What is Chiffon?
Chiffon is a textile made from silk, cotton, nylon, polyester, or rayon. It tends to be sheer, with a faint shimmer and a simple weave. When held up to the light, chiffon strongly resembles closely woven netting. Chiffon is generally used in evening and formal wear, since it drapes well and can add a floaty look to gowns and dresses. It is also notoriously difficult to work with, because of the slippery texture of the fabric. Most fabric stores carry several forms of chiffon in varying colors. The name comes from an Old French word for rag.
Silk chiffon is the most prized, since it has a rich shimmer and slick texture. Silk chiffon is also surprisingly strong for its weight. Because silk chiffon is made from a natural fiber, it tends to be more expensive than synthetics, and it also needs to be dry cleaned. Silk is also used to make georgette, sometimes called crepe, a thicker and more opaque fabric which drapes and behaves like chiffon. Another natural fiber, cotton, is sometimes used to make chiffon, although the resulting fabric is more matte and less floaty.
Synthetic materials are most commonly used to make chiffon, since most synthetics take dye well, are relatively cheap to make, and they tend to be sturdy. However, the fabric is still delicate enough that it should be hand washed with cold water only, and never run through a washing machine. Synthetics are also just as challenging to work with as silk, since they are also slippery.
In formal wear, chiffon is often used as an overlay over more opaque fabrics. The chiffon floats on top, adding shimmer and texture to the dress while keeping the wearer modest. The color of the underlying fabric will also show slightly, so the chiffon is usually coordinated with the underlayer. Chiffon is used in tops, skirts, and dresses as well as in scarves, belts, and accents.
When sewing chiffon, many crafters layer tissue paper in between two piece of chiffon being sewn together. The tissue paper helps keep the chiffon together, with the rough teeth of the tissue paper holding the chiffon in place while it is handled. After sewing, the tissue paper can be carefully ripped out. Chiffon is also pinnable, as it will spring back, concealing pin marks. As a general rule, one should work slowly and steadily with chiffon, taking care not to run it through a sewing machine too quickly or it will bunch and gather.
Written by S.E. Smith
