I love crazy quilts. I've been working on individual blocks for a year now. I've been given about 15 various sizes and colors of dupioni silk by a friend in our quilt guild. (What a friend, right?) These fabrics are anywhere from a fat quarter to a yard. I also have been collecting silk ties which I've taken apart, washed and ironed. I have 53 of them. I think I have enough fabric to start crazy quilt blocks. My question is, have any of you gals and guys on the board sewn with silk? I know I need to use a stabilizer, but I don't know which one to use. Also, I put the purple fabric in some warm water to check the bleeding and it's profuse! Should I wash all these dupioni silks with retayne before putting them in my quilt? What size needle and thread should I use. I appreciate the knowledge and experience of everyone on this board and thank you ahead of time for your help.

Sorry can't answer your questions, but I am curious and going to watch! This sounds very interesting!

ive used silk in quilts- silk is pretty special stuff!
yes-pre-wash and if you have a bleeder- toss in color catchers---
i use a fusable non-woven stablizer with silks- applied before cutting
use a new sharp needle- i use silk thread so also use a pretty small needle- you need to match your needle to your thread- use the needle size appropriate for the thread size/type you are using- and make it a new/sharp needle you will do fine.
i love hand stitching/embellishing -- the silks add such shimmer to quilts- give them that step above the ordinary!

I have done it this way too and am about half way, after 2 years of collecting, of making a bed quilt - to be viewed only, not slept under. I found the purples and reds the worst for bleeding.

If you look at sites that cover Victorian crazy quilting then you will see what ckcow means about hand embellishment.

Here is a photo that I took somewhere of a cushion I admired made in cottons that show this technique, and it adapts very beautifully to silk. Will make it one day, in silk!

I've been collecting ties for a quilt. They have been washed, not ironed yet. :roll: I don't like the feel of stablizers as I normally hand applique, a little to stiff for me.

So to stabilize while sewing I purchased some yardage of Solvey's water soluable fusible. I figure I'd use it and then after everything is said and done, wash and it'll be gone and nice and soft.

Yep, I realize it'll have to re-ironed, but it'll be softer. Just hope it works.

Have bookmarked this. Looking forward to what is said about silk. My brother bought back some silk for me from Vietnam. Waiting to know how to use it.

Debby Maddy has a silk table runner that I made in a workshop with her. She has several hints for working with silk at this site. Good luck. Silk is so beautiful, but what a pain the tush if you don't stabilize it.

http://www.calicocarriage.com/images...ith%20silk.pdf

Keep silk fabric away from clorox or bleach. Or vinegar.
It eats holes in it quicker than you can say scat!

Remember it is a fiber made of a protein, not cellulose.
And any kind of acid can damage it.

That said, it is washable, lusterous and beautiful.
The quilt I never forgot looking at was made entirely of silk in a common geometric pattern!

I want to thank all of you who responded to my question. You've been a great help. I'm eager to begin my project.

mocha827, Thanks for sharing this site.