Sourcing Silk for Historical Sewing: Types of Silk and Where to Buy Them Online
Vložit
- čas přidán 30. 07. 2024
- Ever wanted to learn way more about silk fabric than a person realistically needs to know? In this video, I list what types of silk were used in historic garment construction, their closest modern equivalents, and where to find them in online stores. Learn about how the weight of silk fabric is measured and what that means when you’re shopping for silk.
Just a disclaimer: I’m talking about silk and how it was used in the context of historical costuming generally. Obviously, there were exceptions to the rules in the past as there are today; and fabric technology, usage, and availability varies over time and location.
This is just one of 140+ Cocovid educational videos scheduled! Search #Cocovid for more costuming/cosplay content.
**MUSIC CREDITS**
Music from EpidemicSound.com
** CONNECT **
Find me on Instagram @dixiediy: / dixiediy
I blog at dixiediy.com
** REFERENCES **
Yes, a tornado hit my local fabric district, but most stores have reopened: www.dmagazine.com/frontburner...
My bustle dress costume: dixiediy.com/2016/02/1880s-bu...
My Regency bonnet: dixiediy.com/2015/07/full-reg...
My 1840s bonnet: dixiediy.com/2017/01/historic...
Tussah fabric info: thedreamstress.com/2020/05/ter...
** IMAGE CREDITS **
In order of appearance:
Silk satin and bengaline Worth dress
Afternoon dress ca. 1872
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
Velvet trim on wool
Woman's Riding Spencer, circa 1835
collections.lacma.org/node/21...
Evening dress1906-7
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
Satin Stripe
Smoking Suit, 1870s
collections.lacma.org/node/22...
TAFFETA:
Dress with a diamond-shaped back insert, anonymous, c. 1790 - c. 1810
www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/collect...
Robe à l’Anglaise 1785-87
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
PLAID TAFFETA:
Robe 1845-55
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
SHOT/IRIDESCENT TAFFETA:
Afternoon dress ca. 1845
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
SATIN:
Evening ensemble 1883-84
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
Bonnet ca. 1820
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
Dress ca. 1840
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
Evening vest ca. 1830
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
BROCADE:
Robe à la Polonaise1774-93
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
DAMASK:
Robe Volante ca. 1730
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
VELVET:
Evening bonnet ca. 1802
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
Dress ca. 1825
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
Ensemble ca. 1874
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
MOIRE:
Mourning ensemble 1857-60
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
CREPE:
Mourning dress 1894
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
FAILLE:
Afternoon dress 1876-78
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
Woman's Dress (Bodice and Skirt) 1876
collections.lacma.org/node/22...
TWILL:
Dress ca. 1818
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
EMBROIDERED SILK:
Woman's Dress (Mantua) with Stomacher and Petticoat circa 1700
collections.lacma.org/node/17...
Waistcoat 1750-70
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
ORGANZA/SHEERS:
Dress 1805-10
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
Woman's Dress circa 1830
collections.lacma.org/node/21...
Ensemble ca. 1855
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
CHIFFON:
Woman's Blouse Austria, 1917-1918
collections.lacma.org/node/18...
IKAT/CHINE SILK:
Robe à la Française 1760-70
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
Dress ca. 1820
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
Dress 1755-65
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
PAINTED SILK:
Robe à la Française 1740s
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
Robe à la Polonaise 1774-93
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
BOMBAZINE:
The Fashions of the Day ca. 1808
www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
** WEBSITES **
renaissancefabrics.net/
www.burnleyandtrowbridge.com/
silkbaron.com/
puresilks.us/
silksunlimited.com/
prismsilks.com/
moodfabrics.com/
www.fashionfabricsclub.com/
etsy.com
ebay.com
There are tons of fabric stores on the web. I included these because I’ve either purchased from them, and/or they have a wide selection, and/or they have clear product descriptions and no minimum orders. Please add your favorite shops in the comments! - Jak na to + styl
More silk sources:
In the UK, we have James Hare (trade accounts only), Harrington Fabric & Lace, and I know some people (like Prior Attire) buy silks directly from the long-standing mills in Sudbury, though I've not been able to find easy direct access to those mills by members of the general public. I buy from Harrington and James Hare most often - you have to submit a request or expression of interest using an online form and they phone you back so you can discuss your needs, whether it's yardage, colour/shade, or budget. These are "family run" types of businesses with exceptional customer service.
As to UK city fabric districts:
For London, I am most familiar with Goldhawk Road, though there are districts in the East End that friends swear by, too. Most of the Goldhawk Road shops don't sell online. In person, be aware that a lot of the shops are owned/run by people with family connections, often sourcing the same fabrics, so if you are not quite happy with the price of something you love in one shop, go on to the shops neighbouring them on each side and you might find a better deal on the exact same thing. ;)
Birmingham has a famous fabric district, too. I haven't visited in person but a lot of the well-established sellers do have Ebay shops. Most will send out swatches by post.
Thank you! I don't often see a UK resource list, I knew they had knocked down the rag market decades ago and I was wondering if there was a current fabric district in Birmingham, will have to look it up.
These are great suggestions, thank you!
I've also used Hansson Silks back when they used to be in Guildford. I think they're in Harrow, or around that way, now.
@@felicitygee381 there are many. Stratford Road and Alum Rock are two I know of. SOURCE: am Brummie
@@aji08 thanks for the info, my Nan used to take me to the rag market when I was a kid, fond memories.
Edit:spelling
Thank you for this video! I think this is the first one I've found explaining the differences between types of silks an modern equivalences, and also *showing* how they look ❤
Glad it was helpful! thanks!
Handpainted silk is actually not too difficult in and of itself! Obviously, it requires a certain entry-level knowledge of brush control and design technique, but especially with modern stop-flow primers it behaves essentially like very, very thin canvas. I don't know how it was done historically, but judging by the crisp lines on the garments in the video, they must have primed it in some way. Otherwise, it would have had a much more watercolor-type effect.
However, if you're not already a painter, look up the Serti technique. You use a resist (what type depends on your design and fabric weight) as the linework and then dye or paint each section independently.
Both of these techniques are explained on the Dharma Trading Co website, which also sells many of the supplies needed!
this is a great comment. thanks for sharing your knowledge! not sure if I'll ever feel confidant painting my own silk but at least now I know how to start.
This is THE BEST silk overview--not only in describing the different fabrics but also giving a wide array of sources .
Now do linen and wool.
I love that you added the way the silk had been woven! I've been thinking of trying my hand at weaving some silk and I found it very helpful.
For undyed and solid-colored silks, Dharma Trading Company has lovely, good-quality silks that are usually a good value for money. They also have a bunch of other natural-fiber fabrics, but those are generally just undyed, white, and/or black.
oooh yes, Dharma Trading is great. I think I've bought linen from them before...
By the time you tub dye the ten yard peice of silk, assuming it’s suitable for the project, you don’t save money but the hassle is epic. You might as well raise the silkworms and weave the cloth yourself.
As someone who does plenty of procion tub dying, I’d just as soon my silk showed up in colors, not set up for industrial size jobs.
They also carry the dyes for it and the dyes work great! I bought my dye from them to do silk and wool fiber with and it always came out great!
I write historical fiction and I just started really focusing on fabrics beyond the basics so this video was great. Thank you.
omg, uh, this is how I figured out my local fabric 'ally' was/is hit by a tornado???? So very, very help video besides that! thank you:)
hahaha, yeah it happened right after I moved here, too, so I couldn't even go shopping! Luckily most of the stores have recovered. Thanks for watching!
This was a super helpful video, thank you! I'd be really interested to see one on wool fabrics in the future.
Thank you so much for this video! It explains so much in a very straight forward way that was easy to understand. I would love to see a video on cotton and linen, if you feel so inclined! Again, thank you so much!
I absolutely LOVE silks! I learned so much in such a short time! I can tell not only how much time you have invested in your learning but that it’s your passion! Thanks!
Thank you! That was a great little tut on silk and making choices for historical sewing :-) very knowledgeable and I especially appreciate the recommendations for where to buy silk. Sub'd and thumbs up :-)
Thanks so much! glad you're here
This was so helpful! Thank you! Would you consider making this a series? Or at least doing the same with cotton?
Possibly! I probably know enough about cotton to talk about it for several minutes. We'll see!
@@DixieDIY yes please do ❤️
Yes! I'm new to sewing and I dont know what all the cotton names mean to buy the weight if cottons im looking for.
@@DixieDIY NO FABRIC STORE NOR AN ASIAN RUN MA AND POP FABRIC STORE HAS REAL SILK. It’s all poly
SATIN AND SILK TODAY ARE JUST FROM POLYESTER
Fantastic video.
And I really appreciate your comments about synthetics. I learned to sew because I didn't (still don't) have much money and it drives me mad when people look down their nose at synthetics. It's all I can afford!
Thankyou so much for this ! I'm still fairly new to sewing even tho I'm 42 I just started in January but I've fallen in love with historical clothing! This explains a lot, I was so confused about all the different names now I see most fall under the silk category. 💜🧵
Silk scares me too much at this point, but it's good to know about it at least :D
Thank you for explaining the difference in fiber and weave, and in silks! I had no idea there were so many types!
The historical fabric store! :)
I knew some of the types of silk, but many of the names and textures were in this "have heard of it before, but don't really know"-soup in my head. This was such a lovely and helpful video, thank you so much for putting in the time and effort to make it!
thanks for watching!
I never realized there were so many different types of silks. Mind blown! Though I am interested in historical dress and sewing, learning more about different types of fabrics drew me to this video. I've sensory issues with fabrics and such and I'm exploring the possible reasons and alternatives. Modern clothing can be so uncomfortable.
I'm sure that the amount of work and research was extensive, but if you ever happened to make a video discussing the different types of other fabrics that would certainly be wonderful (but no pressure, of course) just throwing the idea out there). You are so thorough yet concise with your explanations. I really appreciate your work. Thank you!
Glad this was helpful! I actually sew most of my own regular (non-historical) clothes, too, so I'm pretty familiar with modern fabrics as well. If you've got any specific questions about a particular fabric I'd be happy to talk more about it.
@@DixieDIY thank you so much for replying! I have been exploring the reported wonders of linen and I've gotten caught up in conflicting information. Is this even a fabric that would be friendly for someone who is a beginner? Or should I just stick with cotton?
@@irisl7817 linen is very nice to wear. When sewing, however, it can sometimes get shifty and fray easily, especially if it is loosely woven. I like to spray it with starch before I cut out my pieces to help the fabric stay straight (it washes out later). Pre-finishing seam allowances can help, too. The main thing about sewing with linen is getting the weight right. Lighter weight linen can be very sheer (so not good for bottom garments) but linen can also get very heavy (so not good for tops). Fabric-store.com carries all weights of linen, you could get lots of swatches to test out.
@@DixieDIY I really like that site from what I've explored so far. It is going to be so helpful. There aren't any fabric shops near me. Thank you for that and also the advice. I look forward to getting some swatches already.
Thank you so much for doing this video! I wear Japanese kimono (the traditional way) as my hobby and deal with a lot of silk as it's the main type of fabric used.
I learned so much about all the different types of silk and which were being used historically, seeing some overlaps with what I've learned within the traditions of kimono
I didn't realize how many kimono enthusiasts are out there. Cocovid really opened my eyes to kimono and now I want to learn more about the history of it and the fabrics used.
Bum be seen oh my goodness I love it!!! For all the fabric classes I took for interior design I never knew about momme weight. Truly well done!
Thanks! glad someone else liked that ;)
For high end silks, New York Designer Fabrics has wonderful fabrics and color choices, and terrific customer service. They will not be the cheapest generally, but for really high quality silks I think they are the most reasonably priced. I've seen their silks advertised for as much as $10/yard more on other sites. And this video is amazing!
Wow they have some beautiful stuff! Thanks for this tip
As someone trying to branch out from “bedsheet” cotton dresses to Actually buying fabric this is terrifically helpful. I have never bought fabric new in all my years of sewing so I had no idea where to start!
Fantastic video, and chock full of valuable information!
Thank You for explaining the momme weight for my non math brain!! This video was Magical and I appreciate that you shared your knowledge!
Silk painting is very popular in France. There are even tourist activities to learn how to paint silk because painted silk scarves are so popular. So a little research and you will be well on your way to painting your own silk :)
I buy a lot of secondhand vintage silk. I use both sarees from India and kimono from Japan. It is possible to find painted silk and warp painted silk kimono similar to ikat. The downside is the fabric is very narrow, like 18" wide or less. The parts of a kimono are generally made of squares and rectangles so that helps. You can even buy rolls of fabric that used to be kimono but were taken apart, cleaned, and then stitched back into a bolt of fabric. Indian sarees are my new love. They are usually around 45" wide and 6 yards long. For 100% silk sarees the hand is generally like china silk although sometimes you find extra heavy ones. Georgette sarees are very common. There are also cotton and even silk/wool blended ones. Most sarees are printed. In the late Georgian and in the Regency period fabrics imported from India were new and exotic and all the rage. The big bonus of using modern sarees is that some are printed using the exact same block printing techniques used in period. Sometimes the print designs are accurate for historical sewing. I love the silk/wool blend sarees. In India they are worn in winter for warmth. I don't know if they qualify as bombazine since I've never seen any of that material close up. I can tell you that the silk/wool saree fabric has a twill weave but is very slightly fuzzy and is very soft. I've read that bombazine has no luster. Some of the silk/wool sarees have no shine at all while others that are fuzzier have just a tiny bit of sparkle like ends of some of the silk fibers are sticking up and catching the light. And lastly most sarees have beautiful trim that goes all the way around. That can be removed giving several yards of trim that can be reused. It's a win-win for me.
This is a great idea. I've only every owned one saree and it was like china silk but the print wouldn't have been good for historical.
Thanks so much! I was confused by all of the terms about silk that I've seen.
This is incredible, just what we needed! Thanks!
Oooh this is so helpful, thank you!! 🥰
One of the best video explaining silks ... thank you !! I’m waiting for wools, cottons and obviously linens :) thank you 🙏🏻 😊
This is the first year that I've ever properly worked with silk and this video was so informative!
Yay! Glad it helped
This is incredibly informative, thank you!
Such an awesome video! Thank you!
Thank you, this has always been a fuzzy concept for me. You have answered sooooooo many questions for me!
This is a great video! 👏 I hope you put one together for other common historical fabrics; I'd love for someone to break down the different types of wool and cottons in such an informative way. I also really liked how you talked through different weaves and now I know how to pronounce some of the words I've only ever seen printed!
PS. That top, did you make it? It's so lovely
Thank you! And yes, I made the top (it's actually a dress).
This was a wonderful workshop! I've wanted to add more silks to my repertoire, but have been fairly terrified of getting the wrong type or paying too much. I feel it's much more accessible now. Thank you!
I'm so glad this helped!
Thank you so much! This was one of the most interesting & useful videos I've seen on CZcams!!!
Wow, so much great information. Thank you.
Great info!
Lots of great info and resources! Thanks so much for sharing!
This is a FABULOUS video. I learned so much, and there's so much eye candy!
This is all the information I didnt even know I should look for. Very educational,thank you!
So much great info! I’m going to have to watch this again:) thank you!!
What a great video i am so glad I found your channel cant wait for a late night binge!!
Woohoo! welcome aboard!
You're so knowledgeable on fabrics and was easy for me to follow even though English isn't my language! I Hope you consider making a series on the subject 🖖🏻
Thank you so much!
Thank you - enjoyed this very much. Especially appreciate the explanations on weight and comparing the different methods of measuring that.
I’m not even halfway through and already this video is so helpful
This is absolutely fabulous! I love silk and I learnt so much watching this!
I have ordered my silks from Thai Silks in the past. They mostly have solids but their prices are good. I really go a lot out of your video. Thank you.
oh awesome, i wasn't aware thai silks was still in business!
Fantastic info. Thanks.
This is such an amazing helpful video, thank you for sharing all of this knowledge!
So helpful! Thank you!
Thanks for this great video! I added a few more stores to my "historical fabric vendor" bookmarks and I will definitely be checking those out!
Ooohhh destashing groups!
Omgosh. This was absolutely so helpful!! Seriously, thank you SO much!
I'm so glad! thanks for watching
Thank you so much! I never knew half of these fabrics. 🇦🇺😎
This was such a great video!! I learned so much from it. Thank you for making this awesome content
thank you!
Great history lesson.
I really love how you explained this, helped with resources and examples for most categories. It would be amazing if you could eventually make videos on wool, cotton, knit and other historical Fabrics.
Thank you! Sadly I don't know enough about wool to do a video, I think, but cotton... maybe if I can gather all my notes together I can make it happen...
Oh my goodness this was insanely educational! Thank you so much for posting about this, it's such a great concise guide to silk. Looking forward to watching more of your videos!
Thanks! Glad you liked it :)
Thanks to this post, I learned you are in the metroplex and I have spent so much time on Harry Hines, one of the fabric store owners commented that, “ there was only one other TYPE of woman who was on that street as much as me”! (Yep, the working girl type) I just died laughing and had to agree 🤣🤣
Thank you, this was very informative! And the satire is hilarious XD
Omg, can you do videos just on fabric? I love this!
Thank you so much for this video! I took SO MANY NOTES. Really appreciate all your time and effort in sourcing references and links for us all.
One More Teaspoon Creative me too!
I came here for silk faille but got so much more in return.
Thank you 😘
That was an amazingly helpful vidéo!
Very helpful!
I love this video! It is such a helpful resource. Will you be making more videos like this about other types of fabrics?
Another option if you live in the US is Fabric Mart (fabricmartfabrics.com). They also have a physical store in Pennsylvania, but I have yet to get over there. Fabric Mart is a bit like a fashion district, in that they sell whatever overstock and leftovers they can get their hands on, rather than regular collections (think how JOANN carries the same fabric in six different colors for multiple years). Their regular prices are not that great, but they often have 60-70% off sales, so silk taffeta will can be $17/yd. They list their fiber contents and have pretty good pictures of their fabrics (including shots of it draped over a stool so you can see how translucent the fabric is and how it drapes). The store is always a bit of a treasure hunt, as you never know what they will have, what will be on sale, and how much will be available. It probably isn't the best option if you are under time pressure or have something very specific in mind, but it is a good place for stash building and they ship pretty quickly.
Great addition! I'm going to check them out
This is so helpful! Thank you!
You're so welcome! thanks for watching
Wow! Excellent video! Thank you. I learned more here than any other video on the topic.
That was very informative & interesting. Thank you
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge of silks. I find them kinda intimidating. I knew how they are made but nothing of how to tell them apart or understand what they are each good for. This has made them much more approachable. You are fantastic! Virtual Hugs
Excellent
Finally I understand all those terms!! Thank you thank you thank you
I’m also a new subscriber
Thanks for being here!
Very helpful video!
thanks!
This was very helpful!
thank you :)
This is a really helpful video, thank you! Would you do videos for wool and linen and cotton as well?
What a wonderful video! Super concise and helpful.🤩
Thanky you!
Thank you - I plan to watch this a few times because I really want to understand the differences and your information is so wonderfully detailed.
Thank you so much!
Excellent! Eastern Silk Mills is another great source.
This was incredibly useful. I've been sewing with silks for years and I still picked up tons of new information. Aaaand, you may have helped me narrow down just what I want to do for the #reformdresschallenge. Surprise bonus there.
aww, thanks! I'm glad it was informative
Very helpful, thank you.
Very informative!
Glad you think so!
Thanks for the great info, especially about weights and modern equivalents. I am also happy to hear you encourage having fun and making compromises. One of my favorite outfits I have made was constructed from polyester tablecloths. I don't wear it near open flame, but I have fun when I wear it!
Thanks! I love when people creatively re-use fabrics for costuming, no matter the fiber! :)
Excellent vlog!! I found silk ikat in Japanese vintage kimono silks. The limitation there is that vintage kimono silk is woven to a standard 14" width.
The practical and extant examples were a great boon. A wonderful companion piece to Zoe Hong’s silk fabrics video; thank you very much for putting it together and sharing!
Thanks! I'll have to check out her video now
Thank you !
outstanding knowledge. ..10nx dear
Excellent! Please do linen next, if you haven't, already.
I feel smarter already!
This is the most useful video regarding textile knowledge I've ever seen, thank you so much for making it! You are so knowledgeable in the subject, I wonder if you'd consider making more videos about different textile types too? (Cotton, linen etc).
Wow, thank you! I'm considering doing more textile vids, we'll see...
I am surprised that Dharma Trading Company wasn't listed, especially for China Silk. They have it in different weights and they also have charmeuse that is wonderful. Their prices are very good as well. I did take down all of the names of stores you listed. Some I was aware of and others no, so I am looking forward to trying them out. Burnley and Trowbridge are also a source. Not such a wide selection though. Their customer service though is fantastic. Thank you for this video!
2 reasons I didnt include dharma: they mostly have white fabric for dying so not everything is offered in colors. And they don't carry taffeta or satin which are both major base-fabrics for a lot of historical costumes. I've bought their organza before, though, which is nice!
Thank you for this class. I learned a lot. Did the event offer the same type of class for other fabrics? Again Thank you for such a well presented class.
Thank you for all the helpful information! I’ve been trying to find a good silk to make face masks for.
Silk blend is a silk ground with the pile in polyester or rayon or the secondary fiber.
Super helpful! THANK YOU!! I tend to pick up a lot of my fabric from thrifting (in other words altering thrifted finds) and I got so lost trying to figure out.. what kind of silk the garment was, it is so hard to tell texture/weight from online pictures! And you helped narrow down some terms that I maybe definitely wasn't understanding correctly (cough* brocade/damask cough*) not interchangeable got it 😁💚
Thank you for this! Learning all the names for the different fabrics is so helpful. Books are great but seeing the way the material moves and how the light shifts on it is really helpful. I would love to watch videos on other fibers if you felt like making them ^__^
Thanks for watching! I might do a video on other fabrics but I admit I don't know much about wool so I'd probably have to stick to linen and cotton.
@@DixieDIY Cotton would be one that I am particularly interested in.