Everything You Need to Know About the Differences Between Rayon and Viscose and How to Sew Them

Rayon was created during the 19th century, primarily as an imitation silk that was cheaper to manufacture and used more easily accessible raw materials. It’s an artificial fibre, meaning it’s neither natural nor synthetic.

It’s made by taking a naturally occurring element, cellulose from wood or bamboo pulp, and transforming it into a liquid via a chemical process. The result of this metamorphosis is used to create rayon thread, which may then be woven to form a host of textiles: challis, poplin, twill, crêpe or voile. In this article, we’ll focus on woven fabrics, but there are also knit rayon fabrics.

In North America, the term rayon is mostly used, but Europeans prefer the word viscose. It’s helpful to be aware of this distinction when looking at recommendations from different pattern brands.

European companies such as Burda and Fibre Mood will suggest viscose, while companies from the U.S. or Quebec, like McCall's and Jalie, will instead talk about rayon. That means you can use a viscose fabric without any worries even if the pattern recommends rayon.

For the sake of clarity, we will only use the word rayon here, but all our advice applies equally to viscose.

When talking about rayon fabrics, the first thing that comes to our mind is undoubtedly their wonderfully smooth fall. They’re much more supple than natural-fibre fabrics like cotton or linen. They can therefore be used to make superb pleats or folds.

Beside its fluidity, rayon is an easy-to-dye fibre that retains its colour even after multiple washes. Plus, it’s anti-static and breathable! If you want to expand your horizons and experiment with fabrics that are more difficult to sew, rayon is a good choice because it’s much less expensive than other, more high-end fabrics like silk.

Since rayon is a breathable fibre with low heat retention, it’s ideal for spring or summer garments when the weather is hot and humid.

For clothing to wear during the colder seasons, we recommend a fabric made with a mix of rayon and another fibre.

Les tissus de rayonne peuvent être utilisés pour une variété de projets différents: pantalons de style palazzo ou culottes, jupes évasées, robes, blouses ou hauts. 

C’est un bon choix pour les vêtements amples et avec peu de coutures, qui vont mettre en valeur sa fluidité par des drapés ou des fronces. Les vêtements ajustés sont plus risqués, car la rayonne peut s’étirer lorsqu’on porte le vêtement fini. Ainsi, le tissu peut pocher et ne pas reprendre sa forme même après un lavage. Cet effet sera moins visible dans des vêtements amples. Lors du choix de projet, il faut aussi penser que les textiles de rayonne sefripent facilement. 

Un pantalon fait dans cette matière ne restera pas sans plis tout au long de la journée. De plus, avec sa souplesse et sa fluidité, la rayonne est moins appropriée pour des vêtements comportant certains détails nécessitant de la rigidité, comme le col d’une chemise classique. Une popeline de rayonne, même avec de l’entoilage, n’aura pas la tenue et la rigidité d’une popeline de coton, on l’aime plutôt pour sa fluidité. 

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*Please note that the availability of the products presented may differ from one store to another.