Hi,
Silk is good to use for lace, especially for the fine laces as its tensile
strength is much greater than cotton or linen, hence fewer thread-breaks.
Not only that, it comes in a range of wonderful colours. Just take care to
choose SPUN lace rather than floss or folded as the latter two tend to come
apart (not breaking, but the fibres slide as it is so smooth) and the spun
silk gives better definition to the stitches. I use it quite a lot for both
bobbin lacemaking and other needlecraft. It generally washes well and keeps
it colour. It must not be left in the sun for very long periods as it seems
to 'rot' it more quickly. It is excellent for making fine, small pieces of
lace in miniature for dolls and dolls houses as it drapes so well. Pipers'
silk 210 or 140 is great for fine lace and miniature embroidery
Household stuff, items which need a lot of body and/or definition, or things
which need washing a LOT I tend to use cotton or linen. As for the
proportion of silk to other yarns I use, I would guess probably about 45%.
Silk is no more problematic to use than other threads. just beware of
artificial silk which can be a nightmare due to its springiness.
from J-D in East Sussex.
from: "Susan Reishus" <elationrelat...@yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 3:51 PM
To: "post to Arachne" <lace@arachne.com>
Subject: [lace] Silk thread
I am curious about how many use silk for their lace (bobbin or
needlework).
Perhaps a better question is what percentage of your work is typically
silk,
and the reasons why? Do you find challenges in working with it, do color
retention, cleaning, and long life, factor into this decision, etc.?
Best,
Susan Reishus
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