Are you familiar with this new material that is highly appreciated in fashion for its fluid drape? Let's discover together viscose jersey, this fine, light, and supple material that is increasingly present in spring-summer ready-to-wear collections, especially for making dresses, skirts, and blouses. 

And you know what... today, more and more viscose jersey is found in haberdashery for sewing our own clothes; you will find a great collection in the shop! So let's get started with the discovery!

Where does viscose jersey fit within the large family of fabrics?

To categorize a fabric, there are two major characteristics to know: the type of fibers used and the method used to construct the fabric. These two major characteristics are responsible for much of the fabric's behavior (drape, elasticity...); they are therefore important to know in order to choose your fabric with full knowledge to make your garment or accessories. 

In the case of viscose jersey, this results in:

• fiber type: viscose
• method type: mesh/knitting

Let's see what that means...

Definition of fiber type: viscose

I had already written an article entirely dedicated to viscose, and I will summarize here the key points to understand this material.  

Viscose is also called industrial silk or artificial silk. Indeed, viscose is a natural synthetic fiber created as a substitute for silk, which was very expensive in the 18th and 19th centuries. Viscose was developed in the 19th century and results from an industrial process. You won't find viscose fibers in nature; they are created solely from natural materials: beech, bamboo, spruce... it is actually the cellulose from these plants that allows the creation of the famous viscose fibers. Just like cotton, viscose contains 90% cellulose derived from wood.

It is, in a way, an artificial natural fiber. 

Properties of viscose: the fibers

Thanks to its manufacturing process, viscose combines the characteristics of a natural textile (such as cotton) and a synthetic one (like polyesters).

Like cotton fibers, viscose fibers:

• allow good air circulation, so it’s a breathable fabric
• are biodegradable
• do not felt 

• is very consistent (no texture defects) 
• absorbs colors well
• has a fluid drape 
• has a smooth appearance  

Jersey properties: the method 

Jersey belongs to the large family of knit fabrics. Knit fabrics are knitted textiles (not woven like poplins, twill, satin...). Because of this knit structure, knit fabrics have much more stretch.
Viscose jersey is a knit fabric made from viscose fibers, recognized by its extreme fineness and fluidity. Its natural elasticity can be enhanced with elastane.

Advantages of viscose jersey

Viscose jersey has many advantages:

• very comfortable 
• soft against the skin
• smooth
• lightweight
• heavy, draping fall (which allows for lovely drapes, like cowl necks...)
• beautiful elasticity that adapts to different body shapes 
• breathable
• good color retention
• resists wrinkling

It’s an easy-care fabric compared to silk and even compared to viscose poplins.   

Points to note about viscose jersey

To sew viscose jersey, you should follow the usual precautions for sewing knit fabrics, especially regarding needles.

Feel free to reread the article on this topic by clicking here. Note that viscose jersey tends to be more slippery than cotton jersey (the same applies to viscose poplins vs cotton poplins). If you’ve never sewn knit fabric before, start with a project using "sweatshirt" fabric or cotton jersey before tackling viscose jersey. If you’ve already made one or two pieces in jersey, you can dive in without worries!

Here you go, I hope you’ve learned a bit more about this beautiful fabric that is viscose jersey. And if you enjoy sewing with this fabric, feel free to visit the shop to discover our collection.