Silk fabric & quilting

I fuse silk to a knitted fusible interfacing. I've been making wall hangings, so I haven't tried washing them. I'd recommend testing a little swatch of silk in the washing machine before going forward on this project.

joan

p.s. The silk I've worked with ravels like crazy!

I wash silk all the time. Just make sure you don't use an enzyme detergent -- something like Synthrpol, Orvus, or shampoo will work fine.

Once you fuse it, fraying shouldn't be an issue.

Silks can shrink, run and change hand when washed. Also, the typicala detergents used for cotton, and cotton storage conditions are really tough on silk. Silks last best in slightly acidic, higher humidity conditions (like wools) while cellulosic fibers like cotton and linen do best in slightly alkaline conditions, low humidity. Silks also abrade fairly easily.

This is not to say you can't mix silk and cotton in a quilt for a child, just that it might not last nearly as long as you'd expect an all-cotton or all-silk quilt to last.

Could you do something else with the silk? Mat a photo or a sampler with it? Make a silk and poly or silk and wool quilt?

Kay

Huh. Thanks for the info. Actually, it sounds like the silk part will do better in Missouri, where she is, than in Arizona, where I am!

But I take your point. I shall ponder.

MAO

There's a very light woven cotton fusible interfacing that works well on silk. No need to wash first, because it would be hard to iron. But it's way less bulky than muslin and not stiff at all. IMO you could keep to the quarter-inch seam. But don't skimp on the quilting -this helps patchwork survive many washings.

As long as fabrics are similar in weight and in the way they are handled, you can mix with little trouble. But do consider that the silks may bleed when washed (rub gently with a damp white cloth and see if color comes off). So if you want to combine with cotton in the patchwork or for the backing, consider using a dark color.

I would advise NOT combining with synthetics like poly-cottons. These wear very differently. Roberta in D

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Howdy!

And now for something completely different : I'd use the silks in a wallhanging, find some coordinating prints in the Oriental collections of cotton fabrics for the little girl's quilt.