Looking for a refined form of rayon material that offers a lush softness? Batiste fabric is made from a plain weave, meaning the warp and weft yarns are woven into a basic crisscross formation and while it can be made from other materials, we see it most often as rayon (otherwise known as viscose). Though this fine fabric has a semi-sheer quality, it also possesses the durability characteristic of traditional rayon cloth. Rayon batiste is as strong as it is soft.
Download a free Sewing with Batiste info sheet!
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1. Selecting Fabric
- Rayon is prone to shrinkage, so prewash it (at least once) on a gentle cycle before continuing with construction.
- Batiste may be slightly translucent; Use as a lining or include one as needed.
- Choose loose-fitting patterns to avoid unwanted stretching when wearing.
2. Cutting
- A rotary cutter and cutting pad will make clean and precise cuts
- Use pattern weights or tissue paper to prevent sliding when cutting
- Roll up your pattern pieces once the cutting is complete to prevent pulling or stretching
3. Sewing
- Use fine-tipped pins or pattern weights to avoid snagging the fabric
- Stay stitch necklines and curves before sewing to prevent stretching
- Press on a low heat setting to avoid stretching or melting.
- Sew with a microtex size 70/10 needle to avoid unwanted holes and puckering
- Adjust machine to a smaller stitch length to combat frayed edges
- Let the feed dogs do their job; any additional pulling with stretch the fabric out
- Consider a french seam to finish edges; It looks great and encloses frayed edges
- Let the fabric hang for 24 hours before hemming to let it rest and stretch out naturally
- Use a rolled hem to finish
- A standard foot or walking foot will work best
- Sew small amounts and adjust fabric as you sew to prevent stretching, snags, and other potential mishaps
Pattern Suggestions
Batiste is ideal for lingerie, blouses, dresses, and summer wear.
Some pattern suggestions perfect for this fabric are below:
Choose batiste for your warm-weather clothing, lingerie, blouses, and more. Its drape, soft hand, and durability are characteristics you can’t miss out on. Leave a comment below with your tips for sewing with rayon batiste!
4 comments
I wasn’t able to down loan the free pants pattern that was free last month. Will try again. Thank you
Thank you for including this article on working with Rayon batiste! It was incredibly helpful.
Thank you for the information! What is the best lining to use with rayon batiste?
Hi Shawna, we’re sorry for the delay in responding to your question! We get dozens of comments and questions each day, and so many questions get buried and, unfortunately, unanswered. We are now focusing user support on patterns 2 years and newer. We hope this will prevent questions on our more current patterns from going unanswered. Although this is late, we wanted to respond in case anyone else has the same question: while you don’t necessarily need a lining for rayon batiste, we recommend a light-weight lining such as Bemberg.