is rayon spandex easy to sew

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Hi, I’m Lyndsey Stanfill, and I’m here today to share some tips on sewing with rayon fabric.

When the Wynwood Robe + Sleep Shorts pattern came out, I imagined the robe as a breezy, slinky garment that would be suitable for daywear and home wear. I found an amazing rayon crepe fabric, and my robe turned out just like I imagined!

Viscose, Rayon Challis, and Tencel are all fabrics that feel like a lovely second skin on your body and many sewists use them to make dresses, shirts, and skirts. The only problem is… they can be a little tricky to get neat seams and finishes. The fabric will ripple or move unevenly and end up skewed or wonky.
is rayon spandex easy to sew

What is rayon, anyway?

Rayon is a semi-synthetic material. It is made from plant-based cellulose pulp that undergoes a chemical process to transform into fiber. The resulting fabric has amazing drape, takes dye well, and breathes like fabric from natural fibers.

Rayon is a common name for several types of cellulose-based fabrics created from different chemical processes, including cupro, viscose, lyocell, and modal. Further, trademarked names are often used such as Bemberg for cupro and Tencel for lyocell. Each of these fabrics use a slightly different chemical process, but produce a similar fabric.

How to cut rayon

Rayon is lightweight and slippery which means extra care when cutting. I typically cut rayon unfolded as a single layer on a flat surface with a rotary cutter. I try to move the cut pieces as little as possible until sewn.

When I cut out the Wynwood Robe, I did actually cut it folded (rather than flat) because the style had a lot of ease. However, for a more fitted garment, I would always cut in a single layer.

I use the lines on my cutting mat to help me get the fabric on grain as much as possible. If the fabric is a crepe or a twill and you can’t easily see the grainlines, then pull a single yarn from the fabric to provide a visual grainline.

I also like to block-fuse any pieces that will have interfacing applied. Block-fusing means fusing your interfacing to your fabric before you cut and treating the fabric and interfacing as one, rather than cutting the fabric and the interfacing separately and fusing afterwards. This technique ensures that those pieces that call for interfacing have no opportunity to stretch in between cutting and fusing.

How to sew spandex with or without a serger

FAQ

Is rayon difficult to sew?

Some people who are not familiar with sewing with rayon may find it difficult at first because they notice that their sewing machine has a harder time sewing through the fibre than another type of sewing thread, such as cotton sewing thread, so you may need to adjust sewing machine tension.

What can I sew with rayon spandex?

All of these jerseys are ideal for soft tops, shells, draped cardigans, elastic-waist skirts and softly draped dresses. Soft, flow-y pants (elastic or drawstring waist) could also work well. The fabric’s stretch usually eliminates the need for zippers, even if they are included in the original pattern.

Is rayon and spandex a good fabric?

It’s soft and supple and forms to your curves. Rayon spandex is quite breathable and feels cool to the touch. It doesn’t pill over time, but does get a little hairy fuzz if you don’t launder it properly.

How hard is it to sew spandex?

Contrary to popular belief, sewing spandex on a home machine is actually quite easy and effective with the right tools and techniques, and learning to sew spandex is a great skill to have, no matter what you’re going to use it for.

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