Silk #100 vs Invisafil #100 (poly) ??

Now, Heidi, didn't you just know when you wrote that question that I was going to tell you to test? Run a little bit of a bobbin with the Silk 100 wt and make a test seam with silk on both top and bottom; a seam about 12 -

15" long should be enough. Make another test piece using the Invisafil. Tug and yank on both tests and see if one pops or surrenders. That wouldn't exactly be conclusive because you'd still need to know how they do in laundry and in years. Such a good question. The answers will be very interesting. Polly

Heidi, I'm surprised that you haven't received some answers. I do know that Leslie (of the fur-faced mob) has used Invisifil and she's the one who first showed me silk thread. Seems like Leslie was moving this weekend. I guess you'll have to do your testing on your own. Please do report back. Polly

I've been waiting for replies to this, too! I've used silk (love it!), but never the invisifil.

I may just have to wait for Leslie to get settled... or at least moved. (Settling takes forever.) I won't be able to do the seam test until this weekend, so maybe she'll be back before then.

Now that you guys are curious, I'm REALLY curious!

--Heidi

Hi Heidi. I have used ( and still do) Invisifil.I think it was Polly that mentioned it a good while back. It is really soft and gentle and disappears for Baby Quilts. I do however think that silk thread is stronger ,particularly for applique. Hth

"They say" that the first place to wear out on a quilt is the binding. I haven't personally conducted a survey but am willing to believe it. I do enjoy using invisifil for applique but haven't used it where it would need to be strong. Invisifil does have just the least bit of glitter to it and it might not disappear like 100 wt silk would. Polly

"Estelle Gallagher" Hi Heidi. I have used ( and still do) Invisifil.I think it was Polly that

One thing to remember about silk thread.... it is a protein fiber, which means that any of the "enzyme" cleaning products (including Oxy- Clean and Biz and so forth) will dissolve it. Polyester thread isn't affected by those sorts of things. (Always check the cautions on your laundry products. It would be terrible to have all your work undone in moments. )

Also, the wear in the binding is usually along the folded outside edge. Just because that is where there is always wear. It is the nature of the beast.

Pati, > "They say" that the first place to wear out on a quilt is the binding. = =A0I

Waaaah! Pati. How are we supposed to remember that if we never knew it in the first place? Pati wrote, in part: >>One thing to remember about silk thread.... it is a protein fiber, which means that any of the "enzyme" cleaning products (including Oxy- Clean and Biz and so forth) will dissolve it. >>

That's downright scary. Are you saying that if we've done some silk thread appliqué on a quilt and it is laundered with Biz or Oxy clean, that the threads will dissolve? I think you are. Holy cow. Mama didn't tell us that. Polly

Also, the wear in the binding is usually along the folded outside edge. Just because that is where there is always wear. It is the nature of the beast.

Pati, > "They say" that the first place to wear out on a quilt is the binding. I

There is no warning on the Biz package or on their website about using it on silk or any type of fiber. In fact, the package says nothing about enzymes, though the website does mention enzymes. Have you -- or anyone here -- ever tried soaking something with silk thread in Biz to see what happens?

Julia > One thing to remember about silk thread.... it is a protein fiber,

Howdy!

The "late" Linda Campbell (of Linda & The Gang) taught this lesson a few years ago, here on the group. Linda was a great believer in BIZ, as am I. She did mention that those "little 'zymes" wake up hungry and will eat up the stains (dirt, oil, old starch) and things like silk. As a non-silk participant, I'm a faithful follower of BIZ.

And as I mention the late, great Linda Diane Campbell, let me add this from another former RCTQer (NV/Songbird) over on the Baseball Swap: Hi all, I have sad news to report. Linda passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 12. Her son Rob called to let me know just a few minutes ago. He wanted to let us all know that he donated all of her quilting materials (sewing machines, fabric, everything) to the hospice thrift store. (The hospice chapter who did so much to make her last days easy ones). He said to let you know that if she had told anyone that they might have something when she died, that she didn't leave any notice for him, so he didn't know.

He didn't say this, but I know that if you feel compelled to honor her in someway, she was a strong animal advocate. So I imagine just about any animal charity would be good.

She would want me to tell you that she's gone to join the Great Squirrel in the sky. (She often joked about that.) Linda was an animist. ...

~~~~~~~ How I loved that woman, and will keep her in my memory's heart forever. Party on, Linda & The Gang.

R/Sandy

Oh how very sad. She was one of the first 'characters' I 'met' when I joined RCTQ - it took me a good few months before I had an inkling of what was going on! I laughed so often. I'm really sad to hear this news; but thanks for passing it on Sandy. . In message , Sandy Ellison writes

Indeed, that is what I am saying. The OxyClean box says (#2 under usage guidelines) "Do not use on wool, wool blends, silk, silk blends, leather .... . I've seen the same on Biz, but can't find the stuff around here. But it was advertised as an "enzyme cleaner" when it came out. It works to dissolve out protein stains (like blood, and such). Silk and wool are both protein fibers. Another cleaner that will dissolve both silk and wool is chlorine bleach. That one I have seen the test with putting some bits of wool and/or silk in a container and adding some bleach to it.You end up with a yucky liquid fairly soon.

It pays to read the labels. (And around here there are times when either of us will read almost anything. ) It also is worth paying attention in textiles classes. That I did and have been grateful often.

Pati, > Waaaah! Pati. =A0 How are we supposed to remember that if we never knew i= t in

snipped-for-privacy@k19g2000prh.googlegroups.com...

Wow! That probably makes "strength" a non-issue. This is for baby quilts that would probably benefit from Biz... I can applique by hand using a more ordinary thread, at least with batiks, without it showing at all, but I've recently discovered a stitch on my Viking that does a great job (at least I think so!) of unobtrusive machine binding. It uses tiny stitches in a wave and even looked decent with Bottom Line.

--Heidi

Sandy, thanks for letting us know. I met Linda once when she went to the Tucson quilt show and so did I. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting her and, though I haven't heard from/of her in years, I am sad to hear of her passing.

You know how it says on the lables to enzyme detergents that they kick butt on protien stains? Silk is a protien. If a product is made to destabilize protiens it will destabilize protien fibers, silk, wool, and hair.

It probably won't dissolve it all in a minute, but it will weaken the fiber with every washing.

kiri completely destroyed two of my silk blouses in the laundry. A black one (about 8mm sandwashed habitai) that she washed with the other blacks in Era. After about 6 months of washing that way you could poke holes in it with a pencil eraser. The same destruction was wrought on a pair of charcoal grey wool trousers DH had. She bleached the white blouse (about 20mm dupioni), total destruction in one laundry cycle. There was much abashedness on her part. I threatened to not let her do laundry, and she now sorts properly and uses a proper wool wash on protien fibers. She really really hates the way I fold.

NightMist

Yikes! I'm working on a baby quilt that will have a wool batt. Guess I'd better make a NO BIZ OR OXYCLEAN tag to give along with it...

Monique in TX

Yeah. Right. Like a new Daddy is going to read labels. Some new daddies help out by doing the laundry you know. My own DH did. Stuffed the washer with about 3 loads all at once, poured on a cup of bleach, added a cup of detergent and then turned on the hot water. We allow him in the laundry room now but he is firmly forbidden to ever wash any clothes of mine. Polly

"monique" Yikes! I'm working on a baby quilt that will have a wool batt. Guess

A lady in my guild hand quilted a quilt with silk thread and then washed it with some enzyme cleaner. It was a very, very say day. Indeed all the quilting came out in the wash.

marcella

There is an urban legend about that.

Wife decides to clean the net curtains and puts them in to soak in the wrong kind of detergent, leaving them in a bowl on the kitchen table, while hubby is out drinking. Hubby comes back home very late and very hungry. Next morning:

- Sorry, honey, I finished up the cheese dip you left out.

- What cheese dip?

==== j a c k at c a m p i n . m e . u k === ==== Jack Campin, 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland == mob 07800 739 557 CD-ROMs and free stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, and Mac logic fonts