Serger help

I want to make a pair of men's pajamas from silk. In looking for fabric I'm having a hard time identifying the catagory of fabric that would be suitable. I am finding silk brocade, silk chemeuse, silk taffeta, and so forth. I want a fabric that is light weight, smooth and silky. Can someone head me in the right direction?

Who sells silk fabric?

Thanks

Larry

Charmeuse would be very soft, and suitable for pajamas. Taffeta is very crisp, brocade is usually fairy heavy, but would work depending on your weather.

For one, Thai Silks:

Beverly

Are you sure it's not going all the way over to the left needle? Have you tested it threaded for three threads, using the left needle *only*? When I sew four threads, the right needle catches the upper looper "coming and going", so it

Test with the left needle only, and let us know if it works?

Bevelry

Thanks for the suggestion Bev. DH took a look and it seems the looper was bent. Now after his help it is broke. (we are partners in crime on sergers today, it would seem) I need to figure out if I want to have it serviced or replace it. It is a Bernette 334ds that is 16 years old. Probably around $100 to service/repair. Do you think I should just throw in the towel on it and trade her in? I use it less than I use to but still need a working serger around.

What are you folks lik> Taria wrote:

Beverly!!!! Someone is forging posts! Pretending to be you!

Damned spillchucker....

BevERLY ;-)

Always glad to make an attempt, Tar. ;->

I still love my bought-used Bernette 234MO. The only think it doesn't have that I found useful on the Huskylock 936 is a differential feed. I kept the Bernette, because one never knows when a back-up serger will come in handy. If something happened to it, I would seriously consider having it repaired, provided the cost was somewhere under $200.

Huskylock 905, 910? I had a 910, gave it to older DD when I won the 936. I liked the 910 very much, although I couldn't ever get the little doohickey to convert it to a two-thread rolled hem ( it was missing and I had an order in forever).

Beverly ;-)

I was having the greatest visual images, was going to ask you not to stand in direct sunlight, because your edges were blinding.

Bought the Juki 5 thread non-coverstitcher when my Pfaff decided to crater this spring. Like it a lot (MO655, I think). If you don't have good local dealer support, it seems to be a good machine at a reasonable price. Good manual, too.

Kay

Try threading from scratch and new needles... used to cure my Pfaff instantly when it did that.

Kay

Rule 1: Don't let DH anywhere near a serger. :-)

Someone has suggested the Huskylock line as a good choice. The 905 is probably in the high part of the price range you suggested, but it's a good, solid machine, without frills.

gwh

I second Thai Silks. They always have good prices and great service. NAYY.

My favorite thing to do with silk, for comfy clothes, is to acid wash it before I make the garment up. Throw the silk in a washing machine full of hot water with 3 cups of white vinegar. Wash on the longest cycle. Toss in a warm dryer and dry completely. You can repeat this up to 3 times before you damage fibers. This also makes the garment washable, any shrinkage is going to happen in the acid washing.

Thai Silks sometimes has 15 mm habotai or China silk. Acid washed once, you get a softer fabric that will still stay in tailored lines. Acid washed 3 times you get some good drapey fabric that is soooo soft. Everyone has their own preference. If you could find some 15 mm habotai in a color, white would be pretty sheer, that would work really well I'd think. And be inexpensive enough to not break the bank either. ;) And that's a good weight.

Brocade would be heavy for pajamas, and it's not always smooth or silky. It would work well for a dressing gown. But heavy for lounge wear. Charmeuse would be lovely, very very posh! I would buy about half again as much as needed and wash it. Not necessary to acid wash that, it will have some drape and be just about right. Look for a medium weight (mm refers to weight.) But I would want the pajamas washable when they are finished. A plain old warm or hot water wash would take care of that.

From a quick surf through Thai Silks a couple other things worth mentioning: crepe de chin and chiffons are sheer and very light weight, they are also not smooth and "silky"; jacquards have a pattern woven into the fabric also not "silky"; organza and taffeta are fairly stiff (although if you need any interfacing for the pajamas, like in the collar and button band--get some organza and wash it the same way you do the rest of the silk. It works Wonderfully as a sew in interfacing.) You also don't want dupioni or shantung. Both are very crisp. They make Gorgeous jackets, skirts, suits, etc. But way too crisp for pj's.

Two other things to remember 1. silk takes dye very well. So if you find the perfect fabric in white, but want a color you can do that. 2. anything that is referred to as "sueded" has been acid washed like I described above. (Have you ever felt a "sueded" or "sandwashed" silk shirt?? Those were usually acid washed habotai in a fairly light weight.)

Have fun hunting and let us know if we can help any more.

Sharon

But he figured out! ;-) Sometimes it actually works to let people know about Usenet "etiquette".

Doesn't work on spammers, though, they never come back to read... :-(

Beverly

Maybe I have just had to deal with clueless people for so long (not to mention people assuming that I was deliberately not doing something that I actually was totally unaware of the need to do) in my real life that I am in the habit of offering education as well as criticism.

Any idea how to do this with a front-loading washer???

Thanks, Janet

My front-loader has a place on the top to add detergent, bleach, and fabric softener. You could put your vinegar in the detergent or bleach cups, then it would be added to the wash cycle.