Viscose Or Rayon, Do You Know The Differences?
Many people, including me, have mixed feelings about viscose. Some sewists hate this materials, other love it. I don’t know if you remember this or not. In the late 1980’s and 1990’s, viscose was so popular that I saw it everywhere. Viscose does not crease but tends to shrink after first wash so it lost its popularity after that period.
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Viscose nowadays is not what they used to be anymore and sewists started to care about it more. Pre-washing always advisable for most of your fabrics and it is applicable to viscose.
I am not sure if you know this or not but viscose is made from wood. It is not a synthetic fabric but it is made by a high level of human interference. Viscose’s fibers are made out of wood pulp, which is definitely natural without any effect from a human. Although its fibers are cellulose-based, viscose is made to duplicate some of the silk’s properties. I think the day viscose is as popular and well-loved as it used to be is coming.
Sewing viscose on a sewing machine
Viscose can be found in blends. A combination of linen and viscose retains linen’s benefits and has the non-crease property of viscose. Another popular blend is between jersey and viscose. However, I have to admit that I have not yet seen any benefit in this mix.
Some obvious advantages of viscose are that it does not crease much, it has a reasonable price, it is widely available, and it looks good on the blouse.
If you are new to sewing viscose, the best tip is to baste before you make the seams. Increase the length of straight stitches on your sewing machine and you have basting stitches.
For the downside, viscose can be hard to sew, cut, and sew for newbies. The pins you use can fall out quickly. Viscose does not work well on garments that require a structure. If you insist on using viscose for such outfit, consider using an underliner.
What Is The Definition Of Viscose?
The most popular type of viscose is particularly made from the cellulose of bamboo plant, which is called rayon. Rayon is common in making bed sheets, tablecloths, and furniture.
Viscose can be used to make Cellophane, a popular name that reminds people of plastic wrap. Viscose is becoming more and more popular and is seen in many products.
I sew viscose on my home machine and everything turns out fine. If you want the same model as I do, read this guide 
Which is The Best Sewing Machine For Beginners to know which sewing machine to buy.
What Is The Definition Of Rayon?
Sew rayon fabric on a home sewing machine
Rayon stands somewhere in between a manufactured and natural product. It is like a bat, neither bird nor mammal. They call rayon “regenerated”, which means chemical interference takes place and change the construction and the form of the original fibers.
Rayon was used in furnishings a lot because it is absorbent so it can be dyed easily. However, rayon cannot take much of the wear around the house; so its most common application now is to make clothing.
Rayon can be sewn with most sewing machines out there. If you need some suggestions for a good model, see here The Best Sewing Machine For Beginners Making Clothes? Reviews and Recommendations.
For the reasons I mention above, now you can see why many people use the term viscose and rayon interchangeably.
