Silk organza

[Glennssister]

I am curious about the difference in the fabrics. Silk organza, pollyester blend organza, chiffon, georgette, organdy. I have read that silk organza makes a good pressing cloth because you can see through it. I have also read that it is fairly in expensive but when I went online to look I only found expensive fabric. I have also read that it is good for linning garments. Can someone give me some feedback???????????

[neefer]

There's a big difference between silk organza and polyester organza. First and foremost, I use silk organza as interfacing. Secondly, I use it as underlining. It's interfacing for stuff that I don't want to use a fusible with. I use it as an underlining for limp fabrics or weak fabrics, think silk dupioni pants.

I was going to say that I wouldn't use poly organza for anything, but I might use it for a child's costume or may be a child's special occasion dress. The same could be said for poly chiffon. I have used poly georgette to make palazzo pants, but that was early on in my sewing experience, and I wouldn't recommend it.

I have never sewn silk georgette.

I would love to have access to inexpensive cotton organdy. I would use it as interfacing and underlining.

I bought my silk organza from a fabric co-op and from Fabrix (I think) in San Francisco. The co-op price was $5 or $6/yard, and the Fabrix price was $2/yard.

[AndreaSews]

All good points. Fiber choice depends so much on the intended use.
*I bought some poly organza for sheer drapes in my daughter's bedroom. Easy to work with, and I got just the look I was going for.
*I used some leftover scraps of it as a press cloth. I'd heard of using silk organza for that, but didn't have any. It was easy to see through, and I'm not worried about the poly melting onto my good fabrics, b/c well, if I needed a press cloth, then I must have been pressing something that can't take much heat to begin with. So that works out.
*I also used some poly organza for a sew in interfacing. I'd read that using silk organza is preferable for this b/c it has such a soft hand; It wouldn't make the garment stiffer, even though it would increase the strength/stability quite well. I wanted to use silk for my project, but I couldn't find it in the color that I needed. I wanted to match colors well, b/c with the fashion fabric I was using, when I layered white interfacing underneath it, you could see a difference in brightness, which would have been noticeable especially in the seam allowances. It was a child's formal piece.

[AndreaSews]

Is cotton organdy the same as cotton voile? I used some of that in lavender to line a white eyelet dress. The effect was lovely, but the voile did scrunch up in the dryer. I probably should have let it hang to dry. It felt so nice and soft too.

[LeapFrog Libby]

after washing voile is softer than organdy.. Organdy has more permanent body.

[neefer]

All good points. Fiber choice depends so much on the intended use.

That's a very good point. I do not do home dec. I will sew the occasional stuffed animal, toy, or bag, but primarily I make clothing for me to wear.

*I also used some poly organza for a sew in interfacing. I'd read that using silk organza is preferable for this b/c it has such a soft hand; It wouldn't make the garment stiffer, even though it would increase the strength/stability quite well. I wanted to use silk for my project, but I couldn't find it in the color that I needed. I wanted to match colors well, b/c with the fashion fabric I was using, when I layered white interfacing underneath it, you could see a difference in brightness, which would have been noticeable especially in the seam allowances. It was a child's formal piece.

I think poly organza is less stiff than silk organza. But the real reason that I would not use poly for interfacing is that it doesn't breathe. I don't like poly linings either. That is a personal preference, and if you like poly for interfacing and linings, more power to you, especially since it is very available.

I lucked out with the Fabrix organza. It's the same color as my skin! I figure that was a find of a lifetime.

[Glennssister]

I looked on Fabrix website and it did not to have an online store, Am I wrong???

[DorothyL]

I did the same thing, Belinda, but you could probably call.
Dorothy

[neefer]

They do have a website: Fabrix.

It's definitely hit or miss with them, too. You never know what fabrics they might have.

If you are in SF, it's definitely worth a visit.