Silk is a wonderful fabric,
an ancient cloth with a unique lustre whose delicacy
has always been seen as something special.
From soft and lightweight, through to coarse and
heavy, silk offers options to suit every taste.
It has the capacity to maintain a fresh coolness on a
hot day and to keep us toasty warm on a cold one.
As a fibre silk has a triangular prism-like structure
which allows silk cloth to reflect incoming light at
different angles.
A single silk thread is only 1/10th the thickness of a
human hair.
It is said to be the strongest natural textile in the
world!
Silk is the most luxurious of textiles, the ideal
bedsheet or blouse, the best summer shirt or sarong
and the ultimate lingerie.
A natural fabric, containing 18 amino acids beneficial
to the human body, silk is naturally hypoallergenic
and antimicrobial.
It is a protein-based fibre made by silk worms at the
cost of their lives as they spin their cocoons.
The silk moth Bombyx Mori is both blind and
flightless and lives a short life of 5-10 days during
which it lays 500 eggs.
The silk moth caterpillars feed solely on Mulberry
leaves, hence the importation of Mulberry trees to
many European countries in the 17/18C.
There is much speculation as to when silk was first
used. Most people agree it was around 2500-3000 BC.
Legends have it that Silk came about due to the wife
of the Yellow Emperor around 2696 BC.
Her name was Leizu and she discovered silk when a
cocoon fell into her lap while sitting in the garden.
As it unravelled, she noticed it was made of a long fine
thread.
Production as we know it probably originated in
China around the 27th C BC and it was farmed solely
by women.
For hundreds of years, it was worn as a status symbol
and produced only for the Chinese imperial family.
Silk was also used to make paper for a while and
became so valuable it was used as trading currency in
China.
During the 13th C Italy became a major silk producer
and finest quality silk is still made there to this day.
I enjoy working with silk for many reasons.
Its varying textures and weights offer ever new
prospects for artistic creation.
The various weaves which give us Chiffon, Georgette,
Charmeuse, Crepe de chine and Organza each bring a
new cloth and reaction to the application of dyes.
As a medium for painting, it is extremely versatile and
offers a wide range of possibilities for use.
The woven fabric itself is so very different to canvas
or paper, the way it responds to the application of
dyes and resists is always fun and remains
challenging.
Silk comes in various forms, many weights and
textures are available, each one works well for
specific tasks or particular items of clothing.
There are four main types of silk currently produced worldwide.
Eri silk, Mulberry silk, Muga silk and Taser silk, of
these Mulberry is the most widely used.
Silk care
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Silk is a delicate and sensitive fabric
which requires a gentle approach when washing.
Silk should be hand washed in lukewarm
water with a small amount of gentle liquid soap.
The water must not be hot as this can damage the
fabric.
Gently stir the silk around taking care not
to rub it.
Dirt should leave the fabric easily as you stir.
Once complete and clean remove the silk and rinse in
cold water to remove any soap.
Then lay it out on a clean towel and gently
roll up ,
this will allow you to remove any excess water
easily.
Finally lay out flat to dry, do not wring or twist the
fabric.
The fabric needs to be left to dry slowly in a shaded
spot away from direct sunlight.
If ironing then use a silk setting or very low heat
setting and iron through a damp cloth.