Making a hair cap, snood bonnet thing. Does material matter that much?

[Andthetalltrees]

I don't know what to call it haha. I want something to function as a sleep cap, and also work at home for keeping it out of the way without it having to be 'up'. I have an idea of how to sew it, But fabric is something I'm stuck on. I'm a seamstress so I have quite the collection of fabrics. However I really dislike satin and don't have it in the budget for silk. My favourite fabric is rayon and I have several that are soft and slippery(Even some rayons are made to mimic silk), But it seems when I look up it seems like everything comes back as satin or silk. I was thinking even a knit jersey would be very comfortable. So basically would my hair suffer if I decided to use something that wasn't satin or silk, or is that just the most common material for whatever reason?

Sorry about the multiple threads lately :rolleyes:

[Anje]

I imagine rayon in a satin weave might work OK. It mostly comes down to what your hair will slip past, which tends to rule out cotton. I wouldn't use jersey for a sleep bonnet, but it might be nice as an alternative to using a t-shirt as a towel.

Before you put for the effort, though, I highly suggest you check your local pharmacy or big-box store (Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, etc. etc.) for these bonnets. (https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/stay-on-satin-satin-edge-hair-bonnet/ID=prod363749-product) Yes, they're polyester satin, but they're very lightweight and they're pretty comfortable because the fabric isn't against your face. At $2-3 each, it was easy to toss one in the wash every week and wear a clean one, and unless you're opposed to the material, it'd be hard to make something for that cost. Furthermore, the weave is such that I would take it off the next morning and my hair would have no tangles. Besides, sewing satin is a pain!

[Tosca]

You could use acetate or bemsilk lining fabric. They're slippery and cheap, but shred like crazy. If you end up using lining fabric, french seams and wide seam allowances are extremely helpful.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Anything slippery would do, I'm sure.

[Aunt Rapunzel]

I've found some gorgeous silks at Goodwill, and have used them for making snoods. Just a thought. :)

[megthehennahead]

I got a silk scarf at a thrift store for $3! Check out local Goodwills and antique shops, charity shops, and the like. You can probably find a silk scarf for cheaper than buying a different kind of fabric at a fabric shop.

[Andthetalltrees]

I don't like store bought ones because I'm picky on fabrics and construction, plus I like making stuff. I already had rayon on hand that I got cheaply, so I thought I could just use that instead of buying something else so I was just asking if anyone had experience with it being 'okay'. But I guess I'll look out for silk scarfs now(Or might just use the rayon as an experiment and see how it goes)

[Kitty-Zen]

I got a silky nylon one from Walgreens, the inside is quite soft but not nearly as slippery as the outside. I kind of expected the opposite. Is silk better for the outside or in? I imagine if your hair is in a loose but secure twist the silk outside would be protective but I feel like a silk inside might be more effective. I'm debating wearing it inside out

[Tosca]

If you already have the rayon, you can certainly give it a go. My only concern with using rayon/cotton etc is lint and fuzz, because I personally find that a lot of my tangles have a bit of fuzz or lint etc at the centre.

Kitty-Zen, I think wearing it slippery side in would be better.

[Anje]

I got a silky nylon one from Walgreens, the inside is quite soft but not nearly as slippery as the outside. I kind of expected the opposite. Is silk better for the outside or in? I imagine if your hair is in a loose but secure twist the silk outside would be protective but I feel like a silk inside might be more effective. I'm debating wearing it inside out

I often did, but I didn't really notice a difference either way, except maybe that the less-smooth side grabbed the pillow a bit.