merchant and Mills that took my eye. The Japanese inspired lines with the asymmetric lines are a real statement piece, also with its simple lines I knew that the fabric would be a perfect choice.
Pattern placement wasn’t an issue and its a non directional fabric, but the front and back pattern pieces need to be placed wrong side down on the fabric also facing wrong side down, the other pattern pieces are right side up. The instructions for this are a little confusing! However the construction is straight forward and is made up in just a few hours. The GYO top is wonderful as a top or a dress and complete pattern pieces are provided for both (you don’t need to trace the pattern off to make the top)
Wearing the top feels so comfortable, its like a hug around my body, it washes easily and doesn’t require ironing, which is a bonus (as I don’t iron anything!)
I thoroughly recommend you making your ‘me mades’ out of this wonderful fabric and enjoy it as much as I have.

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Gemma – @thedalythread

Here is my 1m challenge garment! It’s the Solee top by Natalie Ebaugh 😁 I used about 70cm in the end but I think if I make it again I would add another 1” or so of length. Natalie has all the instructions saved as a highlight on her Instagram, but you literally cut two large rectangles for the bodice, then 4x strips for the straps. Add two pieces of elastic and Bob’s your uncle! You have a pretty top from a very small piece of fabric.

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Ellie – @what_ellie_sews

When Felicity’s set us the challenge of creating something out of one meter of this beautiful foil-printed double gauze, I knew I wanted to make something light and floaty. The fabric itself is super soft and almost marshmallow-like – it’s squishy and cosy yet also lightweight and breathable, which makes it perfect for a summer garment. The copper foil leaf print catches the light and creates a real luxe feel to the fabric. All of the colours in the range are lovely, but this dusty rose shade is definitely my favourite!

After much back-and-forth, I finally settled on hacking the Closet Core Patterns “Carolyn Pyjamas” top. It’s the perfect base for a casual, loose blouse, but needed a few tweaks to avoid it looking like nightwear! I squared off the lapel and collar, cropped the length and settled on a midi-short length sleeve. With no yokes to content with, simple pattern lines and minimal pattern pieces, it became the perfect option for a one meter challenge. Through using short sleeves and cropping the length, I easily fit the size 12 pattern pieces into one meter – I even have enough left to make a scrunchie or two!

I constructed the blouse as per the instructions, the only change I made was in hemming. To avoid bulky hems with double gauze, I prefer to overlock then press under once, rather than twice. This was also a great way to squeeze a little more length out of the hems. The fabric behaved brilliantly. I was careful to stay-stitch the neckline and was gentle in handling the pattern pieces, as double gauze can quite easily stretch out. But it was absolutely fine being overlocked, gathered and pressed on a low-medium heat. I was a little nervous about attempting buttonholes, but I didn’t have any issues with the fabric slipping or distorting.

I’m really pleased with the final garment and know that I’ll get a lot of wear out of it during the warmer months (if they ever arrive!). Thanks Fliss & Caroline for the challenge!

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Tamlyn – @sewn_on_the_tyne

I loved the idea of this challenge as soon as it was suggested to us. Sewing a garment with only 1 metre of fabric is definitely not easy and will obviously depend on the size you are sewing as to whether it’s possible or not. I knew I’d be able to sew up a little cami top, but I wanted to challenge myself a little bit more and try to get a different type of garment out of the fabric. I also guessed that most other people in the group would be sewing tops (I may be wrong, but we kept it a secret from each other so I’ll only know when the blog goes live!) so I wanted to sew something different.

My decision was made when I saw Helen from Helen’s Closet wearing a double gauze Donovan skirt in their instagram stories. I’d never thought of using this type of fabric for a skirt before, but it looked amazing and I already had the pattern so I thought I’d give it a go. I needed to make a size 14, which required 1.6m of fabric. I obviously only had 1m so I decided to omit the pockets and the waist tie. Because I was omitting the pockets, I had to cut two back skirt pieces rather than using the front piece. I was delighted to be able to get the midi length version out of my fabric. I decided to sew the buttonholes into the waistband so I have the option of adding waist ties at a later date. I think I will do this as it will add a nice feature and allow me to cinch it in a bit more.I love my finished skirt and I’m very tempted to get another metre of this gorgeous fabric to make a matching Ogden Cami to create a faux dress. Thank you Fliss & Caroline for the wonderful challenge – I loved it!