silk is an amazing fabric. it is very weak when wet, however and washing it will change it significantly. for dupioni silks, washing changes the hand of the fabric and can alter the colours in really unpredictable ways.
i will make a silk quilt in my future out of the dresses and pieces i am collecting. and i know when i do this the quilt i have coming off the machine will bear little to no resemblance to itself once washed.
but it is warm, durable and in some way, thanks to those caterpillars, almost magical to me.
if kaufmann is weaving cotton and silk together, i would wash the cut fabric first, treating it as you expect your finished project to be treated. then i would merrily go ahead and do the do
aileen