Home >> Hobbies >> Sewing

What to Use to Make a Scarf Out of Modal Fabric?

Modal is a man-made fabric, created by spinning the cellulose fibers of the birch tree. The fabric is known for high absorbency, ability to accept colored dye and its softness. This fabric is not recommended for beginning sewers as it requires a bit of expertise and experience to manage the project while it is being pulled under the machine.

Cutting Tools
- Whether you use a rotary cutter or scissors it is vital to ensure that none of the cutting surfaces have any rough edges that will damage the fabric as you cut. Freshly sharpened tools should be run through a test piece of cotton or polyester fabric to test and ensure that there are no burrs on the blades. Due to the slippery nature of modal, a rotary cutter is the easiest to use because the fabric can be weighted down flat on a surface and there is no scissor blade to maneuver underneath while trying to hold the fabric straight.
Needle
- As a delicate and natural fabric, sewing modal requires a slightly blunt needle to avoid damaging the fibers. Blunt needles are sometimes referred to as stretch or ballpoint needles. These needles do not have a sharp point on the end and seams are sewn between the weave of the fabric rather than stabbing a new hole into the fabric. The size of the needle is determined by the weight of the modal where lighter weights will use a smaller needle gauge and heavier weights will use a higher gauge. For example, a 14-ounce Modal fabric will require a 75/11 ballpoint needle.
Thread
- Poly cotton blends, polyester or rayon threads are all good options for working with modal fabric. Avoid nylon threads as they do not integrate well with the fabric and are too coarse for the delicate modal. Rayon threads should be chosen when a hidden seam is used or if you desire the thread to have limited visibility on the scarf. Rayon will have the same sheen as the fabric and poly cotton blends or polyester will create a subtle contrast.
Sewing Machines
- Modal can be sewn with any type of sewing machine, including a serger. The edges can be serged using any serger setting from three to five threads or using the zigzag stitch on a standard home sewing machine. While sewing it is crucial to hold the fabric level with the machine or ensure it stays on the table. As the fabric is slippery, there is a good chance it will fall off of the table if you don̵7;t monitor it while you are sewing. This will pull the weight of the fabric down and could damage the fabric or the seams that are being sewn.

Sewing