Sewing Silk

OK. First off, what kind of silk are you going to be working with? That makes a big difference in needle size and handling instructions. Like most fabrics, the lighter and finer the fabric then the lighter and finer the needle needs to be.

Look for this book:

another great book on fabric is: Try your public library.

Sharon

It's a bag of mixed ends. I'm guessing that most of the silk is medium weight. It's all pretty slippery. Thanks you for the references, I'll check today to see if my library has them or will order them for me.

Puckering may be caused by incorrect thread tension, or improper needle size. It may also occur when two pieces are joined on the straight vertical grain, and nothing much can prevent that. It's not being "silk" which is the problem, that may happen to seams in poly or cotton fabric as well.

Unless this is knit silk, I don't see how it can "run". If you mean that the edges ravel excessively, that should be corrected by proper seam-edge finishing.

Have you experimented with different thread and/or needles? Whjat was the result? I would recommend silk thread for sewing pure silk.

Beverly

Only if sewn with poor tension, poor fabric handling, letting plies slip, or you try to cram too much thread into the seamline (aka "thread jamming"). If hand sewing, relax your stitches, and work with the piece on a table. If machine sewing, relax the thread tension, use smaller diameter thread, and possibly also tissue paper or other stabilizer on at least the bottom of the machine.

Oh, also: always wind bobbins at a moderate rate -- no high speed winds, no fast/slow/fast winds -- it helps keep the bobbin thread from being stretched when winding, and then puckering as it recovers its natural length.

Sharp needles for wovens, small diameter mostly for what I think you're talking about, perhaps size 8/60 9/65 or 10/70. I prefer Schmetz microtex needles for sewing silks, but any sharp will do. Ballpoints for knits.

If you don't want to use silk thread for sewing, for many lightweight silks, I use polyester "bobbin thread" or "lingerie thread", depending on what I can get hold of. My current favorite silk thread is Tire; the bobbin thread I use is often Superior's.

It's fabric. You've got scraps. Relax and play and figure out what works for you. Oh, and try washing some of your silk scraps. Hand wash with shampoo, rinse well, dry. Small pieces can be plastered wet onto a mirror or window and allowed to dry flat, no ironing needed. (Add a little vinegar to the rinse water if you're in a hard or alkaline water area -- like wool, silk is a protein fiber that likes a slightly acid pH.)

Some silks "needlemark" -- you'll need to keep any pins in the seam allowance with these. Satins and other fine-yarn silks typically needlemark.

BTW, I often have beginners working on silk suiting scraps... gets the fear of silk out of the way, and they've got a "luxury" product when done.

Kay

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

Beverly

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

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.

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

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

I don't appear here often (for which you may be profoundly grateful) but I think I know what Woolstitcher means by 'runs'. When the SM needle is burred or too large, it may hit a thread in woven silk and pull it - giving the appearance of a run. An old trick for preventing puckered seams is: before pressing - firmly hold the seam at the top and sort of slide the joined fabrics down the threads of the seam. This will smooth out the puckers - or at least give you a better chance when pressing. Polly Esther

Dear Polly

If you have to slide the threads down a seam, there is either something wrong with the machine, or the tension is wrong for the fabric. I would have whipped my students with a blivette if they did such a thing, Using silk thread, as Kate recommends, or pressing the seam flat before pressing it open are the answers.

Teri

I do both: silk thread AND press flat then open. Plus a nice new needle in the right type and size for the fabric and thread...