Dupioni Silk for quilts

As I mentioned previously I was able to get my computer back today….but I did have a few other things on the list to do today.

I am making a quilt…. (a very large one) and it will be 100% silk.

I've seen fabric called Dupioni silk in quilt shops… but it has a weft of poly in it….it looks nice, but is quite a coarse weave.

So I decided to go for the pure silk…100% silk (shown below)

As you can see, it is much finer, the shimmer is stunning. I want to achieve an effect that when you view the quilt it will look different at every angle.

How is it made and why do I want to use it…?

The name Dupioni comes from the Italian word, "doppio," meaning "double." The twin silkworm produces the thread which has tiny variations in the thickness and creates a nubby texture to the finished silk cloth. Part of the character and beauty of dupioni are the remnants of the silk cocoon left in the thread and weave and may appear as tiny black specks and streaks in the cloth. This is the uniqueness of Dupioni silk, as no two pieces of the silk are the same.

What does pure Dupioni Silk Looks Like?

Dupioni silk is woven with two threads, which create a stunning shimmering effect to the fabric. Often the two threads are of different colors, so when the fabric angle changes, so does the color. A light to medium weight fabric, Dupioni, because of the double thread weaving, has a stiffer feel to the cloth than other silk types.

Dupioni silk has little stretching ability which will restrict its suitability for many sewing projects. Dupioni silk will shrink approximately 10 to 12 percent per yard if it is washed.
It is not as susceptible to wrinkles as other silks and holds a crease well, but the cloth does not recover from the use of pins and may leave tiny "pin marks."

I embrace the fact that it doesn't stretch and I will use 100 weight Superior Kimono thread.

It accepts ink wonderfully so now I can't wait to make the sample.

I also sampled some othe amazing things today….