Lyocell/Tencel is lovely for garment sewing…but what is it? In this episode, Helen and Caroline completely demystify this beautiful, comfortable, and sustainable fabric: how it’s made, how to sew it, and how to care for it!

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Transcript:

Helen: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Caroline: Hello and welcome to Love to Sew. I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics.

Helen: And I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns. 

Caroline: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew our own clothes and want to encourage you on your sewing journey, too. 

Helen: Join us for today’s topic: a deep dive into lyocell and Tencel fabric. 

Helen: Hi, Caroline. 

Caroline: Hi, Helen. 

Helen: How are you? 

Caroline: I’m so good. How are you? 

Helen: I’m doing well, thanks. I believe when this episode comes out, it is April 27th which is right before the beginning of May. And so I want to know, are you going to do Me Made May this year? 

Caroline: This is about the time of the month when I start panicking and speed sewing a few things so that I can have what I need for Me Made May. I am undecided right now if I’m going to do Me Made May. Are you? 

Helen: I think I am. Yeah. I feel like this year, I’m really loving where my wardrobe is at. We have had some fun, new pattern releases in the last year that I want to play around with and show, you know, how to pair them together or pair them with other patterns. So I’m pretty excited about it. I think I’m going to try to post in my stories regularly, but you know, Me Made May is really just about wearing the clothes that you’ve made, and you don’t need to wear them every day. It’s just an encouragement to pull those out of your closet more often, whatever that means for you.

Caroline: Totally. I think I need, like, a low commitment Me Made May pledge. So I’m gonna think about it. 

Helen: Yeah, well, we’re excited, and if you want to participate and you’ve never participated before, Me Made May happens for the entire month of May, and you can use the hashtag #memademay. I think there’s a few hashtags like hashtag #mmmay or hashtag #memademay2021 to get the specific year. So play around on your social media. Find the hashtags in the areas you want to be, and then you can just have fun posting and sharing if you want to. But if not, you can just wear your garments. That’s totally participating, too. 

Caroline: Yes. Okay. I am so pumped for this week’s episode because it’s another fabric deep dive. And it’s one that, I think, we’ve had a lot of requests for… about a fabric that is quite popular, kind of has, like, a cult following in the sewing world… can be hard to find in some places. And that is lyocell slash Tencel. 

Helen: Yeah. I’m like, wait, what? What’s lyocell? You probably know it better as Tencel. Um, and we’re going to get into why it’s called that. But yeah, I feel like this fabric when it came on the market like three or four years ago, it was probably on the market before that too, but I didn’t…

Caroline: Way before that.

Helen: …become aware of it until like three or four years ago. So, it’s become super popular because it’s so drapey, and it just has this lovely quality to it. And you sell it at Blackbird, so I think that’s where a lot of people are getting it from, and it really works well for so many projects. So I’m excited to chat about it, too. 

Caroline: Yeah, and not only is it a fantastic fabric, but. It is a really good sustainable option. If you’re a fan of rayon, Tencel is a really great alternative to that fiber that is a lot more friendly to the earth. And we’re going to talk all about that today. So I think before we start our deep dive, we should define exactly what we’re talking about today and just sort of explain what is Tencel slash lyocell. 

Helen: Yeah, so Tencel is actually a brand name by the company Lenzing. Lenzing is a company that develops and produces fibers from natural wood for fabrics and personal care products. They make Tencel and viscose fabrics, wipes, paper products, packaging, rope, and a bunch of other things that can be made from those fibers. So that’s why when you see Tencel written out there in the sewing world, it’s often capitalized because it is the brand name of the product. 

Caroline: Yes, and Lenzing also makes other fibers like Modal. They do, uh, EcoVero which is something that we stock at Blackbird in our custom prints. So it’s kind of a parent company that encompasses a lot of different sustainable fibers. A big part of their brand identity is sustainability. They make products from organic materials that are biodegradable. They have a really good record of sustainability and source most of their woods from forests recognized by the forest stewardship council. 

Helen: That’s awesome. The generic name of Tencel is lyocell. Tencel and lyocell fabrics are exactly the same product except one is a proprietary name and the other is a descriptor for all of this type of fabric. It’s kind of like how people call bandages “Band-Aid” even if they’re not made by Band-Aid, you know?

Caroline: Yeah, definitely. And in addition to Tencel, there’s another brand of lyocell that’s pretty rare to find. It’s called Xcel by the company Birla. If you ever see that, it’s also a type of lyocell. Although most lyocell out there is the branded Tencel by Lenzing. You can also find it simply called lyocell. Although Tencel is the more recognizable name for this fabric, we’re going to be calling it lyocell throughout this episode because it’s just the more accurate term. All Tencel is lyocell, but not all lyocell is Tencel. Does that make sense? 

Helen: It does. Okay. So what is lyocell made out of exactly?

Caroline: So lyocell is made from wood fibers. Usually, it’s eucalyptus, though other woods like oak and birch are also used. So this means that, although it’s processed, it is a natural fiber, it’s breathable, and it’s biodegradable. 

Helen: Yeah. The breathability is one thing I really enjoy about lyocell fabrics, and it’s such a popular fiber in the sewing community because it’s so nice. It’s very soft on the skin. Even for very sensitive skin, I think it’s appropriate. I have pretty sensitive skin, and I enjoy wearing it. It’s breathable which makes it extra comfortable. It has a lovely drape. Even heavier fabrics like lyocell twill drape just beautifully; they have a bit more body, but they still have that swish and swing that you get from a lyocell or a Tencel.

Caroline: Yeah, and lyocell can hold really vibrant colors which can be a challenge with natural fibers. Although, like most natural fibers, it will slowly fade with washing and wearing, but those colors do remain a little bit more vibrant than, say, on, like, a linen or a cotton. And it’s one of the more sustainable fabric options. It has a non-toxic closed loop process, and it’s biodegradable. So, again, just such a great sustainable option. 

Helen: Win-win-win. 

Caroline: Okay. Let’s talk about history because contrary to what Helen might think, it was not created in the last three to four years. 

Helen: I feel like I said to me, for me.

Caroline: I’m just, I’m just bugging you. 

Helen: No, it’s true I’m spreading misinformation. Don’t listen to me. 

Caroline: But Tencel does have a relatively recent history, so it starts in the mid-20th century. Because viscose rayons use the toxic chemical carbon disulfide to dissolve wood fibers, scientists and fiber companies were on the lookout for an alternative. And that alternative turned out to be the NMMO process. So NMMO is the N-Methylmorpholine N-Oxide. Big words here. 

Helen: Methylmorpholine. 

Caroline: It’s a solvent that breaks down the cellulose into a viscous liquid pulp. It’s non-toxic, biodegradable, and it can be almost completely reused in a closed loop production process. So we’ll talk more about that in a bit.

Helen: That’s so cool. So instead of using this toxic chemical to dissolve the wood fibers, they found this other N-Met…

Caroline:  You try saying it, Helen.

Helen: …N-Methylmorpholine N-Oxide that can do the same job without all of that toxicity. 

Caroline: Yes, and U.S. company Eastman Kodak, Inc. spent 1966-1968 working on the dissolution of compounds, including cellulose in NMMO.

Helen: And then from 1969-79, the U.S. company American Enka, worked on the spinning process. So it was quite a process by the sounds of it to get this to the point where it would work for producing products. 

Caroline: Yeah. It can take a really long time to figure out how to make a fiber work for, you know, turning it into different materials like fabrics. A U.K. research and development team led by Pat White of Courtaulds, a U.K. fiber and fabric manufacturer, built off this research to develop the first successful spinning process for spinning lyocell fibers in 1982. Love the eighties. This involves pushing the pulp through spinnerets to create long, thin fibers. 

Helen: As if we needed more reasons to love the eighties. Courtaulds built the first lyocell plant in Grimsby, England shortly after. They increased production over the years until they added a production line in Mobile, Alabama in the U.S. And in 1992, they reached the height of their production and began using the brand name Tencel. 

Caroline: So Lenzing, which is an Austria based company, began producing lyocell in 1990. And in 2004, they completed the process of acquiring the Tencel group. And now they are the biggest manufacturer of lyocell in the world. So that brings us up to the present. So, you see, we haven’t been blessed with lyocell for all that long. Although longer than three to four years. 

Helen: I think we forgot the part of the history where it’s like, in 2016, Helen Wilkinson and Helen’s Closet Patterns discovered Tencel and started using it for a lot of her makes.

Caroline: Okay. We mentioned before that the production process of lyocell is a closed loop. So what exactly does that mean, Helen?

Helen: Okay. So all the chemicals used in the production of lyocell can and are recycled and used again and again. That means that there is very little waste. NMMO, for example, is over 99% recyclable. So in the closed loop system, those chemicals, like this NMMO, is just getting reused again and again, and the water is getting, like, cycled through, and it’s all a closed loop system. So nothing’s getting, well, not nothing, but very little is getting wasted away. 

Caroline: Yeah, and lyocell is also better for textile workers. This one is pretty important. Viscose and rayons use carbon disulfide in their production which is really damaging to the health of textile workers and the people and environment near viscose factories. If you want to learn a little bit more about this, we’ll link a post from @michelleofatime. We had her on our show talking about Matchpoint Fabrics. She did a really great post talking about how harmful cellulose fibers can be for workers and some sustainable alternatives. So I think it’s really important to be, kind of, informed about that, but this is such a great alternative because the chemicals used in the production of lyocell don’t endanger workers’ health.

Helen: Yes. Love that. Okay. Now that we’ve been through the history and the science of lyocell, can we talk about the nitty gritty of working with it? Let’s go over, like, the types of fabrics that are made with lyocell and how we work with them. 

Caroline: Yes, so lyocell wovens come in different weights and weaves. Lightweight lyocell wovens are perfect for linings. You can also make tops and dresses. Though be warned that it can wrinkle more easily than a mid-weight lyocell. So lyocell linings are a good alternative to silk in that they are breathable and a little bit slippery, but lyocell wrinkles. So the lighter it gets, the more wrinkly it’s going to be. 

Helen: Yes, that’s true. And mid-weight lyocell wovens are excellent for dresses, flowy pants, jumpsuits, tops. I mean, I think this is the range that you see a lot in the sewing world, people using for their project. This is kind of the range that you carry at Blackbird, Caroline. And it’s just so great that, like, four ounce to six ounce weight for Tencel or lyocell.  Just a beautiful fabric for so many different garments. 

Caroline: Yeah. And you can find plain weave lyocell which is a lot like the viscose rayons you often see used for like summer tops and dresses. Plain weave is the simplest weave. It’s the one you probably think of when you think woven, but twill is definitely a more common weave that you’ll find for lyocell. Lyocell twill is more like a silk twill scarf than a stiff cotton bottomweight twill. So it’s still lightweight and drapey, don’t let the word twill, you know, deter you, but, you know, the weave is subtle. This weave also makes a stronger fabric than a plain weave. So this is what we carry at Blackbird is the lyocell twills. 

Helen: Yeah, and I just love it. And like you said, don’t be deterred by the twill because it makes me think of, like, a cotton twill or a denim twill that can be quite stiff. But Tencel or  lyocell twill, it has a totally different vibe. It’s super drapey and flowy. So if you haven’t tried it, maybe pick some up and make a project and see how you like it. 

Caroline: Yes, and outside of lyocell wovens, of course, there are also lyocell knits, and these are incredibly soft and fluid. Lyocell jerseys come in light and medium weights. They can even come in heavier weights if they’re blended and made into like a terry or something. They’re great for tops, leggings, dresses. A knit, like, a lyocell jersey makes the comfiest bralettes, camisoles, underwear. I love my Tencel knit underwear. Like it’s just so soft, breathable. You just can’t compare to Tencel knits.

Helen: I’m going to have to get some. I don’t know that I’ve worked with Tencel knit that much. 

Caroline: Mm, so nice and soft. And of course, lyocell can also be blended with pretty much any other fiber, natural or synthetic, to get different effects. Lyocell blended with cotton, for example, would give a softer hand and a better drape than just cotton by itself, while being a stronger fabric and less wrinkle prone than lyocell by itself. 

Helen: Ooh. Yeah. Sometimes when you blend different fibers together, different fabrics together, you get these really cool effects where you get, like, the best of both worlds in one fabric. And you can find lyocell fabrics in so many colors. It’s another thing that I just love about this. It takes less dye to make a vivid color on lyocell than on cotton. And it takes the dye really, really well. So that’s how we get this beautiful range of colors. 

Caroline: Yeah. Okay. So let’s say you’ve just bought your gorgeous lyocell fabric. What do you need to know about caring for it and sewing with it?

Helen: Well, like most fabrics, your first step is going to be pre-washing. Lyocell labels often advise hand washing which you absolutely can do. However, because labels tend to be on the safe side, you’ll most likely be just fine washing it on a delicate cycle in a garment bag. Um, make sure to use cool water to wash and hang it to dry because a high heat could shrink it significantly. From personal experience washing and wearing my lyocell garments, I just throw them in the wash with my other clothes. I don’t treat them preciously. They do fade, like you said, the dye, and it does tend to wear, but I love that look, like, it gets those beautiful, like, crinkly seams and the faded look kind of gives it a vintage vibe. So I’m all for throwing it right into the washer and the dryer because I find when I hang my lyocell garments to dry, they come out a bit stiff, and I prefer how they feel after I throw them in the dryer. 

Caroline: Yeah. That’s the case for a lot of fabrics. They can get a little bit, like, crunchy when you leave them, and you almost need to iron them afterwards. But even that sometimes doesn’t solve that sort of like stiff, naturally dried fabric feel. I agree. I throw my lyocell into the washing machine, into the dryer. I like that faded look. If you don’t then you might want to hand wash, but I think it’s, really, I don’t know, kind of nice and stylish. 

Helen: I think it is too. Okay. And then when you press your fabric, you want to use a low to medium heat somewhere between your silk and wool settings on your iron. Lyocell poses the same danger as polyester, in that if you use too high a heat, your fabric can get shiny. I’ve definitely experienced this. So pressing on the wrong side of your project, whenever possible, too, to avoid any of those iron marks, because it sucks so much to get that iron shiny mark right on the front of your garment when you’re almost finished. 

Caroline: I know it really does. And using a press cloth, also, if it’s something that you need to iron from the right side of the fabric, then just use a press cloth. Don’t be afraid of steam though, because lyocell can definitely handle some steam. 

Helen: Yeah, and unlike polyester, it does press pretty well. It can hold a press really well. So that’s not an issue. It’s really just watching out for that shine. 

Caroline: So now you’re ready to sew. Although lyocell is stronger than viscose, it can still twist and shift in the same way when you’re cutting it out. So be especially careful with your grainlines when you’re cutting and make sure to stay stitch any pieces that have, like, a curve or a bias in them so that you’re not stretching out those pieces as you handle them. 

Helen: Yes. And lyocell knits are incredibly stretchy and soft which is lovely to wear, but they can be a little challenging to sew. So if you’re using a standard machine, we recommend using a walking foot with your knits. You can test different lengths and widths of zigzag stitches on a scrap piece of fabric to figure out how you can avoid wavy seams. And you can also check out our sewing with knits episode for more strategies for sewing with stretchy fabrics. I know it can be a challenge, but it’s all about just getting your machine set up for the fabric that you’re using before you dive into your project so that you can just sew with ease from there. 

Caroline: So lyocell fabrics also have a sheen to them which is something to keep in mind when you’re picking a thread. Michelle Brown Colistro, formerly of Matchpoint Fabric, wrote an amazing post for Seamwork magazine, talking all about Tencel and lyocell. And she recommends using a thread that also has a sheen to it, like a polyester thread because matte threads can really stand out, 

Helen: And I wonder if a good, like, biodegradable alternative would be, like, a silk thread, because then it would also have a bit of a sheen. 

Caroline: Good idea, Helen. 

Helen: So, let’s say you’re finished your garment now. That was easy. Wow. Good job. Wash it the same way you pre-washed it. So if you hand washed your fabrics or put it in a garment bag, and you wanted to be really careful with this final garment, then you’re going to want to wash it in the same way. Maybe on a delicate cycle in your machine. Hang it to dry. Iron on low or low-medium heat if you need to press it afterwards. Or don’t iron it at all, if you like that breezy kind of slightly rumpled look. Or, of course, you can go the route that Caroline and I do, and just throw it in the wash with your other clothes. Hope for the best. Haven’t had any problems. I mean, we’ll see what happens. 

Caroline: I love it. Just see what happens. 

Helen: Another thing to be aware of is that lyocell does stain. It can take up a stain pretty well. So, as with any other clothing item, you’ll want to treat stains as quickly as possible with the method that’s recommended for that kind of stain. Google is your friend. I mean, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. 

Caroline: Yeah. I was talking with, um, Laura, one of my team members, and we were trying to figure out why is it that lyocell tends to be prone to stains. And our guess, and this isn’t fact, but this is kind of my guess, Tencel and lyocell are very absorbent. So I think that because of that quality in the fiber, they just kind of suck up any stain. And unfortunately, it’s just the reality of that fabric, but I think that stains can be removed, so it’s not the end of the world. Um, you just have to be maybe a little bit more careful when you’re wearing Tencel and lyocell.

Helen: I mean, if you think about the fact that it’s made from wood fibers, it makes total sense that it would be super absorbent, right? 

Caroline: Yeah, and because lyocell knits have that super soft, slightly brushed surface, they have a tendency to pill. So a sweater shaver or lint brush will keep them in nice condition.

Helen: Ooh. A sweater shaver. I gotta get one of those. 

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: Sounds cool. Okay. With all of this said lyocell is a pleasure to sew with because it makes really beautiful, wearable garments. Caroline, what have you made out of Tencel or lyocell?

Caroline: Okay. So I have a Tencel twill Ashton Top in, like, a rusty color that I really love. Although, um, speak of the devil, it has a stain on it, so I don’t wear it as much anymore. Um, but I do love that top. I also have a Tencel twill Ninni Culottes. I actually used to have two pairs. I gave one of them to you.

Helen: And I still wear it all the time.

Caroline: But I think it’s such a great fabric for that kind of, like, loose elastic waist pants style. I also have some really, really amazing Tencel cotton French terry sweatpants. I’ve made so many. I made some for Shea too. They’re so soft and comfy. I think Tencel blend terries are like the softest terries ever invented. 

Helen: You know what? I think I might’ve actually used a Tencel blend terry for a project now that I think about it. I thought maybe it was a Modal blend, but I think it was a Tencel blend. 

Caroline: I feel like you have. Yeah, and I think you’ve also used a Tencel jersey for Luna at some point, for your Luna tank. Is that possible? Like we had a Tencel jersey in the store at one point, and I feel like you ordered some. I just know all of your fabric buying because you bought it from my store. Maybe you haven’t worked with it yet, though. It could just be in your stash. Tell me about some garments that you love that you’ve made out of Tencel. 

Helen: Well, most recently, we used a Tencel twill to make one of our March top samples for our model, Kate, a beautiful like blushy pink tone. I really love the way that one turned out. I’ve also used a denim Tencel to make my Ashton Winslow jumpsuit hack. I don’t know if you’ve seen denim Tencel. I think you carried it at Blackbird at some point. It’s so cool because it looks like denim. It has that kind of vibe from the outside, but it’s super, super drapey and is not really anything like denim other than just, like, the color, maybe the weave. 

Caroline: Yeah. It only has a denim look to it. Um, you’ve used that fabric a couple times. One of my favorite Ashton’s like a really early Ashton sample that you made was a Tencel denim with the, like, cut off hem. 

Helen: Yeah. A raw hem. You just, like, stitch a sort of stay stitch line around, and just throw it in the wash, and let it fray. And the Tencel that I used for that one frayed really well. So it worked out super well. I’m sure I’ve used Tencel for other things, but I’m drawing a blank right now. I do love those pants that you gave me. 

Caroline: Yeah. Oh yeah. Those ones are so great. I think we’ll have to dig up some photos and share them on Instagram this week so everyone can see our favorite Tencel makes.

Helen: Yes, we’ll definitely share lots of our makes in the show notes this week. 

Caroline: Okay, now it’s time to answer some listener questions. We asked you for your questions about lyocell and Tencel on Instagram, and you came back with some really good ones. So what’s our first question?

Helen: The most frequent question we got was how sustainable is it really? What impact does it have on the environment and on labor?

Caroline: Okay, so Tencel is a very sustainable fabric choice because of its closed loop process. With regard to the chemicals used, it produces very little waste. It’s made from natural wood which is biodegradable. Whether the wood is grown and harvested sustainably depends on the company manufacturing it, but many do source it sustainably. It would be a good idea to check with each manufacturer if this is a concern for you though. Lenzing, mentioned before, is the manufacturer of Tencel branded lyocell, harvest from sustainably managed forests in Austria and the Czech Republic. More than 99% of the wood it buys to make Tencel is certified or controlled. So we’ll link our source for this information in the show notes. The chemicals used in dyeing lyocell are another issue. Most often they are conventional. Lyocell takes dye very well, though. So less is needed to dye it than, say, cotton overall. It’s one of the most sustainable options for new fabric. 

Helen: And as far as labor goes, lyocell rayons are a huge improvement on viscose rayons. Viscose production uses the toxic chemical carbon disulfide which damages the health of workers by causing forms of polyneuropathy. Polyneuropathy is peripheral nerve damage, damage to the nerves outside the brain. Its symptoms include pain, weakness, and numbness. In a 1995 study, scientists found that over half of the workers they studied had some form of polyneuropathy. Lyocell production does not use toxic chemicals. And the chemicals they do use are reused in that closed loop process that we keep talking about. So this is unquestionably better for workers, and you still get that beautiful drapey fabric. 

Caroline: In regards to labor policies, the labor policies of each manufacturer of lyocell are worth researching. Lenzing has a policy on human rights and labor standards that reflects the standards proposed by the United Nations, the International Labor Organization, and other international human rights and labor organizations. 

Helen: Okay. So our next question is I never know which is the right side. Usually, I just randomly pick one. How do I decide? 

Caroline: Okay, so I’ll start off by saying, if you’re working with a knit, or, like a, like a, jersey knit or, like, a Tencel twill, for example, which are pretty much the most common forms of lyocell and Tencel, there should be a right and wrong side. So you might just have to look under a little magnifying glass or under the light to really try to figure that out.

Helen: Thought you were going to say microscope.

Caroline: Under a microscope. Pull out that microscope from your sewing tools. 

Helen: Sometimes it feels like you need one to see these things. 

Caroline: I know, but if you’re working with a plain weave fabric, or, you know, another fabric that isn’t, like, a jersey or a twill, that obviously should have a right and wrong side. If you look at this fabric on both sides in varying lights and cannot tell the difference, then it’s very likely that just picking one side as the right side will work great. Another way to tell, that may or may not be applicable to your fabric, is to look at the little holes on the selvedge. On the right side, the holes will look smooth and on the wrong side, they’re going to look messier like they’re pointing towards you. Another tip that I have when you’re looking at right or wrong side, or trying to pick a side, once you do decide which side is your right side, I would try to mark the fabric, especially if it’s really hard to tell the difference, because even if you can’t really see a difference, you might be able to see it once it’s sewn up in different lights, kind of like how the nap of a corduroy or a velvet will show only in certain lights. So once you pick a side, use just that side, don’t just, kind of, alternate between sides cause that’s when I think you’ll run into issues. 

Helen: Yeah, and marking it will save you a lot of squinting at your fabric throughout your project…

Caroline: Totally.

Helen: …trying to make sure you’ve got it right. 

Caroline: Yeah. 

Helen: I think with the Tencel twill, it can be even challenging because the twill weave is more pronounced on one side, but you can still see those diagonal lines on the wrong side as well. So if you’re looking at your Tencel twill, the correct side or the right side is the side where the diagonal lines are the most pronounced. So you want that twill facing out. But if you like the look of the other side, you can totally sew it with that pronounced twill on the inside. That’s totally fine, too.

Caroline: Absolutely. Okay. Our next question is, is there any way to prevent these fabrics from wrinkling? 

Helen: Oh, sadly, wrinkling is pretty much the nature of lyocell. Linen is that way, too. There’s not really a great way to avoid it. We suggest embracing it instead. Lyocell is great for laid back garments with a natural rumpled look. It might not be the best fabric for the workplace if you don’t want to have, you know, wrinkles after sitting at your desk. So just something to consider when you’re working with this fabric. 

Caroline: Yeah, and the next question is, how breathable is lyocell? So lyocell fabrics are very breathable. They’re a natural fiber, and they’re comparable to cotton and linen in terms of breathability.

Helen: Okay, this next person wants to know: Lots of folks have said that lyocell and tensile wears quickly, and that’s kept me from trying it. What are your thoughts? 

Caroline: So, all natural fibers tend to fade more quickly than synthetics. Washing these fabrics less often, hand washing them, avoiding the dryer, are all ways to prevent your fabric from fading, or you can just embrace the fade like Helen and I do. But if you’re really looking to, like, preserve that color fastness for as long as possible, I would just hand wash. Go the slow route, and you’ll definitely have less fading that way.  

Helen: Mhm. Next question is, why does lyocell stain so easily? We kind of touched on this already, but it most likely stains that way because it is so absorbent. It’s 50% more absorbent than cotton. This makes it great for activewear and very comfortable to wear, but it also does make it stain more easily. So some ideas for reducing the risk of stains include: don’t be so sloppy, just kidding; choosing lyocell prints rather than solids to make the stains look less obvious; hand washing to avoid too much agitation in the washer, um; and treating stains as soon as you notice them. 

Caroline: Yes. Okay. Our next question is about avoiding marks when you’re pressing. So, this person has had issues with the Tencel that they’re using for their wedding dress. So, first of all, congratulations on your upcoming, or possibly recent, wedding. 

Helen: Yeah. 

Caroline: So to avoid these marks, you can turn the heat down on your iron. Tencel needs a low to low-medium iron temperature. You can also use a press cloth between your iron and the fabric to protect it. 

Helen: Lastly, this question, why are Tencel knits so soft compared to other knit fabrics? Caroline, fill us in.

Caroline: So, we suspect they are so smooth because the fibers created in the process are very thin and very smooth. So think of how a microfiber poly fabric can be so soft but with the breathability and environmental friendliness of a natural fiber. It’s kind of magical. 

Helen: Pure magic. Okay, so now that we’ve kind of completed our deep dive, we want to answer this, where can you buy lyocell fabric if you want to try it? So, of course you can find lyocell fabrics at large retailers, we would like to highlight some small businesses who also sell lyocell fabrics for our listeners. To find the lyocell and Tencel, either navigate to the categories in the store’s menu, or simply use the website search function to look for it. Remember to search for both Tencel and lyocell, so you make sure that you find everything that shop might have available, and we’ll link all of these shops in the show notes on our website.

Caroline: Okay. So in Canada, there’s Earth Indigo. They have a focus on sustainability. The Fabric Snob also has lots of knits. And, of course, we can’t forget Blackbird Fabrics, my store. We have a lot of Tencels. 

Helen: Yes. You have a beautiful range. In the U.S., we recommend Melanated Fabrics. This is an online shop co-owned by former guests, Mimi G and Brittany J. Jones, and the menswear fabrics are curated by former guest, Norris Danta Ford. So definitely go check out Melanated Fabrics, if you haven’t already. 

Caroline: And APC Fabrics is another U.S. fabric shop with a sustainable focus. They have a great selection of Tencel and lyocell. 

Helen: In Australia, Potter&Co and fibresmith have lots of beautiful choices both online and in store.

Caroline: In the U.K., there are Sister Mintaka and Selvedge and Bolts. 

Helen: In Belgium, try Atelier Moondust. 

Caroline: In Denmark, MeterMeter has a huge selection. 

Helen: In France, Cousette has some beautiful prints, as well as solids available. 

Caroline: And, finally, in New Zealand, Miss Maude has some beautiful choices. So, obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. There are so many fabric stores out there that are carrying lyocell and Tencel right now. I’d love to hear from our listeners on your favorite place to buy these fibers and these fabrics because I’m sure other people are wondering too, but yeah, go check out these shops.

Helen: Yeah. And if you own a fabric store, let us know if you have these for offer too, and we can make sure our listeners hear about it as well. So that’s lyocell, there is obviously so much to know about it. We hope you feel ready to enjoy the sustainable, beautiful, and comfortable fabric and head to our show notes for links to a lot more resources, some pictures of how these closed loop systems work, and just more information about this fiber. I know it’s a lot to take in in an hour of podcasting. 

Caroline: Yes. Go check it out. 

Caroline: Okay. That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew, you can find me Caroline at blackbirdfabrics.com and Helen at helensclosetpatterns.com. 

Helen: We’re recording in beautiful BC, Canada, and you can get in touch with us and get links for everything we talked about in this episode at lovetosewpodcast.com.

Caroline: If you’re loving the show and you want to help us out, you can support us on Patreon. Contribute $5 or more a month and you’ll get access to our bonus episode feed. We have a new episode coming out very soon. Contribute $10 or more a month and you’ll get a 15% discount code for both of our shops which, might I say, would be very, very good to use if you were buying some lyocell or Tencel from my store. And a bonus mini episode every month as well. So go to patreon.com/lovetosew for more info. 

Helen: Um, I don’t know if we mention this very often, but that 15% code is, like, ongoing. 

Caroline: Oh, yeah.

Helen: You just use it. 

Caroline: Anytime. You can use it again and again. Yeah.

Helen: Okay. Thank you to our amazing podcast team, and thank you all so much for listening, as always. We will talk to you next week.

Caroline: Bye.

Helen: Buh-bye.

Caroline: That brings us up to the president. To the president. That brings us to the president. Mr. Biden. He’s a big fan of Tencel.

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