In March I'll be one of the leaders for a high school student mission team going to Thailand, Laos and China. won't have much opportunity to look but want to get some silk and possibly will see some batiks in Thailand it is so close to Indonesia. Has anyone brought back either from this area? Any advice besides don't lose the kids? This is my second trip there have also taken students to NYC many times, Russia, Romania, and Italy. Our whole high school is on domestic or foreign teams for a week or more every March. We work with the homeless, working poor, oRphanages, nursing homes, medical clinics, schools and churches who ask us to come along side them. It has transformed our students in many ways as well as all of us on staff. Anyway, material advice?

sounds like fun

I have found that when the agenda is to chaperon kids, is hard to look around for fabric stores. If you have the opportunity to do some shopping for fabric, just go for it and buy the best you can put your hands on. Don't hold for the next store, because you may not be near another one. Hve fun,

Maria

What a great opportunity for the students as well as the staff. Sounds like an excellent program. My daughter is living and working in Beijing for 12 months as an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development. She will be home tomorrow for some holidays and I will ask her about what fabrics she has seen in Beijing. Are you going to Beijing when you visit China?

what a FABULOUS opportunity!
about the silk...years ago my uncle brought my mom about 50 yards of silks from Viet Nam...oh my goodness that was the most BEAUTIFUL wonderful fabric i have ever seen or had the opportunity to (caress)
i think any silks from that part of the world are true treasures
buy as much as you can get back to the states :thumbup:

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What a great opportunity for the students as well as the staff. Sounds like an excellent program. My daughter is living and working in Beijing for 12 months as an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development. She will be home tomorrow for some holidays and I will ask her about what fabrics she has seen in Beijing. Are you going to Beijing when you visit China?[/quote]

Yes, to take our students to climb and experience the great Wall and the Forbidden City so shopping will have to be always in passing not destinational. I reAlly don't know how to tell the difference in the quality of silk, but since I won't be able to read any attached information I'll need to think more wall hanging etc sewing rather than something that would be handled a lot.

I've been to Thailand several times and have purchased the Thai silk. Be careful as some of the silks that are not true handwoven Thai silk will disintegrate. I bought some robes with the Chinese decorative stuff and when I "hand washed" them, they shredded. Shop at reputable place. The true Thai silks are beautiful and I still don't know what I'm going to do with them. Any suggestions?

Maybe you can use a stabilizer, like we do for t-shirt quilts, can't think of the name(sign of my age, ha ha) then you could still use the material without them shredding. No suggestion if it disintegrates.

Good idea to use stabilzer regarding the shredding stuff silk. The true Thai silk is strong and doesn't disintegrate. My first experience with silk, so guess I learned my lesson, kind of. There is more than one kind of silk. Still trying to decide what to make with the yardage I bought of the "good stuff;" maybe a table runner or pillows.