The finest silk fibers, and most of what we use today are produced by "cultivated" silkworms grown in a controlled environment. The worms are fed a diet of mulberry leaves and increase their body size 10,000 times in their short life span. Once the cocoon is spun and before the worm hatches through the silk into a moth, the cocoon is soaked in hot water then unraveled, producing filaments that can be up to a mile long in size.
The raw silk is then processed to remove the sericin - the natural "gum" that protects the fibers and causes them to stick to each other as the cocoon was spun.
Silk is a protein fiber, similar to wool or to human hair. It is only natural for silks to have some irregularities -- sometimes called "slubs". This is the nature of the 100% silk fabric.
Silk that has been processed can be woven or knit into a variety of fabrics. Silk will shrink, so if you are using it to construct clothing, be sure to preshrink it. Silk often has a wonderful feel and an almost iridescent sheen that makes us think of luxury.
The weight of silk is shown as "mm" (pronounced "mommy") and varies within the different types of silk. The following list of various types of silk may help you understand some of the qualities of each.
Chiffon
Often the lightest weight and most diaphanous of the silks, Chiffon is also the most see-through. It creates the "billows" of fabric that add dimension to garments, but generally requires some kind of lining or backing unless it's used for scarves.
China Silk
China silk is a lightweight, sheer, plain-weave fabric. It's sometimes referred to as habutai, or habotai, or pongee. It is one of the less expensive and more commonly available silk fabrics.
Habotai can often be found as light as 5 mm and as heavy as 12 mm. Most of our scarves are made of 8 mm Habotai. When purchasing for clothing construction, or purchasing ready-made clothing, this fabric is not recommended for fitted garment styles because the seams will tear from the stress.
Crepe de Chine
Crepe de chine is a lightweight fabric made by twisting some fibers clockwise and others counterclockwise. The twisted fibers are then woven in a plain-weave fabric, but it's the twisted fibers, not the weave, that gives crepe its distinctive "pebbly" look and feel rather than a shiny luster. Both sides of the fabric look and feel the same.
When purchasing ready-made clothing or considering this fabric for sewing, avoid using it in tailored styles because the fabric is too soft to hold a structured shape. Crepe de chine doesn't ravel as easily as other silk fabrics, but it will tear if not handled gently.
Charmeuse
Generally, when we think of traditional silk, this is the fabric we have in mind. The back of the fabric is a flattened crepe while the front is a shimmery satin weave.
Charmeuse has even more drape than crepe de chine and works well for scarves, blouses and lingerie. Occasionally we will offer scarves in Charmeuse.
Jacquard
Jacquard silks offer various woven patterns, using matte and reflective threads to create a light and dark effect in the fabric. This effect is similar to brocade, although the Jacquard is originally created in one color. These are generally heavier weight and more densely woven. Patterns are often florals and paisleys. This added dimension (pattern) makes this fabric perfect for abstract for free-form dyeing.
Douppioni
Douppioni is a plain-weave fabric with slubbed ribs. It has a stiff, taffeta-like hand and is usually dyed in bright colors. Douppioni is often made into elegant evening gowns or semi-fitted vests and garments. But the style shouldnÕt be too fitted, because the fabric doesn't stand up well to stress and ravels easily.
It's often recommended that douppioni be dry cleaned to resist abrasions. However, as with most silk, you can generally wash douppioni with positive results. Just be sure to serge the raw edges first to prevent raveling. Washing will make the fabric lose some of its stiffness, which may be your preference, and the color will soften as the excess dye is washed away.
Noil
Silk noil is made from the short fibers left after combing and carding so it doesn't shine like many other silk fabrics. Noil looks similar to cotton, but has the soft feel of silk against the skin. It also drapes better than cotton and resists wrinkling, so it's the perfect choice when traveling.
It can be machine washed on gentle and dried on low, but this will cause a faded, "weathered" look. If you prefer bright colors, dry-clean or hand wash.
Raw Silk
Raw silk is any silk yarn or fabric that hasn't had the sericin -- the natural "gum" that protects the fiber -- removed. The fabric is stiff and dull and the sericin tends to attract dirt and odors.
Shantung
Once made from hand-reeled tussah silk (see below), today's shantung is usually made with cultivated silk warp yarns and heavier douppioni filling yarns. Depending on the filling yarn, shantung may be lustrous or dull. It has a firm, semi-crisp hand and tends to ravel, so avoid close-fitting styles.
Tussah
Tussah silk, often called shantung, is made from the cocoons of wild tussah silk worms that eat oak and juniper leaves -- their "natural" food. Because the worm isn't grown in a controlled environment, the moth hatches from the cocoon thus interrupting the filament length and making the fibers short and coarse instead of long and lustrous.
Tussah silk is difficult to dye and most often available in its natural color, a creamy tan. Because of its irregular slubs and the fact that it ravels easily, tussah should be dry-cleaned. It is a good choice for traveling as it doesn't wrinkle easily.
Elegant Beginnings, Inc. offers a wide variety of silk table linens, chair sashes and overlays. To view some of our swatches, please CLICK HERE: SWATCHES
For your appointment to build your own gorgeous event, call us today! 281.812.9587
You can also view our new website at www.elegantbeginningsinc.com
Taffeta (formerly sometimes spelled taffety) is a crisp, smooth woven fabric made from silk or synthetic fibers. The word is Persian in origin, and means "twisted woven." It is considered to be a "high end" fabric, suitable for use in ball gowns, wedding dresses, and in interiors for curtains or wall covering. There are two distinct types of silk taffeta: yarn-dyed and piece-dyed. Piece-dyed taffeta is often used in linings and is quite soft. Yarn-dyed taffeta is much stiffer and is often used in evening dresses. While silk taffeta has been classically woven in Italy and France and until the 1950s in Japan, today most silk taffeta is produced in India. Originally this was produced on handlooms, but since the 1990s, it has been produced on the most modern looms in the Bangalore area. From the 1970s until the 1990s, the Jiangsu province of China produced some fine silk taffetas. They were less flexible than the Indian mills that now dominate production. Other countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East are weaving silk taffeta, but not yet either at the quality or competitiveness of India. The most deluxe taffetas are still woven in France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Fun Facts: On November 4, 1782, taffeta was used by Joseph Montgolfier of France to construct a small, cube-shaped balloon. This was the beginning of many experiments using taffeta balloons by the Montgolfier brothers, and led to the first known human flight in a lighter-than-air craft.
Reference:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taffeta
Wedding at Ashton Gardens
Bride: Erin Weimer
Date: 1/16/2010
Our team was thankful to have a beautiful bride with beautiful decor. We used Ivory chair covers mixed with Coral accented chair sashes and coral tafetta accent linens.
For more information on how we can custom tailor your decor to match your wedding dreams, call us today!
281-812-9587
Elegant Beginnings, Inc. was proud to share the decor with Party Props in an event for Hess at Hilton of the Americas.
The linen combinations were Tuxedo self tie chair covers (black and silver) with a combination of black and white overlays.
Decor provided by Party Props
Linens by Elegant Begininnings, Inc.
Event Date: 1/30/2010
Location: Hilton of the Americas
©2009 Elegant Beginnings Inc
