It is said that long ago a Chinese princess was drinking her tea one day in her garden when a cocoon feel off of an overhead tree and landed into her tea. The cocoon was loosened by the hot water and it left long strands of silk fiber in her tea.
Silk originated in China in around three thousand BC and was kept a secret from other countries for a long time. It was even said that those who reveled the secret were sentenced to death.
Silk comes from the cocoons of silk worms (or the Bombux Mori silk moth), which feeds on only Mulberry leaves. Cultivation of silk worms for the purpose of producing silk is called sericulture. Silk worms produce the silk in their bodies (much like a spider does) and when it hits the air it becomes hard. The worms spend about three to four days spinning their cocoon. After about eight or nine days the cocoon is ready to be unwound. In order for the silk fibers to stay intact, the silk worm still has to be inside of its cocoon when the silk is harvested. If it breaks the cocoon (which happens when it emerges) the fibers are broken and aren't desirable for producing silk. The cocoons are steamed or baked to kill the worm and are then dipped in hot water to loosen the tightly wound fibers. The fibers are then wound onto a spool and then goes through a more in depth process before it is woven into fabrics. Each cocoon is formed from one fiber that is about one thousand to two thousand feet long. Five to eight of these strands are twisted together to create one single thread. To make one yard of fabric about three thousand cocoons are harvested. One filament of silk is stronger then one filament of steel making this fabric surprisingly stong.
Things to consider about silk:
- It is susceptable to sun damage- this creates colour fading and sun rot
- Its elasticity is poor- when it becomes wet and stretched, it is likely that it will stay that way
- Silk wrinkles very easliy
- It is best when placed by a North facing window (as it recieves the least amount of light)
- It can loose up to about 20% of its strength when its wet
- The weave determines the wearablity of the silk- raw silk is often the strongest
- On a window above a kitchen sink would not be a good place for a silk window covering- it will get splashed and will stain
- When properly lined, it can be used for drapery
- Can make a durable upholestery
- Throw pillows, bedding
http://sewing.about.com/od/fabricsindex/a/silkfabric.htm
http://www.hgtv.com/handmade/decorator-fabrics-101/index.html
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