Silk Dupioni

I've made a quilt from a fairly firm dupioni and didn't use an interfacing. The only thing I would suggest is to handle it carefully as it ravels simply by looking at it (which is probably where the fusible interfacing would be helpful). I didn't use a bigger seam allowance, but I think I did dial down the stitch length a little bit. It certainly is pretty!

It frays quite badly, perhaps that is why.

L>I've been told to use a fusible interfacing with Silk Dupioni. The

Linda PATCHogue, NY

I have some silk dupioni here; bought it back when Martha Pullen of Sew Beautiful was using it for special dresses for little girls. Once it was laundered, it appeared to be entirely too stiff. It is lovely fabric but if you decide to interface it, I suggest you get the lightest weight possible. Polly

I have just bought some silk dupion from probably the best supplier in Britain (just last week). I am to make a church banner, and will need to do a lot of appliqué, so I asked her if she recommended anything for appliquéing with silk. She suggested iron-on interfacing or bond-a-web. I asked specifically because of the fraying. As was said, you can lie it down on the table, look at it sideways and you can see the little threads just wandering away!! I did an altar frontal with the same fabric and it was a nightmare. Fraycheck shows, and dries rather hard. . In message , Mickie Swall writes

It does unravel very easily. maybe that's why!

Oh, Dear Pat,

Sitting here with my first cup of coffee this morning and I read this. Gave me the giggles, I have worked with silk in Diane Gaudynskis class and it does just that. The faster I sewed the faster it raveled. I ended up with about a 4" square by the time I was finished. This was quite amusing as I started with a fat quarter! Silk takes on its own life and you better be ready for it!

Peace,

Marsha in nw, OH

Now there's a picture. I've never actually seen fabric wander away but I know it happens. LOL. Thank you, Patti. There's a product I think you'd enjoy for tiny escaping threads. Its called FrayBlock by June Tailor. I use it to secure tiny buttonholes and uncooperative appliqué inner curves. It doesn't dry hard. I don't think you'd want to buy a bucket full to paint your banner but it is very nice for small problems. Polly

I've done several pieces with silk and found that a very light weight KNITTED fusible interfacing works the best. Not likely to find that in a quilting store; I think I got it at Joanns. (:< my Joanns is closed.) j

Thanks Joan, for slipping this in, I'll try to find some. . In message , joan8904 in Bellevue Nebraska writes

Remember that white quilt I made my DNiece?? ALL silk and the backing and some of the front blocks were dupioni. On the front pieces, I was just *VERY* careful with it and prayed a LOT -- LOL. Everyone is correct about the stuff raveling with the slightest provocation -- actually, most silk will do that as I know from that white silk quilt :-). I don't like to use the interfacing because of the bulk it adds. I didn't find that laundering made my dupioni any stiffer -- just the opposite after the stuff was washed. Regardless, it's still one of the stiffest silks around and, personally, I wouldn't use the interfacing simply to keep the stuff from fraying. **IF** you can keep deal with it, use one of the pinking blades for your rotary cutter. Pinking the edges is probably the easiest way to deal with fraying edges of dupioni or any other fabric. I use pinking shears all the time when I use silk to sew clothing or home dec stuff. I'm not sure what a rotary pinking blade would cost but it's an option. Let us know what you finally decide to d, OK? CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

Joan, that's what I've done when working with silk - used a knitted fusible interfacing. It doesn't change the hand of the silk at all, but makes it much easier to work with.

Donna in (SW) Idaho

This is a small comissioned quilt and they sent me pieces of this silk that have candlewicking designs embroidered on them. I really didn't want to use the interfacing, so I used spray starch on some of the pieces It seems to help. On the pieces that are curved piecing, I traced the template onto the fabric and then applied FrayCheck along the cutting lines. I pressed the seam allowance over the edge of the template and will use invisible applique instead of doing curved piecing. I've cut the borders using a pinking blade in my rotary cutter (thanks for the suggestion) and cut them at least an inch and a half wider - I will trim them as necessary after the quilting is done.

Which brings me to anothe question - I'd like to use a Mark-B-Gone marker to mark the quilting lines, which will be hanging diamonds design stitched with a walking foot. I've done a test sample to see how the marks erase, and so far the fabarics seem to be ok. The candlewickuing embroidery directions I have say to use the air erasable marker to mark the candlewicking disigns. They sent fabric to me with the designs already stitched, and I do not see any trace of the marks on them. I assume if I use the air erasible marker that it will disappear before I can get all the lines stitched. Any of you have experience with water-soluable markers on silk dupioni?

Mickie

Only to keep it from fraying. I either use a fusible, pink the edges, or use a 1/2" seam allowance with dupioni.

I agree with you about Fraycheck (and don't even think about some of the more "generic" types of the same stuff.... even worse.) But when the June Taylor brand of anti fray stuff came out we tried it in the store. It is called Fray Block (I think) and comes in a tube, but is very thin. Put a tiny pinhole in the covering over the end of the tube please. This stuff dries soft and it does work. We tested it on tissue lamé and you couldn't see it, and it didn't change the hand of the fabric and did keep the edges "clean" for many days/weeks (?) . (NAYY, in fact I seldom use June Taylor products, but this one is a keeper.)

On the other hand, there are some ways to stabilize fabrics, if you plan to or can rinse them after you are finished. Starch is one, and there is also a liquid stabilizer that works well. (Just a thought, you might not want to wet the silk when finished.)

Have fun,

Pati, > I have just bought some silk dupion from probably the best supplier in

With you on the fray check. I try to avoid fusibles as much as I can with silk because half the point of the stuff is the feel and drape. With dupioni you almost may as well used polished cotton if you are going to fuse it. A lot of instructions seem to advise fusible with silk though. I think that in addition to fraying they are considering the pucker factor when they do that. After all if you just sling it on the machine with a universal needle and a standard foot you will get draws and puckers. Especially in the lighter weights and denser weaves, not so much an issue with dupioni I should think. The very nature of the fabric makes it one of the easier silks to sew.

I have not had much difficulty with water soluble markers on silk. For marking quilt patterns I use them a great deal. The only time I have had ghost marks with them on silk specificly is in hot weather on heavier silks. So you might want to do a test within those parameters before using them. On heavy silk that I am marking for sewing not painting, I will sometimes spray starch over it before marking. That seems to help limit penetration of the markers so the lines come out with greater ease. If you mark as you go, and have had no trouble with the air erase markers I would stick to them. I tend to mark all at once, so they don't do very well for me.

NightMist