Fabric Friday - All About Chambray

You may have been noticing a lot of blue clothing items on the store shelves these days. They look kind of like denim but they are much more lightweight. What you are seeing is one of the hottest trends in the fashion and fabric markets - cotton chambray.

Originating in the early 19th century, chambray gets its name from a small town in northern France called Cambrai. Originally made from linen, it is now more commonly made of cotton.

Usually constructed in blue hues, chambrays consist of a white yarn in the weft and a colored yarn in the warp. Because it is evenly woven, chambrays give off a softer shade. With the popularity of chambray, we are now seeing some color pop up. So far, black, gray and red have been popular colors for chambray shoppers.

For all you apparel sewists, I would definitely recommend picking up some chambray for your summer wardrobe. You can make a variety of pieces including skirts, tops, shorts and dresses. One pattern I would definitely recommend is Made by Rae's Gemma Tank, as pictured below on Tulsa's own Ashley Daly. Another great pattern for chambray is Grainline Studio's Willow Tank and Dress.

We are finding that chambrays are being used for a lot of sewing projects and quilting, as well. Because chambray is a plain weave, like quilting cotton, it can easily be combined with other types of lightweight or medium-weight fabrics. The soft tones of the chambrays really make bright colors pop!

Hope you enjoyed a little cotton chambray primer - and hope you can sew with some very soon. It's great to work with! Owl & Drum has a nice selection of chambrays that can be found in our Tulsa and online shop. Click here to check some of them out!