Originally Posted by
SewingSew
Since I am just beginning to learn about the materials and methods used in whole cloth quilts (which is why I started taking a class), I am curious--why could you not use Dupioni for a bed quilt? Is it something that just is never, ever used for a bed quilt? And if so, is it because it is slippery? And if that is the case and you wanted to use it, couldn't you just use a different backing that wasn't slippery? When I think of a quilt, I think of cotton, so just the idea of using other fabrics is new to me. But I would think silk, and especially Dupioni, would be luxurious if it were used in a whole cloth bed quilt.
I will agree that dupioni is luxurious and beautiful but it is not well suited for a wholecloth bed quilt and the wear and tear associated with a bed quilt that will be used on an everyday basis. First there is the price to consider at over $20 per yard in the US. It only comes in a 54" width and the nature of the fabric shows seams very obviously due to the slubs that are part of the fabric. If you don't match it up just right the seam would be an unsightly distraction even if the piece was heavily quilted. The light refracts off the fabric differently so you need to be sure you get it just right if you are piecing it and even then you may get a whole cloth that appears to be two different shades of white (or whatever color you decide to use). You will more than likely have to purchase much more fabric to make sure and even then I'm not sure you can piece it side by side without the light refraction issue. The care requirements for it are hand wash or dry clean only but I know of several quilters who have had disastrous results with dupioni bleeding and fading or losing color in some spots and not in others and that was from only blocking the quilt with water after completion. And there is no escaping marking for a whole cloth quilt. You must mark it in some way. Although I suppose you could attempt marking it with a Hera type marker to avoid having to submerge it in water to remove marks.
Bethanne Nemish ruined her award winning quilt "The Shell Collectors" trying to resolve a bleed issue from soaking and blocking to remove her marks and the dupioni ended up disintegrating from all the different things she tried to get the bleed out. Granted this was not a wholecloth, she had pieced other colors of dupioni silk in the wall hanging. She ended up remaking the quilt and it went on to win numerous shows.
I am of the opinion if you are going to go through all the labor intensive efforts of creating a whole cloth bed sized quilt (as opposed to a wall hanging) you want to create an heirloom that can be enjoyed, used and possibly even passed down for generations.
Dupioni is indeed gorgeous fabric but it is meant for high end applications like bridal wear, accent pieces, and show pieces like wall hangings or show quilts.