SILK FABRIC INFORMATION
The most popular type of
silk is that obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm. These threads are actually triagular shaped and that is what gives silk its natural sheen. With only three sides, the light can be easily reflected and cause its classic silk shimmer. Unlike other materails like cotton or even tulle, in which the threads are round.
The mulberry silkworms are raised in captivity. There are some other silks that are less popular and much more expensive and these are called 'wild silks' because the caterpillars are not artifically cultivated. With 'wild silks' it is very difficult to find long lenths of the silk fibers because as moth emerges from the cocoon, it damages the silk thread used to make the cocoon.
Silk is a strong fiber, actually one of the strongest natural fibers but can lose up to 20% of its strength when wet. It has very little natural elasticity and if left exposed to the suns UV light, it will be weakened.
Silks low moisture content means that it is susceptible to static cling.
If you purchase unwashed
silk fabrics, like chiffon, then you should know that it will shrink by nearly 10% when it is washed. Even dry cleaning unwashed silk chiffon can shrink it by nearly 4%. You can get some of the shrinkage back by gently steaming with a press cloth, but there is no guarantee that this will be successful.
So the best bet for using
silk fabric or silk fabrics is to wash the material before you begin making the garment.
Silk has been around for over 5000 years. Its first use was in China around 3000 BC (some historians argue that the making for silk fabric can be traced all the way back to as early as 6000 BC). The empress Xi Ling-Shi is given credit for the development of silk.
These fine silks were originally reserved for the Kings of China. They were used only for their garments and occassionally as 'gifts from the king'.
The Chinese Kings attempted to keep the manufacture of silk a well guarded secret but as most secrets go, the techniques for making silk eventually found their way out of China. The manufacture of silk fabrics in Korea can be traced to around 200 BC.
The cultivation of silk is called sericulture.
