Sewing Silk - Page 2

Posted by BEI Design on January 19, 2009, 6:50 pm

Kay Lancaster wrote:
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Kay, have you written your book yet? ;-)

Beverly

Posted by on January 19, 2009, 11:58 pm

Dear Woolstitcher,

A very important step in sewing any tightly woven fabric, especially
lightweight ones such as the silk you describe, is to press the seam
flat before you press it open. The puckering you've seen is often
caused because this step has been omitted. You should routinely do
this with all your sewing; you'll be surprised at the difference it
makes in the final product.

Teri

Posted by Kate XXXXXX on January 20, 2009, 3:08 am

gpjteri@gmail.com wrote:
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I'll just add that I always sew silk fabric with silk thread. I like
Coates new Seta Reale, or the YLI 100 weight threads for fine silk, and
a fine needle. For some tightly woven silk, a fine Sharp or Microtex
needle is best, and lighter foot pressure on the sewing machine.

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

Posted by Joy Beeson on January 20, 2009, 11:25 pm

On Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:08:35 +0000, Kate XXXXXX

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When I sew silk by hand, I frequently use a raveling from the fabric
itself, particularly when top-stitching flat-felled seams that aren't
supposed to show -- thread that matches the fabric now probably won't
after the garment has been through the washing machine a few times.

Beeswax (*real* beeswax, not the "sticky wax" that, for some other
fiber-arts purposes, is an adequate substitute) is a big help in
controlling ravelings and 100-weight silk.

Joy Beeson
--
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://roughsewing.home.comcast.net/ -- sewing
http://n3f.home.comcast.net/ -- Writers' Exchange
The above message is a Usenet post.
I don't recall having given anyone permission to use it on a Web site.

Posted by on January 21, 2009, 12:23 am

Dear Joy,

I have a book from the 1830s suggesting that if suitable thread is not
available, one should use ravelings from the fabric. You're the first
one I've heard of to actually do this. Much as I love handwork, you'd
have to whip me with a blivette before I'd do that. I made a bunch of
frontier style, eighteenth century shirts for the Daniel Boone home,
and had to ravel fringes for the trim. What a mess, and time
consuming? I thought I'd never get done. And there's no easy way to
do it; one row at a time, pull it out. And I threw out the removed
threads, when I could have sewn with them. Ah, well...

Teri

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