-, -. -- 76£ BULLETI N M-258- APRI L 1950 RAYON DRESS FABRICS
- THEIR SELECTION -BEHAVIOR - AND-CAR·E
.'-. ,
ExtE~SION~ERV\CE MONTANA 5TATE COLLt.GE BOZEMAN, MONTANA ,", "~" \JO"" ..t,GE BtiZEMAN Montana Extension Service in Agriculture andHome Eoononlios, R. B. Tootell, Director. Montana state College and TIni.ted states Depa.rtzoout of Agriculture cooperating. Distributed in furtherance of: Acts of
Congress,Jlay 8 a.nd June 30.. 19140 RAYON DRESS FABRICS THEIR SELECTION, BEHAVIOR AND CARE
By Elizabeth M. Birong
The Bewildered Consumer
It is not easy for today's consumer to know which rayon. fabric to choose for best sucoess in washing or dry cleaning, whether it be yard goods or ina rea~~to-wear garment. This problemoi' the right selection is diff'i-·· oult because:
1. The average consumer has dH'ficulty in always recognizing a rayon or rayon-mixed fabric. 2. Evan though the oonsumer oan recognize a rayon fabric - it is diffioult to identify the type of rayon used~ ' 3. The physioal and ohemioal properties of the different rayons vary. 4. The behavior of a fabric varies with the· kind of rayon and other fibars used.: 5. The different weaves vary in their oharacteristics. 6. The different finishes applied to rayon :f'e.brios cause a change in the behavior of the fa.brios•.· 7. .Labels rarely tell muoh about f'iber oontent or expected shrinlaige. 8. Though the fabrio may be washable, "the style of the rea~-made garment may require dry' oleaning.
Let us see how these above reasons mi ght affeot choioe of purohase.
What .Are The Different Rayons?
All rayons are made from ceilulose, such as wood pulp 1 or cotton linters, but the way in which they are manu factured makes the difference in the final product•. ( There are two types of rayon- Regenerated Cellu.lose Rayon and Cellulose Acetate Rayon. Regenerated cellulose rayon is manufaotured by either the Viscose process or "the Cup~oniu.m prooess. Visoose Px'oqess Regenerated oellulose, rayon/", ," ~uprammonium Prooess
Aoetate rayon-- ~,Cel1ulose Aoetate P~ocess
These rayons are i dentii'ied by either their process name or by their brand nama. It is well for the oonsumer to learn to distinguish one rayon from another since the brand name or process dOeS not always aocompany the pro- duct. "
At present sane manufacturers' are encouraging that 1:;he ,word "Estron!t be adopted by all manufacturers to, designate aoetat,6' ray0:0. 0,
WhY: This Difference in Rayons l
A oonsumer should know whether she is buying regenerated oellulose rayon or aoe'tate rayon since they behave' ' differently. This is evident from the following charac- teristios of thB two. '
Aoetate Rayon
is thermoplastio- that is, it will fuse or melt in -contaot with a hot iron. Thil temperatures of f'lat irons range f'rom 2250 F.to 6000 F• If aoetate' rayon is ironed at a temperature much above 2500 F. a glaze or shine appears. This is partly dependent upon the yarn and fabric struoture. This rayon.fuses (melts) 'at 4500 F. '
_does not absorb water readily. For this reason, it does not become as weak when wet, nor shrink as mch, as regenerated cellulose rayon.
_is more resistant to staining or soiling than re generated cellulose rayon.' ' _dries quickly, since it has absorbed little moisture.
~smore readily affected by gas fading - partioularly -certain colors, if the right dyes and f:i.ni~hes: have not been used. Work is bein/i; done to overoome this.
will stretch more than regenerated oelluloserayon, -butw:i.l1 also go baok into plaoe faster. '.
loses less strength than regenerated cellulose --rayon when exposed to sunlight, as when used in glass.curtains•
is not as readily affected by perspiration, -deodorants, and non-perspirants as regenerated cellulose rayon.' . . . .', . _.
should not be bleached,.as household bleaohes have no affect other than weakening thi3' fiber.
" .\ at present, does not reaot as favorablyto,oreas~ -resistant finishes as does regenerated cell,ilose rayon. . .
Re generated·Cellulose Ray~n £. . oan be ironed with a highartempera.tura .ii"o~ than -aceta.te rayon. -This rayon is notthermoplastio in the same s.anse, of the word" therefore, doe s not fuse or melt; nowevar, the :f'a.'6Hccan be scorched•
. .:.~ ,.1 l:~:~'l')., ..j:' :,~'}, ,,~:~.; .... _oan be given a. mild ;bleao.h::~~',tpe,\i;!ab;rio.i s:,whitee Rins~thoroughlY"a.tter ~bleaol-U:ng,.othe.rwise.brgWn stains:rmy.a:PBear w1}.ent;he fab.ri,~~.is, ir..onE!.~,."':
.' "'\:, " ,'wi."ll weaken'~r deteri o~lil,te whelk,in oonta~t V(d.t}j, -perspirati ; .. 4 So~peneral Charaoteristios of All Rayons _I;UJ.yon fabrios, unless trea1;;ed w1th a orush-resistant . '~nish or made of orepe yarns, have little elastioity or rellllienoy. Unless so treatEid, rayon fabrics tend -to ho~4 1I'rlnlcles and retain distortion or stretohing mQr! tl1.e.-n fabrios of same natural fibers. ___White rayons do not 'turn yellow if soil 1s ocmpletely re1l1o"Md in eaoh launAeringo. Soi'tened -.rater is rec~nded. _RAyon, like 'Wool. beOaIJeS weak when -wetJ cotton and l,-1W:Q. beoane stronger when wet. _Most rayons oontinue to shrink with e..oh suoceeding ~u~eri.ng. IdentifYing The Ditferent RAyons You can identify 'the dittereDb rayons it they are not labeled. Ravel warp and filling yarns tromthe seam or yardage and burn the £ibars. If they burn qUiokly 11ke paper w1:th little ash, they are of regenerated cellulose rayon or ootton. It, lU'ter burning, the alh 1s hard and unbreakable, the :fihers are acetate rayon. Nylon melta, it does not burn. Acetone, obtained fran your druggist, 11111 dissolve aoetate rayon only. Pi'her Combinati 0118 Every fi.ber has. characteris't1cs peouliar unto itself. These oharaoi#erlstios should be considered when deciding how a £abrio should be cleaned and the i#empera'b.lre of the .iron in pressing or. ironing. Mosi# fabrics used in under garments and dresses will shrink unless treated, but t~ degree of' shrinkage varies. A label stating expeoted shrinkage 'Would save oonsUJmrs 1I10h time· and di:fi'i.culty. In ma:r:w rayon fabri08, boi#h a oetato and regenerated oellulose rayon are used. e1ther as separate warp and .tilling or as f1bar blends. oneot the most oOJlllllonly 5 found ways of using both types of rayon is illustrated in rayon shantung, page 15, where,the warp yarns are acetate rayon and the filling yarns are regenerated oel1ulose rayono . Another example of the use of both rayon fibers is shown in rayon sharkskin, page 17. Here both types of fibers alternate in the warp and in the filling. 'Whe never acetate rayon is used in a fabric, a cool iron should be used in pressing or ironing. Rayon is sOlOOtimes oombined in a fabric with cotton. Butcher rayon, page 19, a type of orash, has a two-ply yarn both in the warp and in the filling•. One ,ply is cot-bon and °l;he other regenerated cellulose. rayon. Cotto~, Hnanor tr¥lon can qe combined wi thrayon t6 reduce shri:nk:e,ge, inoreases"(;rangth and rw.y or my' not . change the appearan(f8 of the i'abrio. Rayon i s used wi1;h wool mainly to reduce cost, shrinkage and. sometimes t~ . warmth. . Different Weave Structures ...'IIId _ Before rayon was produced, certain fabric names were associated with the natural f'ibel'S - fore~ple, satin and taffeta were taken for gra:p.tec1. as. being made. of silk - as was tweed of wool. Toda.y,. rayon oanbe woven into similar fabrios, thus the need for saying "rayon taffetatt • . Certain weaves have characteris1;ics that should be oon.. sidered when selecting the style of the garmenb and its purpose in the wardrobe. These same charaoteristics should be considered when deciding whether or not the fabric should be laundered. The rapidity with which a fabric absorbs moisture affeots its ease of cleaning. Some fabrios, 'b,y nature or their weave structure and finish-, are more water-resista.rrli than 0\:;001'8 .. therefore. more difficult to launder - taffeta being a.n example. The weaves most oommonly used in rayon dress fabrics are plain and twill. 6 Plain Weave Plain weave, sometimes called tabby, is the simplest of all weave ~truotures. It is made by a single filling yarn interlacing a single warp yarn at ri ght angles. Eaoh suoceeding row alternates·w:Lth the previous rem. Plain woven fabrics are generally inexpensive, are easy to launder and allow the air to penetrate to the body. There are mar:w variations of the plain weave 0 Sarna of the oommon ones used in dress i'abrics are described below. a. Plain weave with uneven size warp ax::,d filling yarns Fabrics that are made of uneven size yarns, both 'Warp and filling, are called orashes. Most women are fam iliar With ootton· or linen crash towelingo This same type of fabrio is made using spun rayon.* Suoh a fabric is seldom closely woV'en because of the ooarse ness and uneven size of the yarns. The yarns are not very tightly twisted. Because of these f'aotors, the fabric is quito comfortable to wear. Rayon crashes are made of either all regenerated cellulose or aoetate rayon. Sometimes both aoetate and regen erated pellulose rayon are. used to~ether, or either one can be combined wi.th cotton. {Seebutoher rayon, sample number 9., page 19.) b. P.lai~ weave with slub fi1.li.nfj yarns, Shantung is· an example of thi s variation of plain weave. It may be of all visoose rayon, or as in sample nwnber 5, page 15, the warp yarns are aoetate filament rayon* and 'bhe filling yarns are regenerated cellulose spun rayon. The filling yarns are spun in such a way tha.t slubs or knots appea.r at irregular intervals giving the yarns a. nubby and interesting 'box·bure to the fabric >l Plain weave with. crosswise ribs Rib weaves, such as found in broadcloth and poplin are made ~J usinr; a groo.tel' numher or finer warp than filline; yarns. In order. to accent the rib weave,. such fabrios are closely woven. Since they are com pact, they do not allow the air to penetrate'bo the body. This fabric is frequently made of all regenerated cellulose rayon or in cpmbination with acetate ·rayon. When made in a lightWei ght quality it is easy to handle in laundering. (See rayon broadoloth, sample number 3, page 13.) Faille is also a rib weave ana is made using ))oth rayons or in combinati on '1i-l;h wool or cotton." .. Plai~'!.~f;tv~]vi..:~l1-.:.c..~.~~Z:I!~. . .'... Crepe fabrics var-J noticeably in ,the de:gree of .;tw:ist . givon 'b'oths :...·rarp a.nd/or f~ lUng yarns. The higher the num~er of twists per inQhof.yarns.the more crinkled orcreped the. yarn b.ecomes. French. .c.r_8.l?2.·,has little'or notwist.i11thewarI' y~:rns but the fill:i.ng yarns have been' given a .moderate twist all in the same direction; that is, either to the right or left., Marv rayon blouse and slip materials are of a similar construction; also soma dress fabrics. The crinkled. surface is hardly notice able in a French crepe. (See sample number 11, page 21.) . These crepes are' usually made of all ree;eneratod cenuloser~yon.· . Flat crepe has e.. slightly more tinnkled sur~ace than French crepe. It too is used for lingerie and dres::: material.. The warp yarns are given)ittleor no.- . twist while' the filling yarns a.re given a high~r .• number of twists a.nd every two se"bs of yarns; alternate in tJ1eir dil,"'ecti.on of twist. (See sample number 8. page 18.) These crepes usually have an acetate warp and a regenerated cellulose rayon filline;•." . 8. George~~e c~epe bas a distinot pebbly or orepad texture.due to the highly tWisted warp and filling yarns. Eaoh yarn a1-ternates in direo-tion of twist with the previous yarn. A fabrio simi1a.r in struoture to the above is rayon sheer _ sample number 2, pa.ge 12. The warp yarns are g:ivan a high 1iwi.st, singles alterna:ting; -the filling yarns also have a high twist a.lternating in direotion in sets o:f twos. There are more noV'el"by orepe:fabrlcs on the market many of: these are of: two-ply yarns, highly "twi. sted and o:f bo-th ace"bate and. regenerated cellulose rayon. Crepe fabrfcs drape and fall into soft folds and are suitable for dressy 1;ype gar·mnts. Because of the elastioity of 'the. orepe yarns 'the fabric retains fgw wrinkles, but it IIUi.y also stre'tch notioeably. Crepe fabrios shrink when laundered or when pressed if· much steam is used. Some fabrioscan be stretohed or ironed baokinto shape, but garments lose theirni.ce appearanoe and. strength beoause of im.proper pulling in ironing.. Highly oreped fabrics should be carefully dry 0 leansd. Twill Weave Twill weaves are recognizedby' the diagonal line across the surf'aoe orfaoe of 'the fabrio. (See- sa.mp:J.e number 1, page 11.) Twills are lMde by ha:ving one or more fi1.1ing yarns interlaoe groups of' warpso In each suoceeding raw a filling yarn ·progresses at a set nUIllber of warps forming tlte diagonal line•.: All things being equal, there are more yarns per square inch in a twill fabric than in a plain weaV'e. This makes -the fabrio firm and compact. Twill weaves lend themselves· best to-tailored styles. Beoause these fabrios are compaot, they are'W'a.rm·and not too easy to handle in laundering. Twi11 fabrics are made 'With one type of rayon, both warp. andfi lling, or with the warp of one 'type and the filling of the other type. 9 Satin is a variation of the twill weave and is used in same dress and slip fabrics and for liningsa Satins are made of all one type of rayon or with an acetate warp and a regenerated cellulose rayon filling. Different Finishes l,'inishas used on rayon fabrilcs today may give stability to the fabric, make it wrinkle-resistant, water-repellent and impart body to the I1Rterial. Some fabrics may be treated so that there is Iittle distortion in use, such as in laundering or ironing. Some of these finishes are permanent thro~gh many c lea.nings; others are remove din dr-y cleaning or launderingo A label tellin{5 this is the oonsumer's only means of recognizing such treated fabrics. Labels On Yard Goods and Garments Linge.rie garments are more often labeled as to i'i.ber content than are dresses. One frequently finds a tag attached to undergarments telling that the fabrio is rayon and giVing di rections for laundering. Not many tags state what type of rayon is used. However, the fact 'chat a cool iron is reconnnended indicates that aoetate rayon his been used. There are fewer tags giving even this i.nformation attaohed to ready-made dresses - and. even fewer to yardage. Vlhatconsumers really need to know i snot only What type of rayon was used in the fabrio .but· the expected or residual shrinlaJ..ge. It is easy to pre-shrink yardage, but ready-to-wear ganoonts must be labeled with this information. Learning the hard and expensive way thr.ough testing and experience will corrbinus until consumers demand more informative labels. lvIany home-sewers buy rayon that lends itself 'lVell to laundering but make the mistake of ohoosing a style with much dra.pery or many tailored thicknesses 0 Thisnakes it necessary to have the ga.rm;lnt'dry oloaned. 10 AJr ANALYSIS OF TWELVE COl\1MONLY USED RAYON DRESS FABRICS A stu~* ViaS undertaken to help oonSUIOOrs see how some rayon dress fabrios behave when laundered. Twelve cOIlllllon ly used and popularly prioed :fabrios were given standard' laundel'ing tests. Sa.mples were washed five tizoos in lukewarm water and nxi.1d soap. Another set of samples was washed the same number of tiIIElS, but in hot water and a stronger soap. The amount of fraying of 3/4-inoh pinked seams was measured for both laundering mthods(l Tests f'or identifying the presenoe of' insoluqle finishes were oonduoted. Ordinarily, a person would not think of laundering highly craped f'abrics such as rayon sheer, page'12, and flat orepe JI page 18, ye-b sane women have purchased -these fabrios for "better dresses" - had them dry oleaned for the length of -time used as a ~tter dress, and then deoided to launder "them, only to find that the garmnt shrunk beyond U5e. Generally speaking, warp yarns shrink more than filling yarns. This is due partly to "bhenecessary tension applied in wea,vine and in the subsequent finishing. All of the fabrios shrank more than 2% per yard in the warp(l Two :fabrios had. less than 2% shrinkage in the. filling, and. one stretched•. PiscQUnbing the orepe fabrics, the warp shrinkage for the reIlll.ining 10 fabrics ranged fran 4.4% per yard to as high as 22.5%. In general, the spun rayons and fabrics Wlth i:ihe lower yarn counts shrank· slightly less than the filament rayons and fabrics with the high yarn counts. *This study was financed by the Researoh Foundation, Montana State College, and oarri.ed. out under the super vision of Elizabeth Birong, Textile and Clothing Depart ment, with Mrs. Helen Mayf'i eldl Montana. Agricultural Experiment Station, and Lora V. Hilyard, Montana Exten sion Servioe, as oonsultan"bs. Aoknowledgment is mad~ of the assistance of' Mrs. Alma Hagar and Mrs. Rausie Lou Cuinmings,. Home Economios graduates of Montana State Col ledge, and students in "the 1iextiles classes, who did the routine work in performing the tests. 11 As stated previously, two types of laundering tests were conducted: Test A- laundered in lukeivarm water and mild soap; Test B- laundered in hot water and strong soap. The photographs show the shrinkage that occurred in e. 10" square of material. Under each sample photographed are shrinkage results calculated in inohes per square yard for Test A. Five of'the samples shrank slightly less when washed in hot water and mild soap. However, either the hotter water or stro~ger soap caused a slight fading or color change. Fabric No. 1 - Rayon Gabardine Yarn ·Coi.,mt*: 110 Warp x 56' £i1liri~' . '. This so';;cal1e d rayon" gabardine is' Dlerely·>e.n .un"; ". ~ even.twill, not a gabardine tWl.li. .,. .':.".....; .. ' ..... -' " " This·tabriciS' made' '6r 'f':e;geil.;"; .- arata'd' '·e~ellui··ose···ra.y6·ri:'~s'taple yarn and,wa~ 'gi:ve'nan ins ol~ . uble:'WrtDklb-re!ilis·t'ant<:rfl:ii:s}l" of'cel1ulo'sEl aoetate"an : ': : ....:;,.... +. '. i::' There was a 511 ght fading and gain in wei ght iriJ:hdi;h!~wash,., "bests. .Amount of shririk:aee ~.s n9t af'fected.py the ohange in water temperature<.or 'stre:i:fg:bh o-f '.soap.:," >.: ."': -~..: f ;:.:J ..:: .. *NUiii'ber of wa.rp and f'illing yarns per square inch. 12 The amount the seam frayed indioates that the fabrio should have some simple seam finish such as edge-stitching or overoasting. Sinoe twill fabrios are gen erally closely woven and oom paot, the fabric has a good deal of body. Only simple tailored styles should be . selected. Beoause of -bhe fabrio wei ght and -bhe addi tional insoluble wrinkle resistant finish, it is not [seams frayed 1/16 inoh.1 easy to handle this fabric in home laundering. This fabric was labeled "dry olean", yet many mothers use this fabrio for teen-age youngsters vri'bh the idea of wash ing the garlMnt. Garments of thi s fabric, if they nus"b be washed, should be ironed sligh-bly damp and on -bhe wrong side, using lO\'V' temperature. If necessary to press the trimming from the right side, oover the garment with a. lightweight ootton cloth to prevent color ohange and shine The medium to dark shades have been foond to take on a t'white It cast when washed and ironed. Some of thi s may be due to the fabrio retaining soap. To safeguard against this, use softened.water for sudsing and the first rinse, and use sufficient rinses to remove a:r:v trace of soap. Even some dry oleaners have not been ~o() suocessful in restoring the original appearanoe if thefabrio has been badly soiled" Fabric No. 2 - Rayon Sheer This fabric is a sheer rayon orepe made of highly twisted regenerated oellulose rayon yarns. The 3/4" seam frayed almost completely. As mentioned before, any fabrio of 13 Warp shrinkage: 7 7/8" per yard Seams frayed: 9/16" .Fillin~ shrinkage: 33/4" per yard such weave structure should not be laundered. nOr should muoh moisture be used when pressing. This material is most sui table for styles using sort folds or draperyo It ,is sheer. 0001.. and 1:ry nature of its crepe weave. wrinkle-resistant. Fabrio No.3 - Ra~on Broadoloth Yarn count:: 112 warp x 15 filling. Rayon broadoloth is sometimes called l'luji. It:i,a similar "bo poplin - plain weave with crosswise rib. (See weaves. page 5.) This !'abric is made of regenerated oellulOlle rayon. both warp and filling. Most woman buy this lightweight fabric expeoting to launder the garment, yet the warp or lengthwise shrinkage for this was the greatest of all s~ples tested. If one were fi guring on three yards for a garment, one 'VTould 14 Warp shrinkage: ;'~8': l!S" per yard Seams frayed: None rilling shrinkage: 1/211 per yard neEidJ,to'cpurohase 2/3 of a ya.:rd extra.for pre-shrinking. Because the warp shrankmoretha.n ,thei'illing, the doi:;s beoame distorted. Th~,ra;. w:a:Si' a ~s1ight color .cha.ngeinboth. types' of wasbing. No finish was applied to this fabric. There are se~ral ·advnnta:ges to a fabric of this. type. It is light enough in',;reight'to 'bEl'ea.siiy handled in laundering. Since it is -of t"egeneratedoelluloserayon, the temperat':Ureof the iron can be approximately the same~ as ,that usedf'or cotton•. Wrinkles iron out readily ii;, ,:bhe'fabrl6 is dAmp when ir,one d. .No seam;f;i.ni.sh i's necessary. ,ddr:,tj', ,~:,:'::': FJapn,o No. 4 - Spun ,Ray;on, .':", Yarn Count: 74 warp x 62 fillingo ,. This, i'a;'Pnci,s"lllade· .of spun regenera.ted, cellulpse rayon " in a.· plain :wea.ve. This fabric and sample No.6, a spun rayon print, shrank the least in the wa.rp of all samples tested, However. 15 Warp Shrinkage: 1 1/2" per yard Seams frayed: None Filling Shrinkage: 2" per yard -the filling shrinkage for this sample was high and more -than ·the warp. Shrinkage was reduoed.by washing in hot 'Water. There was no change in color in eithar wash tests, nor did the seams fray. This fabric was treated with a cellulose acetate finish. I-t was labeled "hand wash". This fabrio is often pur chased for simple tailored garments for grQWing girls wi.th a view tcn.vard home laundering. "Wi. th this in mind, -the garJOOn-t should be kept free frambulq tailoring details. Fabric No.5 - Rayon Shantung Yarn count: 113 warp x 58 filling. The-characteristic of shantung is the uneven slub filling yarns irregularly spaced. (See weaves, page 6.) This shantung has an acetate:! rayon warp and a regenerated oellu1ose rayon filling. 16 Warp shrinkage: 6 3/4" per yard Seams· frayed: 1/8" Filling shrinl~ge: 11 1 3/4 , per yard It is frequently used in wash dresses and blouses, ye~ the high warp and filling shrinkage would indicate, that the garment would best be dry oleaned or the fabri 0 pre shrunk. This shantung had been gi. ven a water-soluble finish that was :!nore notoieably removed when washed in hot water. leaving the fabric limp. A slight fading occurred when ,hot water and strong soap were used. The seams frayed s Iightly indioating that edge-stitching or overcasting would be desirable. Fabric No.6 - Spun Rayon Print Yarn count: 66 warp x 44 filling. This fabric was soid as spun rayon but when tested was found to be all cotton. It is a plain woven fabric of low yarn oount and is typical of the fabrics- selected by many women because of its ease in laundering. This fabric had both soluble and insoluble finishes. 17 Warp shrinkage: 1 1/2" per yard Filling shrinkage: 1/2" per yard There was a noticea.ble colo:rb1eeding and fading when ,vashed in hot water and .strong soap. ., . The se~ frayed slightly indicating a s~ple tlD1sh' such as pinking. overcast",ng, or edge-stito'hi,ng 'WOuld be desirable. .' .' Fabric No. 7 - Rayon Sharkskin. Yarn count: 83 warp x 68 filling•. Thi splain 'Wbven fabric has a :warp and filling of alter- . nating aoetate and regenerated cellulose rayon. For this reason, it should be handled as if' mali~ of all acetate rayon. Rayon sharkskin is commonly used for tailot~d blOtii:u3s. dresses, and in the heavier weight for summer suits. It is made of' filament. rayon with practically no twist to the yarn. For this reason, the yarns paok closely together in weaving thus greatly reducing the amounb of a.ir tha.t can penetrate to the bottr. 18 Warp shrinkage: 35/8'1 per. yard Seams frayed: . 3/istl Filli~shrinkage: 1 1/2" per yard Most women. qxpeot to launder. pas'\;el oolors, if the sha.rk skin is lightweight, yet i;he.warp,shrinkage is .noticeable. This fabric has a water-soluble finish whioh was mostly removed in.>hot ·we,ter, washing•.Sharkskin shau1dbe ironed damp ~~h:.a:-m9dera~eiron.,· -. - The amount of fraying indicates the need for a firm seam finish or closed se~. Fabri.c No. 8 - _Rayon Flat Cr~ Yarn cOlmt: _135 warp, X 78.f.illingo As mentioned prl!)'~iwslY, samples lifo. -2 and 8 are made of crepe yarns and shouid not be la.undered because of the excessive shrinkage. Thi s ha.t crepe ~.s_:of regenerated'cellul,~serayon 'without a finish.- 19 Warp shrinkage: 7 1/2" per yard Seams frayed: 1/4" FilUng shrinkage: 5" per yard There was a slight oolor ohange when washed in lukewarm \ve.rm water and a more notioea.ble fading when washed in hot water. Fabrio No. 9 - Butoher Rayon Ya.rn oount: 36 warp x 26 filling. lJntil reoently, this fabrio was oalled butoher linen but beoause of the Rayon Labeling Rules, it is now properly identified as butoher rayon. It was. probably oalled butcher linen beoause of its resemblanoe to this orash fabric, yet it is made of regenerated oellulose rayon a.nd ootton. Fabrios of coarse uneven size warp and fill i.ng yarns in plain weaves are typioal orashes. This fabric has 2-ply 'warp and filling yarns; 1 ply cotton, and the other, regenerated cellulose rayon. Not all orashes are of 2-ply yarns nor are they of mixed fejrios. This fabrio ha.s a oellulose aoetate f1nish. 20 Warp shrinkage:: 3 3/411 per yard Seams frayed: ' 1/4" U Filling shrinkage: 1 '1/2" per yard ~-----.Jl This sample had anaxtreme color change when 'washed by' eithor method yet -the clerk who :sold it saidit was "colorfast" but that it would shrink. However, the shrinkage was not as great as for some other fabrics. This fabrio shrank more when washed in water hotter than luk6'Wl:).rm.'· The amount the seams frayed indicates a need for edge stitching and/or overcasting!) Fabric·,l~o. 10 -Sl'un Rayon Print Yarn count: 94 warp x 89 i'illing. I This plain woven fabri 0 i's made of regenerated cellulose r spun rayon. It has been given an insoluble orush , resistant fi.nish -that not o:rtly imparts resilienoy quali r -ties but also crispness or body. However, the fabric was not labeled in thi s respect and the customer would to be at a loss to mow whether the finish would be permanent. ) ') 21 · Wa.rp shrinkage: 3 3/4" per ya.rd Seams frayed: 3/16" Fil1in,g shrinkage: 3 1/8" per yard This fabrio shrank the S8.1l8 &JIlQUnt in both methods of laundering. '1'here 'WaS no fading in either washing method, but the sea.ms frayed slightly more (1/4") in the hot water and strong soap than in the lukewarm water and mild soe.p (3/16"). . I Fabric No, 11 - Rayon Print (Twalle) I . .' ~arn count s 111 warp x 78. filling. This .fabric has a coined f'aDrlC name, "Twalle" a.nd 1s ~hat .simila~ tci a Frenoh orepe stNoture, ~IlY irayon blouse and slip materials are or the same yarn 'and weave structure. It is of regenerated filament lrayon withaut tims h. F'abri cs of this type are easily laundered but have ex cessive warp shrinkage. Yardage should be wellshrunlc before ulJing. 22 Warp shrinkage: . '5~ .7/an·:per.yard . Sea.nis f~yed: 1/8" 'Filling shrinkage: 1/4" per yard r Cracks Jlppear if the fabric is subl-j-e.-ct-e-d-.~t:--o-:-' -f-ri-ct-i-o-n-a-s-..J( ~ in rubbing or twi. sting in hand wringing. Suoh fabrics should be rolled in a towel rather than wrung out~" I ,There .wasn(). color change ;in launderini'and tpe sea.InS frayed slight1y.: ..... Fabrio no. 12 - Spun Rayon .Print Yarn count :.-70warp x 57 ri.1litrg. This spun rayon ·fabric is typical of the types used for ~~habledresses. It is of regenerated cel1~lose rayon made, ~n a plai.n weave. Both cellufose a.cetate ancl.urea forma1d.~Wde ri.nisl:es are applied to impart body ~n' "hand~' tQ·:the fabric. These finishes also. 10W'er·.th~ W'rinkii~g 'prop~rlies of' the £~bric~ ' .. '.. T.he~hrink8.ge for this. fabri,pW'as lowe.rthan f'Qr. Jl!.ost of . the· samples tested'J~ut not as law assampJ"e.,No~,;4 .~nd 6. Shrinkage remained the same for·bothwater"temperatures. ".,' . 23 Warp shrinkage: .. . 2 1/4" per yard Seams frayed: None }'~l1ing shrinkage: 13/4" per ya~d Iron this .fabric slightly damp and with a moderate iron. There was no ,fading orsaam fraying ine1thar iaundeting 'mothod. Suxmnary Fe,'f rayon dress. fabrics are labeled as to whether they are ace'cate rayon or reGenerated cellulose rayon. You can di stinguish one from the other by burning a firN warp and filling yarns. Acetate rayon has a ha:rd un breakable ash while regenerated cellulose rayon has a S of't, foe.th0ry ash similar 'co cotton. Aoetone will dissolve acetate rayon. Hayon, like all ·otherfabrics unless 1Jreated, shrinks when washed•.. Pre-shri..nk yardage before :maki.ng the garment. Since rayon loses strength when wet, care should be taken not to use too muoh friotion when washing rayon fabrics. 24 To avoid a glaze or shine, iron rayons slightly damp. rather than notioe~bly damp or vret.!arid o~ "rrone; side. Rayons are more easily ironed if they are not allowed to dr.l completely. Sprinkling may oause 'VlB.ter spotting and an uneven distribution of moisture. Because acetate rayon is thermoplastic manufacturers can permanently set pleats and oreases. Acetate rayons have the desired qualities neoessary for a draped-style garment. Aoetate ra.yon requires a cool temperature iron for pressing or ironing. A hot iron will melt the f'i. bers. oausing a permanent glaze. ·When spun rayon fabrics are made of a blend of acetate and regenerated oellulose rather than all regenerated oellulose rayon, shrinkage, stretohing and sagglng are reduced. Delustered or dull rayon yarns are generally not as strong as the bright yarns. However, bright yarns are most frequently used in household furnishings, lingerie and evening or "dressy" ms.terials. Rayon yardage se1eoted for washable garments should be made up into simple styles for ease in ironing. Most rayons are slippery and slide about the table when cutting out a garment. If the wrong side of oilcloth is placed up on the table~ the rayon will not slide about. Of the fabrics analyzed it WaS found that those having a crush-resistant finish lost some of this finish with each suooeeding washing. The removal of. the finish was more noticeable when the fabrics were washed in ho"b water and strong soap. Look and ask for labels describing: Fiber content, oare directions, and expected shrinkage.