Polymeric blends containing ethylene vinyl alcohol, films made therefrom e.g. molecularly oriented films, and methods of making such films

Ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (60 - 99 wt.%) is blended with polyetheramide block copolymer (1 to 40 wt.%) to produce a film-forming composition of matter useful in packaging films into which the blended composition can be extruded and/or coextruded with other layer materials. For example, the blend is one layer in a plural layer film, and at least the blend layer is molecularly oriented uniaxially or biaxially by reheating the film after extrusion and stretching it undirectionally or bidirectionally.