Sewing - making silk half slips

[MariaRegina]

I just bought some fine silk twill and have cut it a tad larger to allow for shrinkage. However, I did not want to pre-wash it because it is unraveling something fierce.


Has anyone sewn with 100% pure silk?

What kind of thread is best?

I was told to use the 100% polyester by the German thread maker. Do you agree.

 

[viridian]

Is that the Guterman brand? That should work fine, you just want thread that's spun fine and smooth to sew with. Just as important as the thread is the needle- you'll want to use a needle for delicate fabrics, and start with a new, sharp one. That'll go a long way towards preventing snags and pulling while you're sewing.

Best wishes on your project- fine silk is sooo beautiful, but can be a pain to work with. =)

 

[MariaRegina]

I just finished the skirt/half slip in black silk. It has a lovely finish.

Yes, I used a brand new #10 needle and the Guterman 100% polyester thread. On my Swedish sewing machine, I used a 2.5 stitch instead of the 2.0 because the original setting caused some puckering.

The silk was tricky to cut because it was so slippery, but I had to trim it again before pinning each section because it had unraveled again. Good thing I cut it a tad larger than the pattern. I used some silk pins but had to test each pin on a trimming because some of the new pins had nicks in them or were dull. I tossed at least 25 pins or more.

 

[viridian]

Thanks for the update! It's definitely extra work to sew with silk, but the results are totally worth it. Enjoy your new slip!