Working with silk charmeuse versus a polyester satin for a slip dress

I made two versions of the same slip dress pattern last month, one with silk charmeuse and one with a cheaper polyester satin. The silk cost about $45 a yard, but the way it draped and moved was completely different. It took me three tries to get the French seams right on the silk because it was so slippery, but the final look was worth it. The polyester version just sat there and felt stiff, even though it was easier to sew. Has anyone found a good middle-ground fabric that has a nice drape without the silk price tag?

2 comments

2 Comments

hall.charles21d ago

My friend had that exact problem with a robe she was making. She ended up using a rayon challis from a deadstock site, which was a total game changer. It had this fluid, heavy drape that felt really nice, not cheap at all. She said it was still a bit slippery to cut, but nothing like silk. The whole thing cost her maybe fifteen bucks.

jenniferwells20d ago

I read that rayon challis frays a lot, so she probably used French seams.