Thread: where do you buy silk?

I was thinking about buying some silk online and was wondering what kind you use for veils? skirts?
What vendor do you buy from?
just curious! Looking to buy a lot of silk to make 1/2 circle veils for classmates.

Dharma Trading is one source:

Habotai Veils

Thai Silks - Imported Silk Fabrics

is another.

Silk veils are made from Habotai also known as China silk. For 1/2 circles you want a wide silk like 54" wide with a little bit of weight to them so they will unfurl when you spin. I make mine out of a 6mm.

mm (pronounced mummy but spelled out momme) indicates the weight of the fabric, or a sort of thread count measurement. Higher mm is a heavier weight, lower lighter. 4mm and 5mm are really light veils 6mm just slightly heavier, 8mm or 10mm are pretty heavy. Good luck.

You can make skirts out of habotai too, but lately I've been making my skirts out of a silk satin backed charmeuse (I love the drape) and layering that with 2 layers of silk gauze. I'll attach a photo of one example for you to see.

Kind of a dorky photo, but you can kind of see the layers of the skirt (I also made the matching sleeves and veil):

thanks ladies. I was checking out the cost. Now I know why veils cost so much! Haha...

does anyone dye/paint the silk they buy?

Originally Posted by jenlindseys

thanks ladies. I was checking out the cost. Now I know why veils cost so much! Haha...

does anyone dye/paint the silk they buy?

yup, all the time.

awesome shems! that skirt looks awesome. Must have cost a fortune just for the materials! That's a lot of material to do 3 layers!

I was looking at making the 2 1/2 circle veils to do double veil. that's 45" wide, right?

is dying/painting easier?

oh yeah. I found this too.
http://www.denverfabrics.com/Cart/ca...y=china%20silk
says it is china silk. doesn't indicate the weight, but says its for lining. What do you think?

Hi Jenn:

I will also second what Shems says. Dharma trading is a ggod place for getting undyed silk. If you want to purchase solid color silk habotai, Thai Silk is a good place. I use their wholesale company for my silk. As Shems says, you need 54" width to produce a true half circle of the correct size that will move in the correct way. Also, if you make half circle veils, you'll need to hem them because they will fray on the curved edge. Personally, I think that if there is a hell, it would probably involve making rolled hems on curved edges, but that's just me. I only make rectangular veils and I don't hem the torn edges.

RE: paint/dye. First, avoid fabric paint, which stiffens the fabric at least some and ruins the rippley fluidity of the silk needed for dancing. RIT is crap; don't even go there. The easiest stuff IMO is Jacquard Acid Dyes for silk. For dying solids you can use them in a vat or in your washer with hottest water. They can be tie-dyed or used for low immersion type techniques and "steam set" in the microwave. YOu can get these from Dharma.

Because of the way that fabric stretches on the bias on a circular cut, I woudn't recommend that striped silk fabric you reference above for a circular veil or skirt. I also wouldn't buy silk fabric without either touching it or knowing the weight.

I prefer 8mm veils to 6mm, and I hate 5mm, but again this is personal preference. Though I will say that everyone that plays with my 8mm and 6mm veils side by side prefers the 8mm.

Originally Posted by ssipes

Hi Jenn:

Because of the way that fabric stretches on the bias on a circular cut, I woudn't recommend that striped silk fabric you reference above for a circular veil or skirt. I also wouldn't buy silk fabric without either touching it or knowing the weight.

I prefer 8mm veils to 6mm, and I hate 5mm, but again this is personal preference. Though I will say that everyone that plays with my 8mm and 6mm veils side by side prefers the 8mm.

I wasn't referring to the striped fabric. what about the one right below it? Maybe for a skirt? I don't know. it seems if it is china silk it should specify weight. I spent some time reading about the dyes and I think I might try the acid dye you mentioned, although I still am unsure how much to buy at once. or if i should buy the 3 colors and try to make my own mixes for other colors. I see a lot of veils made of 3mm silk, so I was going to go with 5mm, but maybe I should do the 8mm! Who knows.

I have a serger and do a rolled hem on circle skirts pretty quick. I've used chiffon and other heavier materials and have never had a problem. Why is it so difficult?? Maybe I'm confused!

oh yes, and i thought a true 1/2 circle veil that you use in double veil is 2.5 yds by 45". I know a single 1/2 circle veil is at least 3 yards and would need 54" width, but I thought double veil was different??

Just to add: Dharma has pre-made veils, including half circles. I don't know how good these are, but they seem very reasonably priced, and may be a good choice for a single performance.

And, yeah - Acid dyes for silk! (Rit is evil.)

Originally Posted by shems

You can make skirts out of habotai too, but lately I've been making my skirts out of a silk satin backed charmeuse (I love the drape) and layering that with 2 layers of silk gauze. I'll attach a photo of one example for you to see.

Kind of a dorky photo, but you can kind of see the layers of the skirt (I also made the matching sleeves and veil):

this skirt is very nice. Is it a single circle? or 1.5? Just curious. You did a nice job! Maybe I should just pay one of you ladies to dye my silk, haha

I buy the silk veils pre-made from Dharma Trading, and have not had an issue yet with one I dyed and use for everything from teaching to performances.

Originally Posted by jenlindseys

oh yeah. I found this too.
http://www.denverfabrics.com/Cart/ca...y=china%20silk
says it is china silk. doesn't indicate the weight, but says its for lining. What do you think?

Its not silk at all. Despite saying China Silk (for those solid colored fabrics on the page), its listed as 100% poly and from the texture it appears to be a typical suit lining type fabric. Definitely NOT something you want for a veil. Denver Fabrics was recently sold and the company that bought it has never been great at accurate labeling.

Originally Posted by jenlindseys

awesome shems! that skirt looks awesome. Must have cost a fortune just for the materials! That's a lot of material to do 3 layers!

I was looking at making the 2 1/2 circle veils to do double veil. that's 45" wide, right?

It's true, it does get a little spendy for the material for the 3 layer skirt, but it sure looks pretty.

I guess you could make a 1/2 circle out of 45" wide, but then it will be a much smaller circle - I prefer a bigger one.

As far as dying vs painting (I'm assuming you mean painting with dyes?). Dying is easier, I also use the Jacquard acid dyes and right on my stovetop. Since I dye fairly frequently I bought big containers of the mixing colors, but if you are just doing one set, just get small bottles of the colors you want.

I've painted veils with the procion dyes in the past and they turn out beautiful, but it requires that you stretch them on a frame and steamset them which can be a pain in the behind.

The skirt in my photo is 1 circle, but I have made another one that's a circle and a half (this one was supposed to be too, but I messed up when I measured the silk before I dyed it...oops!). The sleeves I just made out of the scraps.

I have this page bookmarked. I have never bought from them but they have a good selection of silks. Somebody here might have some input about the quality.

http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/ca...y=Types&Page=1

Fashion Fabrics Club, I believe, is the company that bought Denver Fabrics. They do have fabulous prices, but I've definitely had issues with orders from them in the past. I would HIGHLY recommend buying swatches of anything first, if its for something "good".

I bought my undyed piece of China silk from my instructor- I will ask her who her supplier is. I dyed it with Procion dye- it was super easy! Mine is one color (fuschia) but I dyed smaller samples of the silk with multiple colors and I loved them; I was just to chicken to try them on my first 'big' project.

Originally Posted by basina

Its not silk at all. Despite saying China Silk (for those solid colored fabrics on the page), its listed as 100% poly and from the texture it appears to be a typical suit lining type fabric. Definitely NOT something you want for a veil. Denver Fabrics was recently sold and the company that bought it has never been great at accurate labeling.

Good point. Silk makers and vendors will commonly refer to silk habotai as china silk (even if it's made somewhere else, like Thailand). However, "china silk" is also commonly used by some retail fabric vendors to refer to synthetic silk-like fabrics. Very unfortunate and confusing.

If you are shopping online for silk fabric, don't assume that "china silk" means silk and also, don't assume that any fabric that says "100% silk" is going to be silk habotai, the fabric type most people want for veils. Silk can be woven into many types of fabric: brocades, jacquards, chiffons, georgettes, crepes, satins, various kinds of knits, velvet, even burlap-like materials -- and all these in varying weights from filmy to very very heavy and thick.

If you really want to try your hand at making some veils, the simplest thing to do is buy a few precut and prehemmed ones from Dharma that several people have mentioned (I haven't tried these personally but it's probably an easy place to start), and buy a couple of colors of the Jacquard acid dye in the smallest amount (the smallest jar is enough to do at least 2-3 veils).

Sedonia

i have three suppliers overseas but I buy in very large bulk..after paying shipping and customs, the price ends up being about the same it would if I bought from a US supplier but I get my choice of silk (not all are created equal). Silk is expensive and like the stock market, the prices go up and down. I dye silks full time A'Kai Silks when I first started avg price of a veil was $60 for silk..market value on ordinary silks has dropped dramatically. If you want to make half circles, yes best to use the 54 inch wide fabric..or you can make smaller veils that are 2.5 yards long and 45 inches wide. The more expensive silk for skirts is WELL worth the money.

I started by using RIT before I sold veils to anyone..because the dyes were easily accessible from a grocery store and i could learn the relationships of colors, dyes, etc. Now i use fiber reactive dyes. There's always water boiling at my house :)

have fun

Thank you to everyone for your help! I think I may read up on it more and venture a project on dying silk in the summer? It will be a future goal. I'm already booked up sewing, dancing, beading, making jewelry and everything else I see that I decide I want to make! haha

Originally Posted by jesennia

i have three suppliers overseas but I buy in very large bulk..after paying shipping and customs, the price ends up being about the same it would if I bought from a US supplier but I get my choice of silk (not all are created equal). Silk is expensive and like the stock market, the prices go up and down. I dye silks full time A'Kai Silks when I first started avg price of a veil was $60 for silk..market value on ordinary silks has dropped dramatically. If you want to make half circles, yes best to use the 54 inch wide fabric..or you can make smaller veils that are 2.5 yards long and 45 inches wide. The more expensive silk for skirts is WELL worth the money.

I started by using RIT before I sold veils to anyone..because the dyes were easily accessible from a grocery store and i could learn the relationships of colors, dyes, etc. Now i use fiber reactive dyes. There's always water boiling at my house :)

have fun

so if I understand you right... you don't make the veils? you buy them premade and then you dye them? Just curious!

What is RIT dyes? I don't think I can get them at my grocery store...but maybe it is my ignorance :)

I have them sewn overseas because labor is cheaper..the veils are cut and hemmed, and the suppliers also make garments like nightgowns, skirts, etc and then they send to me in plain white.

Yup I do all the dye work..that is what makes them special, they are all hand dyed in Hawaii and are not imported as dyed articles. Not that there is anything wrong with importing dyed articles..but having the individually dyed ooak items makes them well more ooak (one of a kind) :)

RIT can be found in the kitchen supply or fabric / laundry area of your grocery store..if you have a Michaels or Ben Franklins craft store they will carry it too. As mentioned these are pretty crappy dyes and will fade over time, but if you are just wanting to learn how the colors interact, it's a good place to start because you can buy the dyes and be dyeing within half an hour (it sucks to run out of red when you are in the middle of a project..lol)

if you started dyeing items and selling them it would be best to use a professional dye..there are a lot of options out there. the only ones I do not like so far are the natural dyes because the colors they yield are pukey and muted (i like bolds) but if you cater to a hemp community they may prefer it :)

hope that makes sense, after another night of four hours of sleep i'm braindead and it aint even noon yet!

yes if you dye over summer you can dry things much faster (one of the reasons i moved to hawaii was a business based decision to speed up production) but dont dry your veils in direct sunlight..dry them in the shade, preferably with a gentle breeze

Thanks jesennia! Good advice. I'm more interested in making the veils than I am dying them. I would only dye them to save some $ because the cost of dyed fabric is over double the price/yard. I'm sure its a fun business, but I think it might be best left to the professionals. I might mess around with it sometime :)

Originally Posted by jenlindseys

I'm already booked up sewing, dancing, beading, making jewelry and everything else I see that I decide I want to make! haha

..l;, Jenn, when you posted this thread, I thought to myself "Where does this girl find the time to sew, dance, bead, work, study AND make god knows how many silk 1/2 circle veils for her classmates??" Don't you work for NASA? If you'd managed to gain insider knowledge of some sort of crazy time dilation device you would share all knowledge with your dance sisters, right???

Originally Posted by Zara_dancer

..l;, Jenn, when you posted this thread, I thought to myself "Where does this girl find the time to sew, dance, bead, work, study AND make god knows how many silk 1/2 circle veils for her classmates??" Don't you work for NASA? If you'd managed to gain insider knowledge of some sort of crazy time dilation device you would share all knowledge with your dance sisters, right???

Haha! I'm a girl with many interests and the drive to do just about anything I want. Okay, maybe I'm a dreamer too. But I do truly believe that I (as well as anyone else who wants it) can do/make anything!

Enough of my inspirational words. I do work at NASA and the best thing about that is the flexibility in a government job. I am treated very well here and I'm sure that's one of the main reasons I find the time to play around. I work with supersonics and hypersonics, but yet to research time travel techniques, haha. Most of my projects take longer to complete than I want. Anytime I'm not doing homework, working out, dancing...I spend sewing costumes or doing whatever else I can dream up. I'm not one to like to veg. and watch TV unless my hands are doing something. Maybe that's why. I'm still in college mode.

I do thank everyone here for advice/knowledge. I learn just about everything I know and accomplish in the crafting world (sewing, crochet, knitting, beading, jewelry making) from the internet. It is a wonderful thing!

My friend and I are taking a silk dying class soon. Will share the wealth of information once I get it ;)