Ancient fabric’s renaissance smooth as silk

By Sherida Warner
Saturday, February 11, 2012

Some of the finest natural fabric in the world depends on the ravenous appetite of a caterpillar.

It’s the silkworm munching its favorite dish, fresh mulberry leaves, that brings us that queen of textiles, known for its lustre and graceful drape.

During two to three days of continuous chomping, the silkworm spins its prized cocoon in colors of yellow, white or a grayish tint.

Humans then interrupt its life cycle by unwinding the threads of the cocoon, spinning three to 10 together from several cocoons to form a single strand of raw silk. These are woven into fabric on looms.

To put the process into some perspective, it takes 5,000 silkworms to make a pure silk kimono, according to Consumer Textiles. It’s thought that silk fabric first was developed in ancient China, where early examples have been discovered that date to 3500 B.C.

In the 21st century, China remains one of the major producers of silk, along with India.

Despite its long history, silk is experiencing a renaissance with today’s sewing enthusiasts, says Katrina Walker of Spokane, Wash., a sewing educator and designer who specializes in silk and wool.

“It’s a relatively new fiber to many, who are rediscovering its incredible beauty and diversity,” she says.

Walker was one of several teachers at the High Desert Silk Experience earlier this month in St. George, Utah.

Her session focused on sewing with silk, starting with information on silk lore and harvesting to cutting, seam finishes and hems to finishing a silk garment by the end of class.

She has taken a surface design technique called needle felting — usually applied to wool — to a new level with the exotic properties of silk fibers, fabrics and yarns. Walker refers to it as faux nuno, or needle felting on silk. She often creates scarves and shawls with this method.

Felting needles are long, sharp and barbed, “like the thorns on a rosebush,” Walker explains.

Tools are available with multiple needles that actually “punch” silk roving or other fibers into the base material. Beneath the base material, a chunk of dense foam or a large bristled brush is necessary so the needles have a surface to penetrate.

The more you punch, the more the fibers become imbedded into the material and the thinner and smoother your finished work will be.

For designs, Walker suggests ink-jet printing or transfers to create an outline on your base fabric, allowing for easier embellishment. Hooping your fabric before using the needles is helpful.

She demonstrates the art of hand needle felting, although felting machines also are available on the market.

As base fabrics, Walker says chiffons, georgette and silk noil all work well. Noil is a dull, slightly nubby fabric made from the inner part of the cocoon (sometimes incorrectly referred to as raw silk).

Roving, or long pieces of unspun silk fiber, is the easiest to imbed on your base, she says.

“Sometimes, it’s possible to buy silk roving blended with Merino wool, which needle felts exceptionally well” because the wool gives it more grip.

The richness of the silk fibers and fabrics adds a new level of sophistication to Walker’s creations, and the needle felting to the background is only the beginning, she says.

“Free-motion or computerized embroidery looks fabulous when stitched over a needle felted base.”

Couched yarns, cords, beads and other embellishments add even more texture and visual interest.

Perhaps you’ll want to try putting a modern spin on this venerable fabric. I echo Walker’s message to all of those who are fabric fanatics: Experiment.

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