Fibre and Textiles Index

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Silk: Silk is truly the queen of fibres - incomparably soft, with a lustre that exhibits jewel tones like no other textile. It is the strongest natural fibre - stronger even than a matching filament of steel. It is highly absorbent, which makes it cool in the summer and warm in winter.
Care: Commercial silk garments are marked 'dry clean only' primarily in order to protect poorly dyed goods. Natural silk is washable if treated with proper care and respect, but many soaps are harmful to silk and can affect the dyes. Use a nonalkaline soap such as Orvus Paste, available at feed and tack shops, or an olive-oil soap, such as Kiss My Face, available in natural food stores (grate into small pieces and dissolve in water ready for use). Use soft, lukewarm, non-alkaline water. To neutralise traces of alkali, add a little pure white vinegar to the second-to-last rinse. The final rinse should be in pure water. Silk that is worn next to the skin should be washed regularly, as the chloride salts and acids of perspiration can weaken the fibre. Once the silk has been washed, it can be rolled in a towel to absorb excess water and laid flat to dry. Knitted scarves should be straightened as they are laid out, handbags should be reshaped and dried over a support if necessary. Silk jewellery motifs may be similarlyblotted with a towel, gently pushed into shape if necessary, and laid flat to dry. I use only the finest quality dyes, fixed to the manufacturer’s specifications and thoroughly rinsed, however all hand painted and hand dyed textile products have the potential to bleed slightly with the first few washings. This will not be to a degree that should affect the colour of the garment, but it does mean that the garment should be washed separately, and an old towel used for blotting.

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