I'm VERY excited to share this fact-rich post with all of you on one of my favorite topics: rayon! It took me a while to learn about rayon and what it is exactly, not to mention caring for it, because it's so rare in clothing nowadays. In this first month of starting fresh in 2015, I've been preparing for the year's sewing projects, and I've needed to think about fabrics for each of these. I'm sure this post from this month's sponsor, Snowma of Time Capsule Fabrics, will be hugely helpful to you if you're considering a rayon for your own projects and immensely eye-opening if it hasn't been on your radar before!
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Photo Source: Tuppence Ha'penny Vintage Blog |
Hi everyone!
I'm Snowma and I'm half the team behind Time
Capsule Fabrics, an online fabric store catering to the vintage
sewing community. I want to thank Emileigh for hosting this sponsored
Q&A. Our store is chock full of hard to find apparel fabrics like challis,
lawns and crepes. One of my favorite fabrics is rayon, and because it's become
tricky to find and many modern sewists are less familiar with it I want to
share some of the reasons I love it.
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Photo Source: Lucky Lucille Blog |
What is Rayon?
Rayon was
invented way back in 1855 as an alternative to more expensive silk
fabrics. At first commonly referred to as Artificial or Art Silk, it was
widely available to the home seamstress until relatively recently. Rayon is
considered a semi-synthetic because it's made by processing wood pulp, but
unlike polyester, acrylic, and nylon, it is not petroleum based. Rayon is
more similar to natural fibers. In The Women's Institute's Library of
Dressmaking (1923), Artificial Silk's entry reads:
“An imitation
of natural silk, produced by treating cellulose until it becomes a gummy
solution and then pressing it through tiny holes so that it comes out a fine
thread with a glistening, white, silky appearance.”
Rayon is prized
first and foremost for its drapability. It mimics silk. Unlike polyester, it
breathes, is absorbent and holds body heat. In my opinion it's got it all, and
more seamstresses should make it a go-to fabric.
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Photo Source |
Are there special care considerations when sewing with rayon?
Rayon is a
pleasure to work with but there are some things to keep in mind. Dry cleaning
is always appropriate, but as I prefer laundering at home, here are some
guidelines. In all my years wearing and sewing rayon, I have never had a
problem machine washing rayon on cold. Never wash on warm or hot as rayon can
shrink significantly. Because it's weakened when wet, choose a gentle
cycle if your rayon is especially delicate. Line dry instead of putting
it in the dryer. Use a warm iron and press the wrong side of the garment
to avoid scorching. Rayon can sometimes ravel easily so using fusible
interfacing or stay stitching when sewing can be useful.
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Photo Source: Tuppence Ha'penny Vintage Blog |
Why is rayon
harder to find these days?
Read the back
of a pattern envelope from the 30's or 40's and it's clear that the modern
seamstress has fewer options than her earlier counterpart. Fabric types that
were once common like dimity, pongee and bengaline have disappeared from the
shelves of fabric stores. Rayon, while not extinct as a fabric, is
becoming harder for seamstresses to find. I attribute this to two
factors, the shift by fabric stores to focus on quilters and the increased
acceptance of synthetics like polyester and nylon.
In
LA's wholesale fabric district, shopkeeper after shopkeeper told me how common
rayon once was and how hard it is to find now. Undaunted, I managed to
score some beautiful solids and prints for the store in my favorite
fiber! As more of us take up the once common practice of sewing our own
clothing, I'm really optimistic that the fabric industry will respond with more
diverse apparel fabrics and that rayon will see a comeback.
This is
Emileigh again. Man, do you want some rayon or what?! I sure do! I wish I could get my hands on some of that rayon satin in the ad above... I reviewed a couple kinds of rayon Time Capsule
Fabrics offered, so if you'd like a good rayon source I can highly recommend
Snowma's shop!
Thank you so much for this post Snowma and Emileigh! I have long lamented the fact how hard it is to find a wide range of apparel fabrics (especially in the non-synthetics category), so I was so glad when I was introduced to Time Capsule Fabrics. I am definitely going to have to make a few purchases from there this summer... :)
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Brigid
the Middle Sister and Singer
This was really interesting and informative. I've gotten really interested in vintage textiles recently, and it really is unfortunate that so many great fabrics have fallen out of common usage now. I'm just learning to sew, but I would definitely love to get my hands on some rayon when my skills are up to snuff.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking about investing in more rayon fabrics and then I read this post. I agree, it is harder to find it, but it is worth the search.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post. I'm looking to delve into rayon this year. I know that rayon crepe is a bear to take of but cold rayon and the slinky rayon are much easier. Hoping to make a blouse this year with rayon.
ReplyDeleteHi Joanna,
DeleteWhat exactly is cold rayon?
Thanks,
Leah
Wow this was really interesting! I never knew rayon was made from wood. The tips on how to care for it were great too. That's always helpful for someone who thrifts vintage clothing!
ReplyDeleteJamie | PetitePanoply.com
Really interesting, I learned so much
ReplyDeleteI know I already posted, but a dress that I had purchased made of rayon taffeta just arrived, and there are several places where the fabric is falling apart a little bit, basically. I know I can't use iron on patches to help reinforce it, but would a patch with fabric glue work? It's my first rayon dress, and it's a beautiful piece from the 30s, so I'd hate to really mess it up trying to save it.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've tried, if it's not possible to mend it by sewing, I would try a really thin interfacing ironed on the back. If it's a tear and not a hole, the interfacing won't show through; it'll just hold the pieces together. Remember to iron on a lower heat for the rayon!
Delete