Raise your game with rayon

Julie Bonnar from The Pattern Pages shares her tips on sewing garments with the fabric of the moment – rayon

What is rayon?

Rayon is a beautifully soft, drapey, breathable fibre, which is perfect for making flowing garments. Since rayon is manufactured from naturally occurring polymers, it is not considered to be synthetic.

Like most fabric types – you’ll find good and bad when buying so make sure you choose a premium smooth one that doesn’t snag.

If you haven’t worked with rayon before – here are my tips for working and sewing with them.

Choosing a sewing pattern

Start with a simple pattern that requires a little amount of fabric, so you can build up your confidence. Pick a pattern that has a good drape - I chose the Ogden Cami from True Bias.

Pre-washing

Rayon is colourfast but can shrink so always pre-wash. Rayon can be machined wash and tumble dried. Wash on a warm temperature, and dry on a medium heat. To see what the shrinkage rate is – you can test a small sample while pre-washing. Cut a 5in square on gridded paper or plain paper is fine too. Use this as a template to cut a square of fabric the same size, which you can compare after washing. The fabric I’m using is ‘Let’s Chalk from AGF Joyful Fusion’ and as you can see from the photo, there really was minimal shrinkage.

Cutting your fabric

The main aim is to stop your fabric shifting around – there are several things you can do:

Place a piece of tissue paper underneath the fabric/ pattern to help it stay put on the cutting surface. I use pattern weights rather than pins, but if you prefer to use pins choose sharp fine tipped ones, as these are less likely to leave holes in delicate fabrics. Always pin in the seam allowance.

I like to use my scissors to cut out – make sure your pair is super sharp – but you may find it easier to use a cutting board and rotary cutter. Cut your pattern out on the floor if you’re working on larger projects to avoid the fabric hanging off the table.

Minimise any stretching by storing your cut out fabric pattern pieces by rolling them up.

Sewing your garment

Test your sewing machine tension on a fabric scrap. I’m guilty of skipping pinning the fabric together when sewing pieces with straight seams, but with rayon you really should secure the fabric layers.

Rayon can stretch out of shape when sewing so make sure you avoid pulling the fabric whilst you sew! Stop sewing to re-adjust your fabric at regular intervals.

Stay stitching is key is to helping necklines stay in shape.

Choose a fusible sheerweight interfacing so it doesn’t affect your fabric’s drape. Silk organza is recommendd for this.

As rayon is prone to fraying, finish your raw edges properly. French seams are a good choice.

Use a new needles size 65/9 or 70/10 for thin, lightweight wovens.

Use a delicate stitch such as 2mm stitch instead of the automatic 2.5mm. This can help with any fraying going beyond the seam.

Remember to match the thread weight to your fabric weight.

Pressing

When ironing, lift your iron and press. Rayon is a sensitive fabric and if the iron is too hot it can leave a shiny mark, which you won’t be able to get off. Use the wool setting and a pressing cloth. Always let your fabric rest and cool before removing from the ironing table.

Hemming

It’s a good idea to hang up your garment for a day before hemming it.

Art Gallery Fabrics, Modelo and Cloud9 do beautiful rayons that come in vibrant colours and patterns, and are great for making clothes. To view these click here – hantex.page.link/r