Friday, October 22, 2010

Silks, Glorious Silks

Hello Everyone,

Many of you who have been reading my blog for a while now know that I have a fascination with silk. I had recently posted here about my trip to NYC and the silk dupioni that I had acquired.

Well, last week, my friend Victoria phoned me and asked if she would like me to pick me up some more silks!! Would I ever... YES!! So off she went, and after numerous text messages and phone calls, here is what she purchased for me and for her...


Thank you so much, Victoria! Now we have to arrange a time to play with these fabrics and come up with some wonderful quilting designs. If you go over to her blog, she recently went to the Folk Art Museum which had a beautiful display of some silk quilts that she posted.

Now, these aren't the only silks that I own. My parents had gone over to China a couple of years ago and brought me the silks in the photo below.


Aren't they yummy? These are very different from the dupioni silk. They are slicker to the touch and are something that you might see in a garment. But I don't think that I will be putting them in a garment. I definitely will be making a quilt, maybe a crazy quilt? What do you think?


These are the silks that I came back with from my first trip to NYC. They go well with the silks that Victoria picked up.

So here is my thought process... for the dupioni silk I was thinking of doing an up to date Amish quilt or something similar. Also, possibly mixing them in with the silks from China for a Crazy Quilt. What do you think? Does anyone have any great ideas for using these silks or how they might look nice? I would love to know. Thank you in advance!!

Also, don't forget that today is the last day of my Kona Cotton Solids sale, only $4.25 per yard. Just click here to start shopping.


Until Next Time...

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26 comments:

Jill Chapman said...

I made a quilt with silk for a wedding present. I found that the sheen and jewel colours of the silk make even a basic pattern look really special. It was a nightmare to work with though, I would definitely recommend a pinking blade in your rotary cutter! Piccie of my quilt

Peach Rainbow said...

Oh Yummy!
But aren't they too soft for a quilt? (I am a beginner :D)

Victoria Findlay Wolfe said...

I'm itching to play with these... I have a idea of what I want to make with mine... but need to gather a few more... I can possibly wait til DEC! ;-) hope we can work that out... talk later...

Shellie said...

Gorgeous! What a lucky girl :)

alobsiger said...

Oooh, beautiful! I vote for an updated Amish quilt. But, Sue Spargo mixes silks with wool and cotton...... decisions, decisions! :-) Have fun! We'll look forward to seeing whatever you do!

Debbie said...

Those bright silks really are fantastic, Jackie! I'm going to be in NYC in a few weeks. Can you tell me where you and Victoria bought the silks?

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I don't know if I would want to work with silk but a crazy quilt will look gorgeous with these fabrics!
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/

Quiltdivajulie said...

I have lots of silk that my DIL brought home from Singapore (purchased in the Little India neighborhood there)... saris (that I would look silly wearing) ... please share your process as you and V work with your silks. Many of the rest of us will be watching!

I worked with Asian silks a year ago for DIL's memory quilt ... found that fusible tricot interfacing made a big difference in workability of the fabric.

How have others worked with this? We need a sewing with silk blog!

henny said...

Ok, give it a try on silk! :)
Sometimes we would be surprised to get something new, both ideas or experiences.
Looking forward to see your new project on silk.

Judi said...

They are wonderful. Did you get silk thread to sew them? It made it so much easier when I was in fashion design school.

Thimbleanna said...

How fun Jackie! When I think of Amish quilts, I think of trip around the world -- how would that be?

Jewel said...

I have a ton of silk myself. I bought it for making doll clothes. I have a stash of interessting Dupioni as well as vintage kimono silk (some hand painted), brocade, and some overdyed brocade that feels velvety or like suede. I also have a ton of silk chiffon and other silks. I can't resist it honestly. I don't know what I will do now that I don't sew for dolls anymore. I have thought of quilting with the heavier stuff though.

WoolenSails said...

I have never worked with silk.
I do have a few crazy quilt pieces, that are all torn and ripped. That is one thing I would worry about. Are the new silks different?

Debbie

Needled Mom said...

What a special friend!

I can definitely see those silks in a fabulous crazy quilt. It would be stunning.

Terriaw said...

I still adore the silks you picked up when you were in NYC, and I love the additions Victoria picked out for you. What a great friend! I love your ideas for how to use your fabulous silk collection. I haven't pieced or quilted with silks, so I will be curious to hear how your plans go. I have only used them for linings in bags.

Sequana said...

From what I've picked up moving around on blogs, it seems that silk works more easily using a nice thin interfacing behind it. I've been eyeing some of that on Sue Spargo's site. She uses it to back velvet as she works. I would think it would work just as well with silk.

Might save yourself some aggro.

Those Dupioni's are just beautiful.

Micki said...

I have several dupioni silks too, and they are lovely. I think that a crazy quilt would be gorgeous!
Micki

Crunchy Diva said...

those are so pretty. i agree a crazy quilt with the silks from china would be stunning.

Mary-Kay said...

The silks are beautiful! I really like the idea of an amish quilt. It would be stunning! Would you use black silk or a Kona black? If you used the Kona black, the flatness of it would make the silk fabric just pop right out. I can't wait to see the finished quilt. I'm thinking it would be something that I might make one day.

Anonymous said...

Jackie you might know this but when sewing silk just iron on the back a stretch violene ( interfacing) but it needs to be stretch and it will reduce the fraying making sewing a lot easier.
Warm iron only.

cheers
Christine

Munaiba said...

They might be a little difficult to use so I'm thinking foundation paper piecing for a New York Beauty would be stunning!

Cathi said...

An Amish quilt would be stunning in those silks! I've never worked with silk but a friend told me that she did and using interfacing helped a lot.
Whatever you make with these, it's going to be absolutely beautiful -- the sheen of those silks is fabulous!

Victoria said...

Beautiful!

(I have been hoarding a small stash of beautiful, dupioni silks for years, just waiting for the right idea to come along.)

Anonymous said...

as a long time seamstress, I always dreamed of making a real crazy quilt of satins and velveteens/velvets, laces and all those fancy embroidery stitches. hope you show us your work in progress.

Kathleen said...

Hi - I guess I did the requirements in reverse order!!!! This is my 'first' - a comments... great giveaway!
Kate

Alicia said...

Beautiful colors! This is the first time I've come to your blog and I'm now following you on google reader. I am new to quilting and enjoy all of your tips! Thanks.

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