Outstanding Oakley- What It Is, and Why We Love It!

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If you've been on our Facebook page lately, you've probably heard Oakley mentioned a few dozen (or hundred!) times. But what is it, and what makes this fabric so wonderful?

In this post, we'll cover exactly what Oakley is, its care, uses, and of course, lots of pictures and shoppable links.

What is Oakley?

Oakley is a poly spandex sweater knit with a close, tight weave. With a soft velvet-like face and smooth reverse, Oakley is a dream to sew as well as wear. You'll also find that prints and colors on Oakley are extra beautiful and crisp. It's tight weave makes it suitable for not only sweaters and cardigans, but also items such as pants, joggers, and dresses. It has a excellent drape, and is perfect for year-round wear.

Oakley vs. Hacci

Oakley differs with hacci sweater knit mainly in the closeness of the weave. While hacci can be a looser, more open knit, the tight weave of Oakley enables it to become perfect pants, t-shirts and other closer-fitting items where transparency may be a concern. Like hacci, it has lovely drape, and Oakley has the additional benefit of the most gorgeous, brushed face and smooth reverse, plus great stretch, which makes it perfect for a wide variety of projects.

Oakey Uses

The uses of Oakley are truly endless, but here we've illustrated a few to help inspire your future makes. Take a look! And remember, where possible, all photos are links that will take you directly to the fabric used, or similar.

Sweaters

As you can probably imagine, Oakley makes the most lovely sweaters. Here, I've sewn up a Patterns for Pirates Oversized Sweater in Kalahari Oakley. The lovely drape of Oakley makes it a favorite for anything oversized or loose-fitting.

Oakley also is great for more fitted sweaters, such as this beautiful Made for Mermaids Aspen made by Tara. The softness of the face makes it perfect for a cozy turtleneck.

Oakley is also perfect for combining with other fabrics! Check out this color-blocked one made by Barbie. Here, she's used leopard Oakley with brushed French Terry to make the Nova from Sinclair Patterns. So gorgeous!

Cardigans

Again, Oakley's velvet-like softness and drape make it an obvious choice for lovely cardigans. Here, Dianna is using Oakley for a Danielle Cozy Cardigan from Sonia Estep Designs, and tours can see how that beautiful drape just takes this fun pattern over the top!

Pants

Here's where Oakley really hits it out of the park. With the closeness of the weave, it's perfect for pants of all kinds! Here, Stephanie has used animal print Oakley to make the Pleats to Meet You Pants from Pattern Emporium. They looks so stylish and cozy!

And don't forget tight-fitting joggers. Oakley is perfect for them! Here, Heidi has made Patterns for Pirates' Loggers out of Snowflake Oakley. They're perfect, and not a bit see-through.

Children's Wear

The softness of Oakley makes it a lovely choice for children's clothing. Look at this darling set that Edyta made for her little one!

Warm-Weather Clothes

While Oakley is cozy and soft, don't let that fool you into thinking that it's only for sweaters! It has great stretch, fabulous drape, and is light-weight enough to carry you through spring and into summer.

Here, Stephanie made herself and her daughters the cutest matching Made for Mermaids Aria dresses out of Oakley. So sweet!

And here we have Tara in a gorgeous Patterns for Pirates Runabout Romper she made with striped Oakley. This would be so soft, yet lightweight and cozy for a hot day!

Scarves, Tees, Socks, Headbands, etc. etc. etc...

Oakley is unique in so many ways, but the way it combines the softness of a brushed sweater knit with great stretch and a close weave, makes it truly one-of-a-kind and perfect for so many items. The sky is the limit when it comes to this fabulous fabric!

Oakley Care

Oakley is easy to wash and dry, similar to hacci or other sweater knits. Simply machine wash on cold and tumble dry on low or medium to maintain the beauty and integrity of your fabric.

There are so many reasons to love beautiful, cozy, soft and versatile Oakley knit. Hopefully, all the information we've shared has encouraged you to try out this fabulous fabric. We hope to see all of you and all of your amazing makes over on our Facebook page! See you there!