Originally Posted by
kateyb
If rayon is pre-washed before it is made into anything the project won't shrink. I used to make cloths for my girls all the time. I washed the rayon in warm and dried in the dryer before cutting out then once it was made up it could be machine washed and dried. Clothes of rayon bought in the store are not pre washed before being made up, so they have to be dry cleaned. Raayon can have up to 10% shrinkage.
I'm one of those people who never prewashes her quilting cotton but I do prewash my rayon beofre sewing clothing. I probably learned this trick here on the board. With rayon, I sew a quick hem on the raw edges so they won't make a frayed mess in the washer or dryer. Then I fold the yardage in big 8 to 12 inch accordian folds and put a large safety pin in the selvage on one side. When I pull it out of the dryer, it's somewhat wrinly around the safety pin but otherwise ready to fold and store or cut and use instead of being in a 5 yard long twisted rayon rope mess. Also, last summer when I made some rayon batik tops, I starched the fabric before cutting it. The starch made it less slippery to work with and kept it from fraying quite as much as I handled it and washed out afterwards so it was still soft to wear. I love the feel of rayon for tops, dresses, and pus even if it does require a little more attention when sewing the seams. I've been toying with the idea of making a quilted (not pieced) rayon shawl.
So, yes, someone's junk is another's treasure. Lucky you!