Sewing With Silk
I love silk. Silk is a soft, buttery smooth fabric that feels like heaven to the touch. It is one of my favorite fabrics. It's also a fabric that can be quite difficult to work with, due to it's slippery nature.
Silk is a very expensive luxury fabric. High quality silks are among the most expensive fabrics made, some types costing as much $200 per yard. Hand embroidered kimono silks can cost even more. Silk is not a fabric you can afford to make mistakes with, it simply costs too much to buy extra or to let any remnant go unused.
I'm creating this lens, to help out those who have never worked with silk before, and are seeking out help. I am trying to make this lens as detailed as possible, and it may take me a few months to finish this, as I've got a lot of information I want to put on here, so keep coming back to watch for updates. I'll send out a SquidCast once this lens is finished.
Created on April 22, 2008
Last updated: August 17, 2008
Silk
The fabric of the gods.
What Is This Lens? Why Should I Read It?
What Is This Lens? When it is finished, this lens will be your one stop place for learning to sew with silk. At the moment I am still writing and building, so there is not much here yet. Sorry.
Why Should I Read It?
Well, since you're here asking me why you should read it, you might as well read it right? I mean, you're here anyways! :P
You probably would only be interested in this lens if you sew. If you don't sew, than this lens will not be of too much use to you. I'm making this lens, because I love silk and love sewing with silk, so pretty much you would want to read this lens if you were going to sew something with silk.
Have You Ever Sewn With Silk Before?
Where Do You Buy The Silk You Use?
I buy most of my fabric either locally from JoAnn's or online off eBay. Silk however, is not to be found at my local JoAnn's, at least not the type I use. They only sell silk from India and I prefer my silks from Japan, as the quality is better. I prefer Japanese silks because they are lighter weight, softer, ans have a more buttery feeling, than silks from India.
I have found one seller on eBay, that sells silk that most CosPlayers needing silk, should be able to afford quite nicely.
I do a lot of SCA type historical reenactment stuff, and for that I try to find historically accurate fabrics. A lot of what I make is Japanese influenced from 1100-1700 Japan, so I actively seek out dealers who sell 16" wide hand woven silk, which is super-uber-mega hard to find. My search however lead me to a dealer in Japan who always has 13" - 16" (often handwoven) historically accurate silks, sold by the bolt, at a rate of $10 - $70 per bolt (5 - 17 yards). So now, I buy all my silk from this eBay seller: kyoto.antique
This would be especially helpful to any CosPlayer who wants to make a character who wears a kimono or hakama, because this is the correct width (and type) of fabric used to make "real" kimono and hakama.
Here is the link to thier store on eBay; I hope this helps out anyone seeking historically accurate silk for their kimono and hakamas.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
A Quick History of Silk
Silk Road: Monks, Warriors & Merchants
Amazon Price: $17.79 (as of 12/17/2009)
List Price: $26.95
Used Price: $14.00
Release Date: 12/31/1969
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Characteristics of Silk
Silk is the most luxurious fiber.
Silk is very comfortable to wear: warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It is lightweight, resilient, and elastic. It resists wrinkling and holds it's shape well.
Silk has less static build up than other fibers. It absorbs moister well and dries quickly. It does not pill or soil easily, and is resistant to mildew.
Cultivated silk dyes and prints well.
Silk absorbs harmful UV rays, making it a natural sunblock protecting your skin from the sun.
Some silks do not fray.
The Drawbacks:
Silk is a highly temperamental fabric requiring great care. For the average person, silk requires more care and attention than they are going to want to invest in it.
Silk is very sensitive to chemicals and gasses. It can not be stored in plastic boxes or bags, as the gasses given off by the plastic will deteriorate the fiber.
Silk is easily damaged by perspiration and body oils and thus should not be worn against the skin. Cotton undergarments are recommended to be worn under silk to draw body oils away from the silk.
Silk is sensitive to climate changes, excessive heat especially, will cause yellowing of light colored silks.
Silk fabric often shrinks.
Some silks fray desperately.
Silk is easily damaged by most cleaning chemicals and should be carefully dry cleaned, or hand washed with mild soap: strong soaps, most detergents, and all acids and alkalies, and chlorine bleach will all cause serious and irreversible damage to silk and should never be used to clean it.
Silk is susceptible to moths and insects, and should be stored in a cedar chest to prevent damage.
Silk, once molded, is very difficult to repair.
Silk must be stored in wood: either folded in a chest or hung in a freestanding armoire. It should never be stored hanging with other cloths in your closet or folded up in your dresser drawers. Silk must be stored in it own special chest or cabinet, only with other silk items.
Silk is very sensitive to sunlight, and should never be stored near a window.
Silk must be taken out of storage, unfolded, and hung out to air at least once every 2 or 3 months, if not more often. Silk requires air circulation to keep it from deteriorating with age.
Ironing and pressing silk should be done with extreme care. Use a cold iron or only the lowest settings when pressing silk, and only press it if absolutely necessary.
Silk changes color with age. Your white silk today, will be ivory a few years from now, and yellow a few years after that. This is natural and is not considered a defect, but it will affect what you make out of silk. For example you would not want to use it to make a white wedding gown, if you planned on passing this gown down to your daughters and granddaughters, as it would have long since lost it's white color before they were old enough to wear it.
Some types of silk are very slippery, making them difficult to cut, sew, or even wear.
Most silks slip and pull badly at seamlines. Most silk garments will require you to carefully rip out seams and completely restitch the garment once every year or so, in order to keep the garment functional. Traditionally silk garments are taken apart each time they require cleaning and each part cleaned separately, than the garment is resewn after each cleaning.
The Variances:
Silk can be used to make cloth of all weights, from thin and very sheer to soft, supple, and drapeable, to stiff and bouffant, to very think and heavy.
Silks can be woven to an infinite variety of textures, from shinny, slippery, and high luster, to soft fuzzy naps, to intricate woven paterns, to heavy nubby weaves.
Fabric Savvy: The Essential Guide for Every Sewer
Amazon Price: (as of 12/17/2009)
List Price: $17.95
Used Price: $5.11
Release Date: 02/01/2002
Avg. Customer Rating:
Hand Embroidered Kimono Silk
All About Silk: A Fabric Dictionary & Swatchbook (Fabric Reference Series, Volume 1)
Amazon Price: $45.00 (as of 12/17/2009)
List Price: $45.00
Used Price: $29.00
Release Date: 12/31/1969
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your credit card will not be charged until we ship the item.
Sewing Checklist
Machine Needles:Universal H-point
Red Band
sizes 60/8 to 90/14, depending on fabric weight
60/8 or 70/10 for lightweight silks
Machine Setting:
stitch length: 12-15 per inch (1.75 - 2 mm)
tension: loosely balanced
Sewing Machine Equipment:
straight stitch
roller foot
Hand Sewing Needles:
sizes 5 to 10
Thread:
mercerized cotton
Topstitching Thread:
silk (size A or D)
Basting Thread:
basting cotton
silk (size A)
Marking Techniques:
all types except wax
clips or tailor tacks recommended
tailor's chalk
dressmakers chalk pencils
soap sliver
temporary marking pens
wheel and tracing carbon (wax-free only)
never use wax on silk
Seams:
French seams
false French seams
standing fell
flat fell
double-ply
welt
top stitched
tissue stitched
Hong Kong seam
Hems:
shirttail
book
hand rolled (recommended)
machine rolled
hemmer rolled
shell
lettuce edge
topstitch
merrow
mock merrow
plain
handkerchief hem
Seam and Hem Finishes:
single-ply (turned and stitched)
folded
hand overcast
zig zag
multi zig zag
serged
double-ply
pinked and stitched
Hong Kong finished
Edge Finishes:
self fabric facings
bias bindings (recommended)
bands
casings
ribbing
Interfacings:
always pre-shrink
self fabric
muslin
silk organza
marquisette
cotton organdy
batiste
tulle
prima cotton
knit fusibles
light weight woven fusibles
light weight non-woven fusibles
sew in interfacing
Linings:
always pre-shrink
lightweight cotton
lightweight silk
only used on kimonos, jackets, coats, and pants, or when opaqueness is needed under sheers
Underlinings:
lightweight cotton
lightweight silk
rayon
crepe de chine
Chasmeuse
China silk
silk broadcloth
jacquard
bemberg
only used on kimonos, jackets, coats, and pants, or when opaqueness is needed under sheers
avoid using synthetic fabrics
Pockets:
silk garments generally do not have pockets
patch pockets
welted pockets
side seam pockets
Closures:
use lightweight zippers and buttons that are not heavy, otherwise fabric will sag under the weight
good quality buttons look better than cheap plastic buttons against very expensive silk
use embroidery thread for button holes
button loops usually need to be corded
avoid stiff or heavy closures and trims
Special Equipment:
sewing with silk doesn't generally require any special equipment, though you should take you time and sew each step very slowly, constantly checking to be certain that the two pieces of fabric are not slipping
Hand Painted Kimono Silk
More Fabric Savvy: A Quick Resource Guide to Selecting and Sewing Fabric
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Selecting Your Fabric
Sew Fast Sew Easy: All You Need to Know When You Start to Sew
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Testing Fiber Content
Sew What! Skirts: 16 Simple Styles You Can Make with Fabulous Fabrics
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Determining Face Side
* Asian silks (from China or Japan) are rolled on a bolt wrong side out.
* The selvage is smoother on the face side.
* The face side has fewer imperfections, knots, and slubs than the back side.
* Printed silks are brighter colored on the face side.
* Solid fabrics are more lustrous on the face side.
* Texture and weave is more pronounced o the face side.
* The face side is either side you choose it to be.
Make Your Own Japanese Clothes: Patterns and Ideas for Modern Wear
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List Price: $28.00
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Release Date: 12/31/1969
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Pattern Selection
How Do You Decide What to Sew?
Make Your Own Clothes: 20 Custom Fit Patterns to Sew
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Preparing the Fabric
Silk on eBay
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Sew Everything Workshop
Amazon Price: $19.11 (as of 12/17/2009)
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Release Date: 12/31/1969
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Sewing With Silk
New Complete Guide to Sewing (Readers Digest)
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Layout and Cutting
High Fashion Sewing Secrets from the World's Best Designers: A Step-By-Step Guide to Sewing Stylish Seams, Buttonholes, Pockets, Collars, Hems, And More (Rodale Sewing Book)
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Marking
Historic Costumes and How to Make Them
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Stitching Tips
Power Sewing Step-by-Step
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Basting
Patterns of Fashion 1: 1660-1860
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Seams, Darts, and Hems
Sewing Secrets from the Fashion Industry: Proven Methods to Help You Sew Like the Pros (Rodale Sewing Book)
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Interfacing
Couture: The Art of Fine Sewing
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Linings and Underlinings
Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That's Right for Your Body
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Release Date: 09/13/2005
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Pressing
The Fashion Designer Survival Guide: An Insider's Look at Starting and Running Your Own Fashion Business
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Release Date: 09/01/2005
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Garment Care
Shibori: Creating Color and Texture on Silk (Crafts Highlights)
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Hand Washing, Machine Laundering, or Dry Cleaning?
The bactericidal effectiveness of home laundering methods for silk and rayon (Bulletin / State College of Washington. Agricultural Experiment Station)
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Washability Test
How Often Do You Use Silk?
Medieval Costume and Fashion
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Tudor Tailor: reconstructing sixteenth- century dress
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Patterns of Fashion: The Cut and Construction of Clothes for Men and Women C1560-1620
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Past into Present: Effective Techniques for First-Person Historical Interpretation
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Cosplay: Catgirls and Other Critters
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Silk on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byWhy Do You Use Silk?
Why do you use silk? What have you used silk for in the past? What will you use silk for in the future?
How Do You Use Silk?
Share your stories, tips, tricks, thoughts, and ideas!
Your thoughts on sewing with silk . . .
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byThings I have made, learned, etc.
TheMedievalNun says:
I found making my wedding dress and my husband's wedding outfit that silk has NO give to it at all, whatsoever. And even though I made both of our outfits on proven patterns--that fit us great in any other fabric--both of our silk outfits ended up being tight. If you're going to work with a duponi or shirting silk, and your pattern is fairly fitten to begin with, definitely make your clothing larger than you normally would (I'd add at least an inch around the trunk and in the armholes/sleeves; you can always take it back up in the seams if it's too big, but piecing it out to make it larger sucks).
Also, for fine silk, line it with something like cotton broadcloth or muslin. The lining will help take the strain off the seams, either. My husband brought some home from India and wants clothes out of it, but I told him it's much, much too fine for clothing. He doesn't believe me, but it's made for lining clothing or for silk flags; it's way too fine for outer clothing.
Posted March 08, 2009
Things I plan to try...
Tiddledeewinks says:
I think it is best for special occasions and costumes or even fancy curtains!
Posted February 24, 2009
Here's my favorite link:
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Reply
- Tiddledeewinks Tiddledeewinks Feb 24, 2009 @ 11:03 pm
- Nice resourceful lens!
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