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Maximum

Cross Grain

First post so hope I don’t break any rules.

I bought some linen viscose to make wide leg trousers but the shrinkage was so bad that I cannot fit the pattern pieces on with the grainline parallel to the selvedge. As it’s a woven can I get away with grainline at 90° to the selvedge? Lining up with the weft rather than the warp. Do I risk it or just chicken out and make shorts and have a lot of wastage?

Not used linen viscose before. It feels lovely but aside from excessive shrinkage at 30° wash it bled so much colour that the colour catcher was darker than the fabric! Is it the linen content or the viscose causing these issues?

Thx in advance for any ideas on the way forward

· 17 hours ago
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DonnieH's avatar
DonnieH Plus Member

I'll be interested to see what others have to say about this but first, I'm so sorry you've had this experience. It's so disappointing when you have plans to then have them thwarted. Thank goodness you did the pre-wash! I've recently prepared several lengths of viscose linen sourced from Jenny Stitches and definitely didn't experience any colour run and the 'tightening' of the fabric, which seemed like shinkage, loosened up when it was ironed so I'm back to where I started with size. None of that is of any help to you. Sorry.

· 14 hours ago
Maximum's avatar
Maximum

Thx for replying! Mine also came from Jenny Stitches and colour run might well have been the particular dark teal dye. It’s been ironed and feels soft and relaxed with plenty of drape.

I’m just not sure about aligning with the weft. “The sewing rules” always say align with grain and parallel with selvedge

· 14 hours ago
SewHayleyJane's avatar
SewHayleyJane Admin

Oh gosh I’m sorry to hear that happened, that’s such a pain!

I would say go for it, cut on the cross grain. If it will get wasted anyway by making shorts you might as well. I believe it’s completely fine to do that, obviously if you haven’t got a directional print.

· 10 hours ago

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