May 18, 2006
Burmese Silk
My current sewing project at home is a San Diego Jacket. I'm making it in one of my favorite fabrics, Burmese silk. It's actually a blend of silk and "who knows what", but I love the way it washes and becomes so soft and slightly textured. The San Diego Jacket will actually become a blouse in this fabric and the drape is perefect for the collar treatment.
I love this fabric so much that we are now featuring the fabric on our web site. It's packaged in a 4-yard bundle for $40.00. Remember, when you get it, it's shiney and stiff, but after it's washed - oh my, you'll love it year around!
Check out an example in blueberry blue in our Gallery section.
May 08, 2006
My weekend silk experience - caution!
My friend asked me to make her a pair of pants in sueded silk crepe as part of a mother-of-the-bride ensemble. I've made a number of silk crepe pants, but not sueded silk. I found it to be one of the most difficult fabrics I've ever handled. After completing the pants, I hung them up next to her ready-to-wear black ones which I had copied and realized that the ones that I had made were 1 1/2" shorter than the originals. I couldn't figure out what I had done, so I compared the pants to my pattern and my pattern was the correct length. I cut a small piece of the fabric, held the steam iron over it, and watched the fabric draw up before my very eyes. The fabric had shrunk in the proces of making the pants and I hadn't realized it.
Needless to say, I'll be pre-steaming the fabric before I cut out the next pair!
