Rivi Blouse and Dress Fabric Recommendations and Inspiration

Now, for my favorite subject, Rivi Fabric Recommendations. Before choosing fabrics, I often look to ready-to-wear inspiration. Below is a quick preview, but you can find even more inspo on the Rivi Pinterest board here. I love seeing color combinations and styling inspo to get excited about the possibilities. Once I compile a round-up of inspo, it's time to start searching for fabrics that match my vision for the pattern.

Before searching for your perfect fabric, you’ll need a copy of the Rivi Blouse & Dress Pattern.

We've taken a quick look around some of our favorite indie fabric shops and rounded up a few fabrics we think would be perfect for the Rivi.

FABRIC SOURCES

This style is designed for light- to medium-weight woven shirting fabrics and is the best choice for beginners. It can also be sewn in rayon or silk fabrics for a dressy blouse, which will require more care when cutting and sewing to prevent the fabric from shifting or stretching. You may also choose a heavier-weight woven for an oversized shirt jacket. 

The Rivi was designed with striped fabric in mind, and the angled yoke pieces can add extra interest when sewing with stripes. A few of our recommended fabrics are: Chambray, Cotton Block Prints, Cotton Lawn, Cotton Shirting, Cotton Voile, Flannel, Linen, Rayon Challis & Rayon Twill. The Rivi can be made in most any woven fabric, and even a stretch woven would work. 

More fabric recommendations can be found on our Rivi Pinterest Board here.

STRIPED FABRICS

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

SOLIDS AND SUBTLE TEXTURE

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

YARN DYED WOVENS AND BLOCK PRINTS

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

After choosing fabric, you'll need Tricot Fusible Interfacing to stabilize the collar, cuffs, front placket, and buttons. I have purchased most of my buttons from Stylemaker Fabrics. I love their section. 

NOTIONS

• 1 yd (1 m) Tricot Fusible Interfacing for the Blouse view
• 1 1/4 yd (1.25 m) Tricot Fusible Interfacing for the Dress view
• 8-12 Buttons, 1/2” size (12.7 mm) for the Blouse view
• 12-18 Buttons, 1/2” size (12.7 mm) for the Dress view

OPTIONAL NOTIONS

• Tailor’s Chalk
• Turning Tool
• Pressing Ham

FABRIC CHART

You may have the perfect fabric in your stash, or, if you are shopping for a new fabric, the chart below shows the stripe direction as shown in the pattern listing images. The minimum fabric required is listed. If you think you will need more for shrinkage, directional print, pattern matching or print repeat, please purchase accordingly.