A post from yesterday about sources for silk dupioni got me thinking. I have collected some of this fabric because I like it, but have no idea of how to proceed with using it for or incorporating it into a quilt. Would love to see some ideas, links, pictures, etc from people who have used this in either quilts or art quilts.

Thanks!

Look at my avatar. That is a silk quilt made with silk dupioni fat quarters and bordered with silk taffeta left from making my DDIL's wedding gown. The batting is silk/bamboo batting, and backed with silk velvet. Dupioni is very ravelly and difficult to sew unless you have lots of experience with it. I have made wedding gowns so this was not new to me. PM me if you want more detail on it.

Grambi,

I am thinking about doing one with this pattern http://www.cluckclucksewpatterns.com...g-squares.html

I saw one in a shop that was simply gorgeous. The outside squares and inside squares alternated between light and dark colors, with no white. It was so rich looking and feeling.

Good luck.

Heidi

Would serging help the edges?

Has anyone used a fusible web on the back and if so, what kind. I would think that it would have to be very light, like maybe Mistyfuse (which is kind of high dollar). Maybe there is another, less expensive kind.

Also have any of you ever used the silk with cotton. Grann of 6 used silk velvet on the back. I wonder if the velvet could be used in piecing on the front.

Just brainstorming here.

I found this article a while back. Maybe it'll help you out.

Sewcrafty, tried to open your download, but having trouble.
Probably don't know what I'm doing. I saved it and maybe DH can help when he's in town next week. Thanks for sending it.

I used Steam-a-Seam Lite. Why? Because it was here at the time.

I think you can use any pattern you want. I wouldn't get into tiny little pieces (unless you were paper piecing). Also, there is a very definite "grain" to the some dupionis, making it almost directional. I loved that look, but I know it drove a friend crazy looking at it. Go figure.

You can certainly mix them all up - it would give it a great texture with all the different piles. It's like an organized pieced crazy quilt.

And did you ever check out the quilts in the Neiman Marcus catalog? Thousands of dollars for a quilt make of 12" squares of different silks and velvets.

But as I wrote in the other thread, I did prewash all the silk dupioni. However, if I included the velvet it probably be a moot point as I don't think I'd ever wash the quilt.

I will try to answer all the questions in one reply. Serging makes the seams too bulky and difficult to press to one side. Remember, you can't use steam, starch, or press from the front or your seams will show. Silk is notorious for spotting if dampened in any way. You also cannot use the high heat cotton requires. I would caution using any other fabric with silk because of the difference in heat required and moisture. I would suggest using 3/8" or 1/2" seams and using a pattern that calls for as little manipulation of the fabric as possible. The fewer the seams the better. But then it is your quilt, so do as you please. These are just my suggestions. Also, interfacing can be used but you have to use one that requires a low heat for fusion or it won't hold fast to the silk.

I see you are from Spring Branch, TX--the quilt store in Kerrville, TX did carry the dupioni silk and I think patterns where this type was used. You might try contacting them, its been a year since I was there so don't know how things have changed.

Grambi, my avatar is made from cottons, satin, upholstery cotton and the background is silk. Here is a pic of my Celtic Lovers Knot quilt made from my own hand painted silk. As others have said one just has to be a little careful with the iron, water/steam and use wider seams.

Sooo sorry! Here it is. Its long so paste and cut to a document for yourself.

Sewing Guidelines for Silk Fabric
Silk fabric is produced in such a variety of weaves, textures and weights that any suggestions for sewing and care should be considered in light of the specific product you are working with. As a rule, use the very best materials available to you on your silk fabric project. These projects tend to have a longer life span. Skimping on interfacing could result in serious regrets and a garment that never leaves the closet.
Silk Care
Pre-treating:
Pre-treat your silk fabrics using the same cleaning method that you plan to use for the garment after construction. You may want to purchase a little extra fabric for experimenting with cleaning methods.
Washing:
Some silk fabrics actually look better when washed, as dry cleaning can sometimes cause a garment to look dull.

Silk fabrics typically soften when washed. If you want your silk to stay crisp, consider dry cleaning.

Silk fabrics tend to shrink. The amount of shrinkage is dependent on the characteristics of the silk fabric. Allow at least an eighth of a yard per yard if you plan on washing your project, more if the fabric is loosely woven or has a high level of sizing (the starchy substance that is sometimes used in processing yardage).

Silk dyes beautifully. However, this ability to absorb dye means that many silk fabrics are prone to releasing color. A little fading over time is not unusual. Strong intense colors may bleed and damage other items or portions of a project. Dry cleaning for silk fabric projects using intense colors should be considered even if all the fabrics used are know to be washable.

Launder silk fabric in a mild detergent or soap and avoid the use of harsh bleach and chemicals. Some professionals will even recommend a mild "people" shampoo with few additives. Avoid excessive twisting, and wrinkling unless you are attempting to build in texture. Test your washing process on a swatch to determine if you prefer hand washing to machine washing. Rinse your silk fabric twice. In the first rinse add a small amount (¼ cup per gallon) of white vinegar to remove soap residue. The second rinse will remove the vinegar leaving your silk delightfully fresh.

When laundering the completed garment, you may consider machine drying your silk fabric. If you do, remove it from the dryer while still slightly damp. Arrange on a hanger, smoothing as much as possible. This will reduce the amount of pressing needed. You may wish to press the garment while slightly damp.

Silk fabric tends to shine or slick when pressed. Use a press cloth when pressing on the right side and consider using a lower temperature. Wrinkles, folds, and pleats pressed into silk fabrics tend to be very difficult to remove. Use care in pressing.
Dry Cleaning:
Dry cleaned silk fabrics can and will shrink. As with washing, purchase additional yardage and pre-treat prior to cutting out.

With some projects all the components may be washable including the fabric, interfacing, buttons and embellishments. However, if you have any concerns about the silk colors bleeding, the completed garment should be dry cleaned.
Cutting
Most silk fabrics are best when cut following the napped layout, and most can be cut folded in two layers. A rotary cutter and mat can be helpful, especially for the more textured silks. Very slippery silk fabric can be laid out on a slightly napped fabric such as a sheet. Other silk fabrics that are very soft or slippery, might do better layered on top of sheets of tissue paper. The pattern would then be pinned to the tissue as well as the fabric and all layers cut out together.

When marking notches clips may be used. However, avoid them in very course or loosely woven silk fabric. Avoid using wax based markers. A tailors tack really does not take much effort and is generally more accurate.
Basic Sewing
Most silk fabrics can be sewn with any good quality thread, either cotton wrapped or 100% polyester. Silk thread for construction of the garment may not be as good a choice. Frequently the fibers in a silk thread are short. While they spin together and look marvelous, they may not be as strong as the silk they are sewing and they may fray and break easily. Save your expensive silk thread for top stitching and embellishing.

Use a Universal needle suitable to the weight of your fabric. However, very fine silk fabric may require a "sharp" needle. Sew a test seam to determine the best stitch quality. Generally 8-12 stitches per inch will be best. Again a test seam is the best way to tell. Being a natural fiber, silk does not dull needles as quickly as synthetic fabrics. However, you should still consider starting with a new needle.

The slippery silk fabric that was difficult to cut out may also be difficult to sew. You might try laying the fabric on top of strips of tissue paper and sewing through all layers. Some seamstresses have had luck using adding machine tape or even toilet paper as a support. These can be set in your lap and unreeled as you sew. Should the silk fabric tend to poke down into the hole under the presser foot, consider using a single hole throat plat or create your own by putting a small piece of tape over the opening. Sew a few stitches to make a nice hole in the tape, then sew through a scrap of fabric to clean any sticky residue from the machine needle.

Serged seams are often a very good choice. Sergers with differential feed offer additional adjustments. Test to make sure you get the results you are after. Press this test seam to evaluate if and how badly the bulk of the serger threads impact the look of the seam.
Seam Finishes
Silk fabrics tend to ravel or fray easily. Therefore, seams should be finished to prevent the garment from showing unsightly frayed threads or raveling apart.

Serging edges prior to constructing with traditional 5/8" seam allowance may help avoid ridges showing on the right side. Press seam over a half round wooden seam stick, sleeve roll, or pressing ham and press from the wrong side.

Other suitable finishes include hand-overcast, zigzag, simple seam binding and Hong Kong bound edges. As a rule, avoid bulk whenever possible.
Interfacing
Interfacing should be matched to the weave, texture and weight of your silk fabrics. Pretest several options if in doubt. Either woven or non-woven interfacing can be used depending on the project and personal preference. Pre-treat your interfacing using the cleaning method you intend to use for the finished garment.
Iron-on
Iron-on interfacing may not be suitable especially if the silk fabric is sheer, thin or lightly textured.
Sew-in
Sew-in interfacing is recommended for tailored projects although there are a number of very good knit fusible interfacings on the market which work nicely. In addition to commercial interfacings, consider silk organza, silk organdy, silk chiffon, and silk voile. These fabrics may also be available in either cotton or polyester. An additional layer of self fabric may be the perfect choice. In some cases, cotton broadcloth will be suitable. Even cotton flannel (washed at least twice) can be used to interface/underline a very heavy silk fabric.

Another factor that can influence the choice of interfacing as well as seam finishes, button holes, etc. is the intended use of the garment. A trendy project intended to be worn for only one season might be completed more quickly using iron-on interfacing and time saving sewing processes. A classic style, a very detailed garment or one intended for long term use and laundering might require a more time consuming treatment.
Lining
Consider adding a lining to your silk fabric project.

A lined garment will be more comfortable to wear. It will "breath" due to the lining moving moisture away from the body. The garment will move with the body and the sleeves will slide off an on easier, especially when multiple layers are worn.

A lined garment will drape nicely. Garments will cling due to moisture and static, both of which can be eliminated with a lining.

A lined garment will look nicer on the inside. Construction materials and seams are hidden and the garment is more stylish and luxurious.

A lined garment will have a longer life. The lining protects the fashion fabric from perspiration while the inner structure absorbs the stress and strains of movement. There will be fewer strained and opened seams. Silk dupioni for example appears to have good strength but really benefits from the support of a lining.

ice. It is light weight and comes in many colors. Silk organza can add a little structure and silk crepe de chine can add a little weight. You may even consider a silk jacquard or silk print to add a little "zing" to a garment whose lining might show such as a jacket or coat. A contrasting lining can add interest as well as actually affecting the color of a garment. A hot pink lining in a white wedding gown can add delightful warmth and glow to the dress without actually being seen.

Linings can improve both the structure and visual appearance of your silk garment.

I have only used it for antique doll's clothing and had to french seam it

Hi. I'm new here. I actually just joined because I love working with silk dupioni. My avatar is silk dupioni. I treat it the same way I treat cotton except I use Fray-Check on every seam right before or right after I sew it. I have even used it for a couple of appliqued quilts, but never anything larger than a lap quilt. I use a cotton setting to iron and a lot of steam. I always steam it before I cut anything out in case of shrinkage. I have never had a water spot or anything like that. You have to be very careful about the grain because it really reflects light and can look like a different color from different directions. I don't wash it because it loses it's shine and body. Whew, I can't believe I actually posted! BTW I really love this forum.

Thank you everyone who has answered so far. Lots of great information and I love the avatars made with silk. You all give me the courage to just give it a shot and see what I end up with.

Sunbury, welcome to the forum. I'm pretty new here myself. Beware! It is very addicting. I have to force myself to get off the site often.

Thanks Grambi. I read this forum every day but when I saw silk dupioni I couldn't resist

Love the silk avatar. Welcome and G'Day from Australia

I've made art quilts with silk dupioni. I machine applique and found that if I wait till I need the applique piece to cut it, I can just about get it sewn in before the fraying gets too bad. I don't back it with anything just stitch it down. I do a stay stitch (like in garment making esp. around neck openings) using a matching thread right along the edge before sewing the applique. The satin stitch I use covers the stay stitch.

Thank you Mrs B.

Welcome, Sunbury. I am surprised you have been able to iron on the cotton setting without affecting your fabric. I love the feel of silk and love working with it too. I now have a long arm quilting machine so I want to try another silk quilt so I can play with threads and textures. You will find this site a multitude of info; you will just keep getting more and more ideas. Too bad we can't increase the hours in our days.

Debby Maddy has a silk table runner pattern. I took her workshop and she has some great really light weight fusible stabilizer she uses on the back of the silk pieces before she cuts. It was an amazing workshop and the ravelling was next to nothing using her stabilizer.

Morning and Happy Easter! I posted the silk question yesterday and want to thank everyone one for the great info on that thread as well as this thread. I never woulda thought of fray check...thanks for that post I'll have to experiment with that. Cherry House Quilts has (in my opinion) great patterns that would easily lend themselves to silk piecing. In fact she has one pattern that was pieced with silk and its beutiful. I am curious about how a silk quilt would quilt up on a long arm. Does anyone have pictures of a silk quilt after its been quilted that they could post?
Thanks for your post I've learned so much,
Mikki

Crazy quilting comes to mind...these are the fabrics I use. Does anyone out there crazy quit?????? It is becoming an obsession with me.

I recently made a quilt using fabrics from my mom's stash. I estimate that some dated back to the 30's. Each block had an appliqued flower in it. Since some of the fabrics were very loosely woven I backed each flower with Pellon SF101. It is a very light weight, woven interfacing. I use this a lot on bags and things like that. I bought it at Joanns. Check it out and see if something like this would work.

I do machine embroidery and Hatched in Africa made a gorgeous embroidered silk dupioni quilt. I bought some and decided to wash it. I actually like it much better washed. On the other hand I just finished a silk tie quilt. I used some iron on light weight stabilizer I got from JoAnn's. It made all the difference in the world. Now the silk I used for sashing was expensive and aged me more than I can say. Those threads just crawled out of the seams and were all over the place. I'm a quilter, I'm used to threads - but not like this OMG!!!! The quilt turned out great.
Judi

Fantastic question, I too would like to do something patchwork with silk duponi. Especially the irredessent ones.
Have read what there is here & will be watching for others.
Thank you everyone.

That pattern could be interesting with a variety of fabrics in the squares, including silk and some velvets. Almost like a crazy quilt, but tamer. Thanks for putting the link up,.

I have been working on months on a project called "Wool
Crazy" by JoAnn Mullaly. It is a wool crazy quilt with wool applique. Learning embroidery as I go. I would post a link but don't really know how to get it from there to here, however you can google her. I haven't done a traditional crazy quilt, but love looking at them and would like to start one some day. Of course, i would have to stop spending so much time on this site:)

I helped a friend do an art quilt using dupioni, and we used fusible interfacing on the back. We used a light weight Pellon and fused it to the back. It really helped control the fraying and it gave a different feel to the silk. Her quilt turned out beautifully. When we ran into a little problem spot, we tried to use a little Fray Check, but it left a stain on the dupioni. So we abandoned that idea.

Did the interfacing make the silk stiff at all and did it lose any of its subtle shine and soft feel. I should experiment I guess but I wanted to get as much info as possible before I began.
Thanks
Mikki

I you use a light weight fusible interfacing it will not be stiff...A favorite of some teachers is knit fusible.....I think Pellon calls it fusi-knit.

Go to Sharon Boggen's website and you will see some incredible stuff and a stitch library for learning stitches. ..her quilts are pieces of art rather than usable quilts....silk ribbon and beads on them...gorgeous.

I have nver seen the wool crazy quilts...very interesting....do you follow Sue Spargo? Her stuff is good too in wool.

They still do. One of my all-time favorite quilt stores. If any of you ever get the opportunity, stop in there!

Whats the name of the place?
Mikki

What or who is Hatched in Africa? I would love to see this quilt. Could you send a link if it is on a website? Thanks

The Kerville quilt shop is called "Creations" and they have a website: Creations.com.

Sue Spargo's stuff is so neat! Really gives a bright, refreshing change to wool projects. I would love to attend one of her workshops some day.

Thanks...I'm getting excited, and can't wait to begin. I so dont wanna do my homework today (but it's due tomorrow),can't I just quilt?

Thought you might like to see a better pic of the silk quilt I made. This shows the sheen of the silks, the 2nd pic is the velvet back. I made my own template for the twister. I bound it with bias velvet interfaced and hand stitched to the back.

Is that Duponi Silk?

Yes, it is all Dupioni Silk, some of it irridescent. The white border is the silk taffeta left from the wedding gown I made for my DDIL 20 years ago. There are 51 different colors in it. It is the most sumptious feeling thing you have ever felt!