Quilting With Rayon

Have you ever sewn with rayon fabric?  Last year Island Batik sent the Ambassadors  a yard of two different colored rayon batiks.  They would have made great scarves, but I don't really wear scarves, so the fabric was just sitting in my stash waiting for inspiration.

One day one of my sisters was visiting and requested a couple place mats like my pattern Riverbed Place Mats that were published in Table Runners and Toppers by Annie's.  I still had some of the fabrics from the original place mats (French Roasted Collection from Island Batik) leftover, but had run out of the main background fabric.

Photo used courtesy of Annie's

In going thru my stash, we found that one of my pieces of Island Batik rayon matched really well, but it was rayon!  Rayon is soft and rather stretchy.  Not what you want in quilting.

The solution?  I backed the rayon with French Fuse.  This is a soft, light fusible that I use when backing t shirts for t shirt quilts.  It stabilizes the fabric without adding thickness.
Here's a photo of French Fuse

Here's a photo of the fabric and the fabric with French Fuse ironed to the back.  Once the fusible is attached, you can use the fabric like any other cotton.

This worked great!  So when you're in a pinch- don't forget those other non-cotton fabrics in your stash.  You may be able to use them!