Charlie caftan #2

I actually made this dress last summer but I never got around to posting about it! After I made my first Charlie Caftan I really wanted to make the full length version and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to make a garment out of Tencel for the first time.

1. The fabric

I found this glorious Tencel fabric from Croft Mill and I adore the pattern and the colour, I thought it would be perfect for this. I am also a fan of Tencel fabric because of its sustainable closed loop manufacture, so win-win. I ordered this online, and I hadn’t realised how lightweight it would be – it has incredible drape but also feels very fragile. The slippery fabric was also a bit tricky to sew. I used my teeniest needles (60), barely any tension, and a very small stitch size.

2. The pattern

I’ve written about this before in my previous Charlie caftan post, and I did almost everything the same (bust adjustment etc.). The only difference was I did the other version with the full length skirt and slightly shorter sleeves.

3. The challenges

Well, as I mentioned the fabric created quite a few challenges. It took me ages to cut the pieces out – partly because the fabric was so mobile but also because the pieces were really big! Once I got to the actual sewing it was quite straight forward as I had made it before so I knew what I was doing. I had to be particularly careful to stay stitch etc. to prevent stretching. Also this fabric frayed quite easily so I needed to handle it carefully. Otherwise, it went pretty well.

4. The final result

This dress is so floaty it feels like I’m not wearing anything at all, which is a bit disconcerting! But I love the fabric and it’s so comfy. I feel very luxurious wearing it. The pockets are handy but not strong enough to hold very much. My main issue with this is that the neckline is too low on me and I feel a bit uncomfortable wearing it out, so I think I’ll adjust it. I’ll probably do this at the shoulder seam and raise the whole thing up – there’s plenty of room in the armhole and loads of length so I think it’ll work. Overall, I am really pleased – it’s super cool on wonderful hot summer days.