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Cotton

 

Breathable – as a natural fiber, it lets your skin breath. It also wicks away sweat, keeping your body temperature stable.

Soft, but strong : The fibers are less rough than polyester, so it feels super soft on your skin. It’s also very strong. This being said, cotton is designed to be rough, like heavy duty cotton canvas, don’t fit in with the “soft” characteristic.

Great for Sensitive Skin : Because it is so much softer, those with sensitive skin tolerate cotton better than polyester. With all the organic craze going on, you can get cotton fabric with the bare minimum chemicals; even better for sensitive skin.

Easy to Dye : The fibers hold dye well and evenly. However, with excessive expose to sunlight and time (intensive washing), the dye will eventually fade.

Biodegradable : Cotton isn’t as durable as polyester in the long run. It’s a natural fiber, it will eventually break down. However, proper care, like keeping away from excessive sunlight, can prolong the life of cotton.

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Polyester

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Long Lasting : Polyester is a man-made fiber.

Less Fading : Quality polyester also holds shape very well and doesn’t shrink.

Dries Quickly : Unlike cotton, polyester isn’t absorbent. It’s definitely not your go-to for towels or mug rugs. However, it dries super fast. So if you want to reduce that electricity bill, you might want to sew polyester clothing.

Less Wrinkling : It’s most resistant to wrinkles than cotton. This is awesome in clothing, but a pain when you are trying to finger press quilt blocks.

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Cotton / Poly Mix

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This is literally, the best of both worlds. Developers take the best qualities of both and weave them together to make one heck of a fabric. This stuff is great for apparel and home decor.

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Rayon / Poly Mix

 

Rayon is the extract from cellulosic fiber (plant origin) since 1938. Rayon is well known for its softness as silk texture. In comparison, rayon is as breathable as cotton and has better color fastness than cotton. To increase the strength of rayon, it is often combined with other fiber(s) like polyester to make fabric with both softness (comfortable) and strength (durable).

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Sources:

1. Sarah, Sewing Educator, April 4, 2014 

2. Introduction to sustainable fibres and textiles 2017.