Viscose jacquard fabric combines two characteristics that require attention in construction: the fluid, slippery quality of viscose fibre, which makes the cloth move during cutting and pinning, and the woven jacquard structure, which can fray more aggressively at cut edges than a tightly woven plain or twill base. Neither is a problem if you plan for it — but both will cause difficulty if you treat viscose jacquard the way you would treat a stable woven cotton or a stretch knit.

Before you cut: preshrink

Viscose is susceptible to shrinkage from water, heat, and steam. The extent varies by the specific fibre composition and finishing, but treating the fabric before cutting is always the safer approach for a garment where fit precision matters. Hand wash in cool water, gently and without wringing, then lay flat to dry away from direct heat. Do not tumble dry. Once dry, press gently from the reverse side on a low heat setting before cutting.

For the fabrics in the HIBA collection: this one, along with the Viscose Embossed Two-Tone Jacquard and the Turkish Rayon Jacquard, all benefit from a preshrink step before cutting. Test a swatch first — the shrinkage amount varies and knowing the extent for your specific fabric lets you adjust pattern dimensions if needed.

Cutting: keeping it still

The most common error when cutting viscose jacquard is allowing the fabric to slide on the cutting table, which distorts the grain line and makes pattern alignment unreliable. A few measures address this reliably. First, cut on a surface with some grip rather than a completely smooth table — a self-healing cutting mat provides useful resistance. Second, use pattern weights rather than pins for holding pattern pieces in place, since pins can distort a fluid fabric more than weights do. Third, cut with sharp scissors or a rotary cutter rather than dull blades, which drag rather than cut cleanly and can shift the fabric as they move.

For fabrics with a directional woven motif — as with most of the products in the HIBA jacquard range — check the direction of the motif before laying out all pattern pieces, and make sure every piece is oriented consistently. A directional jacquard pattern cut with pieces in opposite orientations will not look like one garment when assembled.

Seam allowances and fraying

Viscose jacquard frays at cut edges, particularly on the bias or where the weave structure is more open. The approach depends on the seam type. For standard seams, overlock immediately after cutting each piece — do not let cut pieces sit unfinished for extended periods before assembly, as handling causes the edges to fray further. French seams work well for lighter-weight viscose jacquards and produce a clean, enclosed finish that is visible from neither side of the garment. Hong Kong seams are appropriate for heavier weights where a French seam would add too much bulk.

Cut with a slightly larger seam allowance than you would for a stable cotton — 1.5cm to 2cm rather than 1cm — to allow for any minor fraying at the edge without compromising the seam integrity after finishing.

Pressing during construction

Press seams as you go, from the reverse side, using a pressing cloth between the iron and the fabric. Viscose is sensitive to direct heat, and a raised jacquard motif can be flattened irreversibly if pressed directly with a hot iron face-down. Use a low to medium heat setting and test on a scrap before pressing the garment itself. Steam can cause distortion if applied heavily — use a gentle hover rather than pressing steam directly into the fabric.

Hemming

For a clean hem on a fluid viscose jacquard, a narrow rolled hem by machine is the lightest option and disrupts the drape least. A hand-stitched blind hem at 1.5–2cm is more durable. A standard machine-stitched hem at full width can create a visible band at the hemline that interrupts the fluid fall of the fabric, which is worth testing on a scrap before committing to it on the finished garment.

All of the viscose and rayon-viscose jacquard fabrics in the HIBA range respond well to these handling approaches. Order swatches before production to test your specific pressing, cutting, and finishing technique on the exact fabric before cutting the final garment.