What Is Challis Fabric?

Women

• Challis is widely used for dresses, skirts, pajamas and kimonos. Challis is usually dyed with printed geometric patterns or floral designs. Made from wool, cotton or rayon, the fabric usually is hand-washed in cold water with a delicate detergent or dry-cleaned for best results.

Men

• Challis is commonly used for neckties. Floral, sketched and paisley designs are popular with challis ties. When used in dress pants, challis must be lined to offer a proper fit and hang. Dressy challis fabric features a slightly brushed surface with a silklike finish, making it comfortable and classy with suits.

Children

• Challis in children's clothing is often used for sweaters, shorts, pajamas and sportswear. Printed dresses for girls for warm months are often made of challis, offering cool and comfortable wear. The fabric offers durability, making it a positive choice for children's clothing.

Sewing With and Caring for Challis

• The draping qualities of challis allow the fabric's design to be the focal point of the garment. Choose patterns featuring unstructured styles, such as full pants, full skirts and dresses, pullovers and wraparound styles, as suggested by the Nebraska Cooperative Extension. Use sharp shears with challis and maintain the grain line if the fabric is loosely woven. Preshrink challis before attempting to sew it. Check a corner of the fabric for dye bleeding. If the dye bleeds, dry-clean the fabric before sewing; otherwise hand-wash it with a delicate detergent. Challis may be pressed by using a medium or low-temp iron.