Silk Floss

It's been a long time since I put anything up on rctn. I've partly
been lurking, partly gotten busy with other things. Like writing
Knitting Bones.

Now I'm about to start a new Betsy Devonshire novel, Thai Die, and one
of the things it's about is silk. When I went to Thailand last
January, I bought silk fabric, but couldn't find any silk floss. I
believe most silk used as floss originates in China and I know that
Thai silk is not as smooth as Chinese silk. But Thai Die is about
Doris Valentine (one of my running characters) going to Bangkok and
coming back with some silk threads she got at a silk factory that
ordinarily spins and dyes the silk and then weaves it into fabric. My
question: Have any of you ever spun your own silk? Or used silk
threads not meant to be used in stitching? What was it like?

You may want to reply to me directly: . And thank
you in advance!

Mary Monica
aka Monica Ferris
see my new, improved web site: monica-ferris.name

Monica Ferris wrote:


My
question: Have any of you ever spun your own silk? Or used silk
threads not meant to be used in stitching?

I don't understand about spinning your own silk. Do you mean, like,
processing it for use as the silk worm spins it?

I've never used silk that was processed for weaving and not for a
needle, but I would assume that thread that is to be woven would be just
fine to use in a needle. It may be a little thicker or thinner than
your average Chinese, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

"Monica Ferris" wrote in message
oups.com...

It's been a long time since I put anything up on rctn. I've partly
been lurking, partly gotten busy with other things. Like writing
Knitting Bones.

Now I'm about to start a new Betsy Devonshire novel, Thai Die, and one
of the things it's about is silk. When I went to Thailand last
January, I bought silk fabric, but couldn't find any silk floss. I
believe most silk used as floss originates in China and I know that
Thai silk is not as smooth as Chinese silk. But Thai Die is about
Doris Valentine (one of my running characters) going to Bangkok and
coming back with some silk threads she got at a silk factory that
ordinarily spins and dyes the silk and then weaves it into fabric. My
question: Have any of you ever spun your own silk? Or used silk
threads not meant to be used in stitching? What was it like?

You may want to reply to me directly: . And thank
you in advance!

Mary Monica
aka Monica Ferris
see my new, improved web site: monica-ferris.name
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________
I adore silk thread and have tried to use it in a multitude of ways, with
varying amounts of success.

The best silk threads actually emanate from France, not China. I did once
try to tease some strands from a length of dupion like silk for a reason
that escapes me, possibly trying to ameliorate some dress damage, but the
threads just shredded the moment I tried to get them through fabric. I also
tried to tease out some threads from some chinese silk to mark an edging
thread, but the weave was so tight that fraying out a single strand proved
beyond my tolerance for fabric/thread induced pain.

I have a bobbin lacemaker friend who lived in Thailand for many years, and
on a visit some years ago she returned with some silk thread which is akin
to sewing machine thread. She had seen a lady in Thailand using this thread
to make the most wonderful bobbin lace. Many of us tried to use this thread
in our own lacemaking only to find that when the pins were removed the
thread 'sprang' like wire. This leads me to think that there is a silk
thread made in Thailand, though it is not an embroidery thread.

One other disaster worth recounting is the time I decided to wash a skein of
Au Ver A Soie to ensure colour fastness. I did not unravel the skein, and
in the washing process - gently by hand in cool water with shampoo - the
skein turned into a mat......the silk had felted!

Despite these glitches, I adore using silk in lacemaking and embroidery.


--
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Joanne -:¦:-
- -:¦:- ((¸¸.·´ in an incredibly hot Perth, Western Australia -:¦:-
Important: This email is intended for the use of the individual addressee(s)
named above and may contain information that is confidential, privileged or
unsuitable for overly sensitive persons with low self-esteem , no sense of
humour or irrational religious beliefs. If you are not the intended
recipient,sny dissemination, distribution or copying of this email is not
authorised (either explicitly or implicitly) and constitutes an irritating
social faux pas. Unless the word absqualation has been used in its correct
context somewhere other than in this warning it does not have any legal or
gramatical use and may be ignored. No animals were harmed in the
transmission of this email. Those of you with an overwhelming fear of the
unknown will be gratified to learn that there is no hidden message revealed
by reading this backwards.

Monica Ferris wrote:
It's been a long time since I put anything up on rctn. I've partly
been lurking, partly gotten busy with other things. Like writing
Knitting Bones.

Now I'm about to start a new Betsy Devonshire novel, Thai Die, and one
of the things it's about is silk. When I went to Thailand last
January, I bought silk fabric, but couldn't find any silk floss. I
believe most silk used as floss originates in China and I know that
Thai silk is not as smooth as Chinese silk. But Thai Die is about
Doris Valentine (one of my running characters) going to Bangkok and
coming back with some silk threads she got at a silk factory that
ordinarily spins and dyes the silk and then weaves it into fabric. My
question: Have any of you ever spun your own silk? Or used silk
threads not meant to be used in stitching? What was it like?

You may want to reply to me directly: . And thank
you in advance!

Mary Monica
aka Monica Ferris
see my new, improved web site: monica-ferris.name


Welcome Back Mary Monica,
I have silk embroidery fibers from both France (Rainbow Gallery) and
Japan (YLI) in addition to all sorts of other silk fibers. Fortunately
for me, the Japanese Embroidery Center is here in the Atlanta metro area
and my needlework group got ot take a tour. The stitchers there use
cones of very, Very, VERY fine silk thread. It's far too fine to try
and stitch with so they ply their own needlework silk threads.
Depending on the stitches they are doing and the design they are
working on, they will ply 2 or 3 strands of fiber. IIRC, they cut off
multiple strands from a cone of silk fiber and they use long lengths.
They then hold the lengths of fiber between thumb and forefinger,
carefully lay the fibers along the heel of the same hand and then rub
the heel of the other hand over the fibers in one direction only,
twisting the lengths of fiber together. They then move that twisted
part of the fiber up, grab onto it between thumb and forefinger and
follow the same procedure until the total length of the fibers have been
twisted together.
From personal experience, the fibers that are used to weave many
silk fabrics are (IMNSHO) too fine to be used as needlework threads. I
have done what another person mentioned and taken fibers from the edges
to use for repairs but I have used several of the fibers and loosely
twisted them together to get them strong enough to be used for hand
sewing. Actually, I have seven different shades of white silks in my
sewing room as I'm going to be making an all silk quilt soon. I just
went and "played" with them and the dupioni I have is made of threads
that are close in size to my needlework silks. The other fabrics are
made of much finer fibers and would need to be "plyed" to be used in any
sort of handwork, be it decorative needlework or fabric repair.
I have used silk sewing thread when I couldn't find the actual color
of silk needlework fiber. I just compared my silk sewing thread (the
stuff I will use on that quilt, it's YLI #100) and a strand of it looks
about the same diameter as a strand of standard needlework silk (Rainbow
Gallery, Dinky Dyes & Caron -- I just checked). The difference is that
it is tightly twisted, thus stronger so that it will hold up to use in a
sewing machine. It gives a bit different look, more textured due to the
tighter twist. Needlework silk isn't really twisted at all -- not like
the sewing silk.
Bottom line is that you certainly can use silk sewing thread (I did
so on my DS' Hummingbird piece)when doing needlework. You just need to
be aware that you will get a bit of a different look from it similar to
the difference between stranded silk (Rainbow Gallery) and filament silk
(Eterna Silk). Also, the number of strands required for the desired
coverage will likely be different than what is needed with either
stranded silk or filament silk. CiaoMeow ^;;^

PAX, Tia Mary ^;;^ (RCTQ Queen of Kitties)
Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about
their whiskers!
Visit my Photo albums at http://community.webshots.com/user/tiamary

Monica Ferris wrote:
It's been a long time since I put anything up on rctn. I've partly
been lurking, partly gotten busy with other things. Like writing
Knitting Bones.

Now I'm about to start a new Betsy Devonshire novel, Thai Die, and one
of the things it's about is silk. When I went to Thailand last
January, I bought silk fabric, but couldn't find any silk floss. I
believe most silk used as floss originates in China and I know that
Thai silk is not as smooth as Chinese silk. But Thai Die is about
Doris Valentine (one of my running characters) going to Bangkok and
coming back with some silk threads she got at a silk factory that
ordinarily spins and dyes the silk and then weaves it into fabric. My
question: Have any of you ever spun your own silk? Or used silk
threads not meant to be used in stitching? What was it like?

You may want to reply to me directly: . And thank
you in advance!

Mary Monica
aka Monica Ferris
see my new, improved web site: monica-ferris.name

I can't help, but just want to say...I missed your posts!! It is good to
see you back, and keep writing about Betsy and crew!!

Gillian

The Lady Gardener wrote: the
threads just shredded the moment I tried to get them through fabric.



I used to tat because it was the most compact craft, fit nicely in the
pocket of my jeans.

I found a lovely spool of silk sewing thread in pink/blue/yellow, at a
point where I needed a baby gift. Had the brilliant idea to use it to
tat a baby bonnet. I had the same experience. The thread shredded when
I tried to tat with it. I got two or three rings done and realized that
this wasn't working, had more to do with the thread than with my technique.

--

Karen C - California
www.CFSfacts.org where we give you the facts and dispel the myths
Myths, with research cites: http://www.aacfs.org/images/pdfs/myths.pdf

Finished 1/26/07 -- Classy Lady in Coral (JCS) -- done in purple to
match the companion piece

WIP: housewarming gifts, July birthstone, Flowers of
Hawaii (Jeanette Crews) for ME!!!
Retrieved from UFO pile: Marbek's Snow Angel
LTR: Fireman's Prayer (#2), Amid Amish Life, Angel of Autumn,
Calif Sampler, Holiday Snowglobe

Editor/Proofreader www.KarenMCampbell.com
Design page http://www.KarenMCampbell.com/designs.html

Gill Murray said
I can't help, but just want to say...I missed your posts!! It is good to
see you back, and keep writing about Betsy and crew!!

me too!!

Here are some people to contact:

Mike Cook operates http://wormspit.com/ and most like would be willing to share
his knowledge.

Vikki hand dyes her threads(http://www.hand-dyedfibers.com/); she too might be
willing to talk with you.
--
another Anne, add ingers to frugalf to reply

Originally Posted by Monica Ferris

It's been a long time since I put anything up on rctn. I've partly
been lurking, partly gotten busy with other things. Like writing
Knitting Bones.

Now I'm about to start a new Betsy Devonshire novel, Thai Die, and one
of the things it's about is silk. When I went to Thailand last
January, I bought silk fabric, but couldn't find any silk floss. I
believe most silk used as floss originates in China and I know that
Thai silk is not as smooth as Chinese silk. But Thai Die is about
Doris Valentine (one of my running characters) going to Bangkok and
coming back with some silk threads she got at a silk factory that
ordinarily spins and dyes the silk and then weaves it into fabric. My
question: Have any of you ever spun your own silk? Or used silk
threads not meant to be used in stitching? What was it like?

You may want to reply to me directly: . And thank
you in advance!

Mary Monica
aka Monica Ferris
see my new, improved web site: monica-ferris.name

I know this is a little behind the times but I am catching up on my internet time. By the way, love your books and your characters!

Japanese Embroidery works with unspun silk, called "flat silk". Depending on the use, the stitcher will work with the flat silk directly off the spool, divide it, add additional plies (the spools come with the flat silk wound with twelve to eighteen sugas or plies) (http://needleartworks.anonwebhost.co...der/jat47.htm). Or the stitcher can take various numbers of plies and hand "spin" it one needle length at a time. Those spun lengths can be flat & fluffy, tiny and tight or any variation in between. (http://needleartworks.com/dsgnr/jat/order/jat25.htm [The link is to instructions on twisting that can be purchased.])

I've done this sort of "spinning" or twisting. When you first start to work with the flat silk, it snags on everything. But it is amazingly difficult to snap a suga. First, you have to take a length much longer than you will be actually stitching with. Do an underspin, then fold in half and allow the thread to twist back on itslef, creating the overspin which "locks" the twist of the thread together. When doing the first twist, or undertwist, you roll the thread between your palms and count the number of times you do this - this way you can repeat the process consistently.

Your hands must be smooth so you do not snag the threads, but they also must be free of oils and lotions which will stain the silk, since this kind of silk embroidery cannot be washed. But then, if your hands are too dry, when you try to twist the thread, there is not enough friction to roll it!

You can use the same technique with cotton floss to experiment and practice - and that is a great way to make cording to use with finishing needlework projects.

Aside from the Japanese Embroidery Center in Atlanta (http://www.japaneseembroidery.com/), sources I know for this use of silk are Shay Pendray in Michigan (http://www.shaypendray.com/) and Jennifer Ashley Taylor in Florida (http://needleartworks.com/dsgnr/jat/order/jat101.htm [this link goes to an order page for "The Techniques of Japanese Embroidery" which includes here email]).

Shay Pendray was instrumental in introducing the techniques of Japanese Embroidery to the USA. Jennifer Ashley Taylor was one of her student who has gone on to teach and who has developed items to make Japanese Embroidery easier and more accessible to Americans students of the techniques. Shay Pendray has made a number of trips to Japan to study techniques and to bring materials back from Asia. I expect either could be helpful to you.

Anne

On Jan 30, 10:21 pm, "Monica Ferris" wrote:
It's been a long time since I put anything up on rctn. I've partly
been lurking, partly gotten busy with other things. Like writing
Knitting Bones.

Now I'm about to start a new Betsy Devonshire novel, Thai Die, and one
of the things it's about is silk. When I went to Thailand last
January, I bought silk fabric, but couldn't find any silk floss. I
believe most silk used as floss originates in China and I know that
Thai silk is not as smooth as Chinese silk. But Thai Die is about
Doris Valentine (one of my running characters) going to Bangkok and
coming back with some silk threads she got at a silk factory that
ordinarily spins and dyes the silk and then weaves it into fabric. My
question: Have any of you ever spun your own silk? Or used silk
threads not meant to be used in stitching? What was it like?

You may want to reply to me directly: . And thank
you in advance!

Mary Monica
aka Monica Ferris
see my new, improved web site: monica-ferris.name

Hello, I'm re reading hanging by a thread right now. I'm as new member
as of tonight and it is all thanks to you and Betsy! Cheers njk