Fall fabrics are coming out!

I stopped by my local fabric store the other day to pick up some notions that I need for on-going projects and of course I spent way too much time in there.

Those merchandisers are sneaky how they tease you with all the new fall fabrics on your way to the notions.

There were some beautiful plaids with metallic threading woven into them. Ohhh, and the beautiful, colourful silky prints. How could one not stop to admire them? I was even tempted. What stopped me? Rayon.

What is up with the rayon content in this year's fabric selection?

Personally, I'm not a fan of rayon and it is the one word on a fabric label that will prevent me from purchasing it. Well, that and the phrase "unknown content". I haven't had the best of luck with caring for rayon in the past.  


But I'm not trying to stop anyone from purchasing rayon. Like all fabrics it has its pro's and con's.

Pro’s	Con’s
Rayon has a soft hand and drapes well	May shrink or stretch if not treated
Soft and comfortable, until 1924 Rayon was known as artificial silk	Relatively low in strength
Absorbent; holds in body heat	Weaker when wet, this is a fabric that is best dry-cleaned.  Care should be taken when washing at home.
Good affinity for dyes	Wrinkles unless specially finished
Can be made to resemble natural fibers and can be made to have a lightweight or heavy construction	Weakens in prolonged exposure to light, avoid drying in direct sunlight
	May shine if ironed.  Use a steamer or iron while damp on the wrong side of the fabric.
	Low resistance to mildew

I'm just making an observation that Rayon in these parts have been showing up a great deal. Not only in the fabric content in the fabric store, but also in ready-to-wear clothing. I just hope that it is not a trend that is here to stay.  

Besides, Winnipeg gets a lot of sunshine and is known as one of Canada's sunniest cities.

As a matter of fact, all of our seasons are characterized by an abundance of sunshine. We beat out Toronto and Vancouver for the sunniest places to live.

(Mind you some days I would trade in some of our sunshine for the fabric store options those cities have.)

So with all this sunshine, Winnipeg is not exactly the prime market for rayon. So what gives?

Maybe a shipment error? Could all those beautiful fall fabrics be destined for a safe and less sunnier location.  

So there was no new fall fabric that I was enticed to purchase. But there was some good deals as room had to be made for the new selection and luckily all natural fibers. My fav!

I picked up this light brown medium weight stretch 100% cotton fabric at 50% off. I bought it thinking of the Vogue dress I made in gray.

I didn't have the pattern envelope with me (I just went in looking for notions). And I ended guestimating incorrectly.

So with the extra fabric that I ended up purchasing I think I will save it for the 1940's style trousers that I would like to give a whirl.  

And I also found this fun 100% cotton print at 50% off. The background is white and I'm thinking about making a shirt, Vogue 8748.

I'm thinking about making Version A with the knotted collar?

What I do know is that I'll have to try out the pattern with another fabric because I do absolutely love this print.

I might not be lovin' the fiber content in the fall fabrics that are coming out but I do like what I scored on clearance.