pumpkinpatchquilter

I want to attempt a silk whole cloth quilt - does it matter what silk I use...aside from price? Can anyone tell me some pro's or cons of the different kinds...and silk versus cotton sateen? Can I mark silk as I normally would with a water eraseable marker? Can I get it WET at all???

Thanks!

janedee

Although this may not be much help to you - I have a project on the go using some beautiful Indian silk my daughter sent me - it needs very careful handling as it frays very easily, as far as I am aware you cannot get silk wet at all as it will mark it permenantly

PaperPrincess

just like you can get cotton gauze and cotton tarps, silk fabric runs the gamut. There is silk that is washable, but sometimes it looses its sheen. Since this is going to be an investment, I would buy small amounts of a couple different types and do some experimentation. Most (but not all) silk will water spot, frays easily, and most important, shows pin marks. From my garment construction days, I know you need to pin in the seam allowance only. If you sew something wrong, it is not very forgiving and you may need to cut another piece. Use silk pins, needles and if possible silk thread. I currently have a huge pile of mens' silk aloha shirts that I'm going to make a scrap quilt out of. I'm going to use a low heat stablizer (misty fuse) on the fabric before cutting. Good luck and would love to see your finished quilt!

dunster

I have a little bit of silk that I'm saving for a "someday" project, so I'm also interested in how to work with it. I found this article online with lots of information. One of the people who commented on it also provided tips. http://lizzyhouse.typepad.com/cherry...with-silk.html

Tartan

You might be able to PM hcarpanini and see what she used for My Christmas Angel quilt.

ckcowl

2 of the most available, affordable, commonly used silks are : Duponi (italian silks) and shantung (chinese silk) the duponi is a heavier (denser) silk with slubs running across the fabric- shantung is a lighter weight fabric with smaller-less evidant slubs...there are many (types) of silks, crepe de chine, many- with the main differences being the weight & type of weave of the fiber- mostly used for wedding/formal wear, personal wear, and home dec.... all silks should be dry cleaned, some are thin/fine, need some stablizing (with a lightweight woven stablizer) to help keep them from slipping and keep fraying down to a minimum- it is a personal choice what type of silk to use for your project- duponi has the most (body- weight) but depending on the design of your whole cloth project may or may not be a good choice- because of the very obvious slubs...it would be best to visit a shop that sells a number of different silks that you can touch- view- and decide which you like most- some on line shops (like fabric.com) sell swatches so you can order a number of samples to compare & determine what you like. i've used alot of Duponi silks in crazy quilting projects- you need a very sharp (new) blade in your rotory cutter- it's best to fuse a stablizer to the back before cutting too- fine silk pins, fine small needles and fine 80-100 wt threads make the job go easier. do a search on line (wikipedia is one place) to read about the differences in silks- there are many- thai silk, indian silk, french silks...my only experience has been with shantung & duponi silks- i really like both- but like i started with- the duponi is a heavier fabric a little easier to work with.

Shadowirish

[ATTACH=CONFIG]384048[/ATTACH]I have some silk 'panels' that my Dad sent home from Japan in the '40's. There were about 20 of them on a roll (which I have cut apart). My understanding was that it was a factor sample roll. I love to make something out of them,they are to beautiful to not be enjoyed. I'm not sure they would make a very nice quilt as they are not soft and silky feeling but rather kind of grainy and rough. Anyone have any thoughts?

Tartan

I think I would try hand washing one piece and see how it reacts. Does it get softer? Does it fall part? Does the water leave stains on it? Do the colours run like crazy? You can better decide what to use them for after you see how they do.

ckcowl

i've washed my silks a few times- the do not 'soften' their 'hand' seems to stay the same...they only get water spots if water is (splattered) on them- if the whole piece is submerged the (spots) are all over-so not apparent
i've never had a problem with any bleeding (and i have used red silks) but i have heard it can be a problem-so testing is always recommended-if using deep colors
they do need ironing-after washing- best to iron with a cool iron (set for silk) and iron from the back- gently/carefully.
this quilt center is almost all silks- all have been washed- all have been pressed---all are 'stablized---all are duponi silks...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]384077[/ATTACH]

pumpkinpatchquilter

Oh wow, thank you all so much for the information and GORGEOUS pictures!!! Now I am so excited!!! I love the idea of getting swatches and testing the different silks. It is good to know that you have washed the silk quilts too. I'm thrilled to experiment thank you all for your knowledge and help!