A former business associate closed his furniture store down. He had box after box of drapery and furniture fabric samples. He give me so much silk that it took 2 men to lift the bag into my car. Some pieces are pretty large. There are gorgeous colors and designs. Most are approximately the same thickness. These fabrics were between $40 to $80 a yard. Many are embroidered with palm trees, seashells, etc. Would I be able to use silk in a quilt? I just don't have a clue!

Yes, you can. There are antique quilts that were made of the silk ribbons on cigars. You could do a strip quilt like that or you could do a crazy quilt.

Can't wait to see what you do with them:)

A silk quilt would be beautiful. The only drawback I can see is I don't think it would be washable. They used silk all the time many years ago.
Sue

Take some pics and how us your fabulous fabrics!

San
FL

I am so glad that you started this topic. A Japanese friend of mine gave me 4 100% silk kimonos, and told me to do whatever I wanted to with them. Two of them were wedding kimonos, absolutely beautiful. I have taken 1 of the others apart, and was going to post the very same topic.

I think that it needs a little stabilizer, but don't know what kind, because all of the fusible stabilizers that I know of, you use with a hot iron which you can't use on silk. So what would you stabilize it with?

Yes, but it comes with drawbacks..
first you have to stabilize the fabric with something like French Fuse.
Second, you need to use silk thread to sew it...anything else can just cut through it over time.
and thirdly, it can not be washed...it also requires special storing to avoid bugs and dry rot.

sure is pretty to work with though..just ask any crazy quilter!

I read once that to stabilize silk, you would need to baste the interfacing to the silk fabric. I have some silk tie fabric, but have been waiting until I decide on just what pattern I want to make with it...I will be watching the posts to see what other suggestions there are.

I'm going to Thailand, Laos & China next month and I am grateful for this thread too, because I want to get some silk to make a wall hanging. Is that possible? Also what is French Fuse?

The silks I have are drapery silks unlike the beautiful thin silk of Kimonos. There is more body to them, a heavier feel to the touch. I don't think I will have to fuse them to stabilizer at all. I'm glad to find out about having to use silk thread.