How to Sew with Bamboo Fabric

Bamboo fabric is the soft as butter and drapey fabric or texitle that is made from Bamboo. This eco-friendly fabric became an instant hit in the apparel world not just because of how amazing the fabric is but because of the sustainability of it. If you have never used Bamboo before in your sewing projects and is unsure about what to choose, join along as I explore more about this fabric.

There are different types of Bamboo fabrics, based on the content of the fabric. Bamboo itself can be different based on the type of production process used to create these fibers.

• Bamboo Viscose or Bamboo Rayon : Rayon and Viscose are both fibers produced from the bamboo plants. Bamboo stalks are steeped in a chemical solution to break down their structure and make it pliable. These are then shredded aged and ripened before being filtered washed and spun into thread which is in turn woven into fabric. A 100% Bamboo fabric are usually made from this type of fiber.
• Lyocell Bamboo : Lyocell is similarly produced as the Viscose. But in this process the chemical composition of the cellulose doesn't change. This process is a bit more environment friendly as it uses a closed loop production method. A non toxic solution, without harmful chemicals, is used and then is reused. This limits release of the pollutants. This type of bamboo has slightly lower thermal stability and do not wash as well as the Viscose in comparison.
• Fine Bamboo :This is the most time consuming and labor intensive of all the production process as the bamboo is physically broken down into pulp. They are also more coarse and uncomfortable than the other two types.

Bamboo fabrics are generally made with a combination of one of the above mentioned fibers with either cotton, spandex, polyester or a combination of multiple fibers. For example - Bamboo Cotton Spandex, Bamboo Spandex, Bamboo Cotton Polyester etc. They are also available in the different types of fabric based on how they are knitted - Jersey, French Terry, Sweatshirt Fleece, Terry cloth etc.

Above pictured is a Bamboo Cotton Spandex and Bamboo Rayon Spandex. They are very different in weight and the Cotton blend has a more creamy natural color to it.

Yes. Bamboo fabric is considered better for the environment compared to other types of fabrics. Bamboo is a renewable resource that grows quickly without the need for pesticides or fertilizers. It also requires less water and energy to produce, making it a more sustainable choice for eco-conscious consumers.

Sewing with Bamboo fabric is very similar to sewing with cotton Lycra jersey. Just make sure to use pattern weights liberally when cutting out the patterns. I do use clips to hold the pieces together, but they do not slip away a lot once we align them along. The Cotton blend Bamboo is my favorite right now as they have enough structure to not be top drapey and yet soft and drapey enough to give most garments a nice profile.

I am going to make a sleeved Harlow Dress from this 95% Bamboo Rayon 5% Spandex fabric. The dress has a dolman sleeve that is perfect for this drapey fabric. If you have ever worked with Rayon Spandex fabric, this particular fabric is very similar to the weight feel and texture of that.

Let us assemble everything we need :

• Pattern pieces or projector pattern
• Fabric
• Scissors, Rotary Cutter
• Pattern weights

Cut out the pattern pieces. (I skipped the pockets as this particular fabric would not work well with a pocket added.)

• Front Bodice and back bodice pieces
• 2 Skirt pieces
• Neckband
• 3/8" Elastic for waistline

If you are adding pockets to your skirt or Romper, that is done before this step. Since I am not using a pocket I skipped ahead to the skirt construction. Sew the side seams of the skirt right sides together on both sides to make a continuous circle skirt.Text

Hem the skirt with a cover stitch, double needle or your preferred method. Bamboo fabric tend to not fray, so you can leave the skirt unhemmed if you prefer as well. This particular Bamboo Rayon will not even curl if left unhemmed. Set aside the skirt.

Sew the shoulder seams as well as the side seams of the bodice right sides together. Go slow to make sure that the fabric doesn't shift too much. Since this is a dolman style sleeve there is no separate sleeve piece.

Fold the neckband in half right sides together and sew the short ends together to create our neckband loop.

Fold the neckband wrong sides together so that the seam is enclosed. Divide the neckband into four equal quarters by marking the front and back center and side points.

Divide the neckline of the bodice into 4 equal quarters as well. Now matching the marked points, sew the neckband on.

If it is a directional print, make sure that the neckband is aligned in the correct orientation. As you can see above the fabric is pretty shifty and neckband doesn't look as crisp. So I would absolutely suggest topstitching the neckband down.

As you can see the neckband has a cleaner look once it is topstitched down.

Hem the sleeves. If making the Tank version finish the tank sleeves with the arm bands.

Now, right sides together slide the prepared skirt piece over the bodice so that the raw edges align. Sew a straight stitch with a 5/8" seam allowance around. Use a sewing machine only for this step, as this seam allowance is going to become the elastic casing.

Make sure that you have a 5/8" seam allowance all around. Anything less would mean that the elastic casing will be too small to thread our waist elastic.

Iron the seam allowance up towards the bodice. If you want the waistline elastic to be a little lower, iron the seam allowance towards the skirt/romper.Text

Sew a straight stitch along the edge of the folded seam allowance to create the elastic casing. Remember to leave a 1" opening close to the side seams to thread the elastic through.

Using a bodkin or safety pin, thread the elastic through the casing that we just created. I like to leave a safety pin on both ends so that the elastic wouldn't accidentally get pulled into the casing fully. And if that happens, I will have the safety pin on the other end to pull that end out without rethreading the entire elastic.

Overlap the elastic ends by half an inch and sew it closed. Pull the elastic back into the casing once done.

Sew the opening closed by topstitching.

There you have it the finished dress. As you can see it has a beautiful drape and makes an amazing twirl dress. The elastic at the waist gives it a nice stability.

Bamboo is a super versatile fabric. Because of their soft nature and the sustainability it is an amazing choice for baby and children's clothing. I have used them to make everything from Tees and Tops to skirts, dresses and even sweatshirts. Below are a few examples.

This is the Cotton blend Bamboo fabric and makes an amazing Tee for my littlest. You can easily recreate this look using the Eeny Meeny Miny Moe pattern.

TextI made this Pinnacle pullover with nursing access using the Bamboo Cotton Spandex Sweatshirt Fleece and was my go to this past winter.

This skirt is also made using the cotton blend Bamboo fabric. Recreate this look using any of the circle skirt pattern.

This simple dress look can be recreated using the Juliet Pattern.

If you are unsure where to buy the fabric from, you can find some amazing Bamboo Solids and Custom Prints in our Bamboo Section here at KnitFabric.com. I can't wait to get my hands on those custom prints to make my littles more comfortable outfits. I hope you will give Bamboo fabric a try and enjoy it as much as I did!