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Member since 6/13/05
Posts: 347
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Posted on: 8/4/17 12:44 PM ET
I was looking through my fabric stash and was pondering a cotton with spandex or Lycra (not sure which) for stretch and it appears that the stretch is going (because when stretched there was no recovery). I have had this happened to waistband elastic that was in my stash for many years but was wondering whether this happens to fabric with stretch? Just don't want to sew a garment and then not be able to use it.

Thank you PR members for your experience and knowledge!
  
Member since 5/2/09
Posts: 11280
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Posted on: 8/4/17 1:10 PM ET
In reply to almost
Yes, it could happen. Most often in happens to me, in store bought yoga kind of pants, that I do wash and dry in the clothes dryer, but only after maybe a whole year or so, of doing that, most times. Then I often do get some lycra failure. I realize they would last longer if I kept them out of the heat of the clothes dryer and hung up to dry instead, but not worth that extra trouble to me. Ditto with cotton jeans with lycra in them too. Convenience of a quick wash and dry is more important to me though, on just those two things, then actually how long they last before that happens though. Also has happened to me, with leotards and leggings packed away for a very long time, with more nylon/lycra, particular if exposed to hot weather heat, in some cardboard boxes- fabric break down then. I think toss the fabric as it's already started, and it's not going to get better, only worse probably. So not worth spending time sewing on it, most likely.

I can actually always see the lycra/spandex in my cotton/lycra knit stuff. By pulling hard in a cross wise stretch on the fabric, you can see the clear shiny Lycra most times inbetween the rows of a guess i would call it knits and purls there. I don't think it takes dye, and stays clear. I like cotton/lycra though, one of my favorite fabrics even. But when not stretched out like that, I still iron it even, as the more meltable lycra part is protected by the cotton that covers it most of the time. I stopped tossing in my yoga style pants of it though, in the clothes dryer with jeans that had metal zippers, rivets just since those do get pretty hot in there, on the metal parts of them, and if touching something more meltable, that's probably not doing anything good!
-- Edited on 8/4/17 at 2:08 PM --
  
Member since 4/8/08
Posts: 10077
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Posted on: 8/4/17 2:08 PM ET
In reply to almost
Lycra is a DuPont brand name for spandex.

The most common enemy of spandex leading to "breakdown" is exposure to heat -- that can be heat from the dryer, fabric being stored closed to a heat source (registers, etc.) or in sunlight.

In my experience, cotton spandex blends often have less recovery than other spandex blends unless the spandex content is significantly high.

I have a lot of spandex blends in my studio and recently had my very first custom costume (from 2003) returned to me by the athlete I made it for -- no problems at all with the fabric.

If a fabric is already showing signs of wear in its flat state, I personally wouldn't waste my time making a garment with it.


------
Sheila
"sewing very slowly to fill an empty closet"
Stash Tally: net +46.375 yds (2014 to 2020); net +48.0 (2021); net +57.125 (2022); net +109.875 (2023)- Stash Tally 2024: 77.5 yds out/90.375 yds in (net + 12.875 yds)

2025 Stash Busting:
0 yds sewn (as of 01/01/25)
0 yds purchased/received (as of 01/01/25)
  
Member since 6/13/05
Posts: 347
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Posted on: 8/4/17 5:00 PM ET
Thank you for your information. The fabric was stored in a dark room but it gets rather hot. It has been locked away in there for years! So once again the moral of the story is use the fabric instead of waiting for the perfect _______! Thank you for your input - to the landfill it goes - and now I know!
  
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