Sourcing Silk for Historical Sewing: Types of Silk and Where to Buy Them Online

[@TimesmithDressHistory]

More silk sources: In the UK, we have James Hare (trade accounts only), Harrington Fabric & Lace, and I know some people (like Prior Attire) buy silks directly from the long-standing mills in Sudbury, though I've not been able to find easy direct access to those mills by members of the general public. I buy from Harrington and James Hare most often - you have to submit a request or expression of interest using an online form and they phone you back so you can discuss your needs, whether it's yardage, colour/shade, or budget. These are "family run" types of businesses with exceptional customer service. As to UK city fabric districts: For London, I am most familiar with Goldhawk Road, though there are districts in the East End that friends swear by, too. Most of the Goldhawk Road shops don't sell online. In person, be aware that a lot of the shops are owned/run by people with family connections, often sourcing the same fabrics, so if you are not quite happy with the price of something you love in one shop, go on to the shops neighbouring them on each side and you might find a better deal on the exact same thing. ;) Birmingham has a famous fabric district, too. I haven't visited in person but a lot of the well-established sellers do have Ebay shops. Most will send out swatches by post.

[@felicitygee381]

Thank you! I don't often see a UK resource list, I knew they had knocked down the rag market decades ago and I was wondering if there was a current fabric district in Birmingham, will have to look it up.

[@DixieDIY]

These are great suggestions, thank you!

[@EmyMagpie]

I've also used Hansson Silks back when they used to be in Guildford. I think they're in Harrow, or around that way, now.

[@aji08]

@@felicitygee381 there are many. Stratford Road and Alum Rock are two I know of. SOURCE: am Brummie

[@felicitygee381]

@@aji08 thanks for the info, my Nan used to take me to the rag market when I was a kid, fond memories. Edit:spelling

[@mellie4174]

Silk painting is very popular in France. There are even tourist activities to learn how to paint silk because painted silk scarves are so popular. So a little research and you will be well on your way to painting your own silk :)

[@sylviat1976]

Handpainted silk is actually not too difficult in and of itself! Obviously, it requires a certain entry-level knowledge of brush control and design technique, but especially with modern stop-flow primers it behaves essentially like very, very thin canvas. I don't know how it was done historically, but judging by the crisp lines on the garments in the video, they must have primed it in some way. Otherwise, it would have had a much more watercolor-type effect. However, if you're not already a painter, look up the Serti technique. You use a resist (what type depends on your design and fabric weight) as the linework and then dye or paint each section independently. Both of these techniques are explained on the Dharma Trading Co website, which also sells many of the supplies needed!

[@DixieDIY]

this is a great comment. thanks for sharing your knowledge! not sure if I'll ever feel confidant painting my own silk but at least now I know how to start.

[@fanaticalseamstress]

Thank you for this video! I think this is the first one I've found explaining the differences between types of silks an modern equivalences, and also *showing* how they look ❤

[@DixieDIY]

Glad it was helpful! thanks!

[@rachelstelmach698]

For undyed and solid-colored silks, Dharma Trading Company has lovely, good-quality silks that are usually a good value for money. They also have a bunch of other natural-fiber fabrics, but those are generally just undyed, white, and/or black.

[@DixieDIY]

oooh yes, Dharma Trading is great. I think I've bought linen from them before...

[@elizabethclaiborne6461]

By the time you tub dye the ten yard peice of silk, assuming it’s suitable for the project, you don’t save money but the hassle is epic. You might as well raise the silkworms and weave the cloth yourself. As someone who does plenty of procion tub dying, I’d just as soon my silk showed up in colors, not set up for industrial size jobs.

[@penelope-oe2vr]

They also carry the dyes for it and the dyes work great! I bought my dye from them to do silk and wool fiber with and it always came out great!

[@babettelarue]

Excellent! Eastern Silk Mills is another great source.

[@angelaross1]

Thanks to this post, I learned you are in the metroplex and I have spent so much time on Harry Hines, one of the fabric store owners commented that, “ there was only one other TYPE of woman who was on that street as much as me”! (Yep, the working girl type) I just died laughing and had to agree 🤣🤣

[@ArcaneNiles17]

I love that you added the way the silk had been woven! I've been thinking of trying my hand at weaving some silk and I found it very helpful.

[@csljrrt09]

I write historical fiction and I just started really focusing on fabrics beyond the basics so this video was great. Thank you.

[@jomercer21113]

This is THE BEST silk overview--not only in describing the different fabrics but also giving a wide array of sources . Now do linen and wool.

[@irisl7817]

I never realized there were so many different types of silks. Mind blown! Though I am interested in historical dress and sewing, learning more about different types of fabrics drew me to this video. I've sensory issues with fabrics and such and I'm exploring the possible reasons and alternatives. Modern clothing can be so uncomfortable. I'm sure that the amount of work and research was extensive, but if you ever happened to make a video discussing the different types of other fabrics that would certainly be wonderful (but no pressure, of course) just throwing the idea out there). You are so thorough yet concise with your explanations. I really appreciate your work. Thank you!

[@DixieDIY]

Glad this was helpful! I actually sew most of my own regular (non-historical) clothes, too, so I'm pretty familiar with modern fabrics as well. If you've got any specific questions about a particular fabric I'd be happy to talk more about it.

[@irisl7817]

@@DixieDIY thank you so much for replying! I have been exploring the reported wonders of linen and I've gotten caught up in conflicting information. Is this even a fabric that would be friendly for someone who is a beginner? Or should I just stick with cotton?

[@DixieDIY]

@@irisl7817 linen is very nice to wear. When sewing, however, it can sometimes get shifty and fray easily, especially if it is loosely woven. I like to spray it with starch before I cut out my pieces to help the fabric stay straight (it washes out later). Pre-finishing seam allowances can help, too. The main thing about sewing with linen is getting the weight right. Lighter weight linen can be very sheer (so not good for bottom garments) but linen can also get very heavy (so not good for tops). Fabric-store.com carries all weights of linen, you could get lots of swatches to test out.

[@irisl7817]

@@DixieDIY I really like that site from what I've explored so far. It is going to be so helpful. There aren't any fabric shops near me. Thank you for that and also the advice. I look forward to getting some swatches already.

[@peggyr9623]

I am surprised that Dharma Trading Company wasn't listed, especially for China Silk. They have it in different weights and they also have charmeuse that is wonderful. Their prices are very good as well. I did take down all of the names of stores you listed. Some I was aware of and others no, so I am looking forward to trying them out. Burnley and Trowbridge are also a source. Not such a wide selection though. Their customer service though is fantastic. Thank you for this video!

[@DixieDIY]

2 reasons I didnt include dharma: they mostly have white fabric for dying so not everything is offered in colors. And they don't carry taffeta or satin which are both major base-fabrics for a lot of historical costumes. I've bought their organza before, though, which is nice!

[@ennanitsua]

This was so helpful! Thank you! Would you consider making this a series? Or at least doing the same with cotton?

[@DixieDIY]

Possibly! I probably know enough about cotton to talk about it for several minutes. We'll see!

[@veronikaxoxo3731]

@@DixieDIY yes please do ❤️

[@penelope-oe2vr]

Yes! I'm new to sewing and I dont know what all the cotton names mean to buy the weight if cottons im looking for.

[@Palestinian_holocaust]

@@DixieDIY NO FABRIC STORE NOR AN ASIAN RUN MA AND POP FABRIC STORE HAS REAL SILK. It’s all poly

[@Palestinian_holocaust]

SATIN AND SILK TODAY ARE JUST FROM POLYESTER

[@ej075]

This was a super helpful video, thank you! I'd be really interested to see one on wool fabrics in the future.

[@janetsingperry5834]

Thank you so much for this video! It explains so much in a very straight forward way that was easy to understand. I would love to see a video on cotton and linen, if you feel so inclined! Again, thank you so much!

[@pattieboyd1693]

As someone trying to branch out from “bedsheet” cotton dresses to Actually buying fabric this is terrifically helpful. I have never bought fabric new in all my years of sewing so I had no idea where to start!

[@mnels5214]

For high end silks, New York Designer Fabrics has wonderful fabrics and color choices, and terrific customer service. They will not be the cheapest generally, but for really high quality silks I think they are the most reasonably priced. I've seen their silks advertised for as much as $10/yard more on other sites. And this video is amazing!

[@DixieDIY]

Wow they have some beautiful stuff! Thanks for this tip

[@googlethis313]

I absolutely LOVE silks! I learned so much in such a short time! I can tell not only how much time you have invested in your learning but that it’s your passion! Thanks!

[@nicolawebb6025]

Fantastic video. And I really appreciate your comments about synthetics. I learned to sew because I didn't (still don't) have much money and it drives me mad when people look down their nose at synthetics. It's all I can afford!

[@EyesRPrettyDarnAweso]

omg, uh, this is how I figured out my local fabric 'ally' was/is hit by a tornado???? So very, very help video besides that! thank you:)

[@DixieDIY]

hahaha, yeah it happened right after I moved here, too, so I couldn't even go shopping! Luckily most of the stores have recovered. Thanks for watching!

[@mgansworth78]

Thankyou so much for this ! I'm still fairly new to sewing even tho I'm 42 I just started in January but I've fallen in love with historical clothing! This explains a lot, I was so confused about all the different names now I see most fall under the silk category. 💜🧵

[@Yu-dh6oc]

I knew some of the types of silk, but many of the names and textures were in this "have heard of it before, but don't really know"-soup in my head. This was such a lovely and helpful video, thank you so much for putting in the time and effort to make it!

[@DixieDIY]

thanks for watching!

[@k8cre8s17]

Thank you for explaining the difference in fiber and weave, and in silks! I had no idea there were so many types!

[@selkiemorien9006]

Silk scares me too much at this point, but it's good to know about it at least :D

[@kirstenpaff8946]

Another option if you live in the US is Fabric Mart (fabricmartfabrics.com). They also have a physical store in Pennsylvania, but I have yet to get over there. Fabric Mart is a bit like a fashion district, in that they sell whatever overstock and leftovers they can get their hands on, rather than regular collections (think how JOANN carries the same fabric in six different colors for multiple years). Their regular prices are not that great, but they often have 60-70% off sales, so silk taffeta will can be $17/yd. They list their fiber contents and have pretty good pictures of their fabrics (including shots of it draped over a stool so you can see how translucent the fabric is and how it drapes). The store is always a bit of a treasure hunt, as you never know what they will have, what will be on sale, and how much will be available. It probably isn't the best option if you are under time pressure or have something very specific in mind, but it is a good place for stash building and they ship pretty quickly.

[@DixieDIY]

Great addition! I'm going to check them out

[@kathyjohnson9288]

I have ordered my silks from Thai Silks in the past. They mostly have solids but their prices are good. I really go a lot out of your video. Thank you.

[@blktauna]

oh awesome, i wasn't aware thai silks was still in business!

[@TheKingswench]

Thank You for explaining the momme weight for my non math brain!! This video was Magical and I appreciate that you shared your knowledge!

[@ChayatsujiKimono]

Thank you so much for doing this video! I wear Japanese kimono (the traditional way) as my hobby and deal with a lot of silk as it's the main type of fabric used. I learned so much about all the different types of silk and which were being used historically, seeing some overlaps with what I've learned within the traditions of kimono

[@DixieDIY]

I didn't realize how many kimono enthusiasts are out there. Cocovid really opened my eyes to kimono and now I want to learn more about the history of it and the fabrics used.

[@LauraIngallsGunn]

Bum be seen oh my goodness I love it!!! For all the fabric classes I took for interior design I never knew about momme weight. Truly well done!

[@DixieDIY]

Thanks! glad someone else liked that ;)

[@LadyBeatrixMcCormick]

This was a wonderful workshop! I've wanted to add more silks to my repertoire, but have been fairly terrified of getting the wrong type or paying too much. I feel it's much more accessible now. Thank you!

[@DixieDIY]

I'm so glad this helped!

[@marquessman]

Wow! Excellent video! Thank you. I learned more here than any other video on the topic.

[@Hide_and_silk]

Excellent vlog!! I found silk ikat in Japanese vintage kimono silks. The limitation there is that vintage kimono silk is woven to a standard 14" width.

[@musicaloveraj]

I really love how you explained this, helped with resources and examples for most categories. It would be amazing if you could eventually make videos on wool, cotton, knit and other historical Fabrics.

[@DixieDIY]

Thank you! Sadly I don't know enough about wool to do a video, I think, but cotton... maybe if I can gather all my notes together I can make it happen...

[@starlight.genesis]

Omg, can you do videos just on fabric? I love this!

[@Chi9ja]

I came here for silk faille but got so much more in return. Thank you 😘

[@shellylrobinson6999]

Thanks so much! I was confused by all of the terms about silk that I've seen.

[@kzisnbkosplay3346]

Thank you, this has always been a fuzzy concept for me. You have answered sooooooo many questions for me!

[@belindaholdsworth5344]

Thank you! That was a great little tut on silk and making choices for historical sewing :-) very knowledgeable and I especially appreciate the recommendations for where to buy silk. Sub'd and thumbs up :-)

[@DixieDIY]

Thanks so much! glad you're here

[@madeleinecanoesify]

This is all the information I didnt even know I should look for. Very educational,thank you!

[@mm4122]

One of the best video explaining silks ... thank you !! I’m waiting for wools, cottons and obviously linens :) thank you 🙏🏻 😊

[@lorib1696]

I buy a lot of secondhand vintage silk. I use both sarees from India and kimono from Japan. It is possible to find painted silk and warp painted silk kimono similar to ikat. The downside is the fabric is very narrow, like 18" wide or less. The parts of a kimono are generally made of squares and rectangles so that helps. You can even buy rolls of fabric that used to be kimono but were taken apart, cleaned, and then stitched back into a bolt of fabric. Indian sarees are my new love. They are usually around 45" wide and 6 yards long. For 100% silk sarees the hand is generally like china silk although sometimes you find extra heavy ones. Georgette sarees are very common. There are also cotton and even silk/wool blended ones. Most sarees are printed. In the late Georgian and in the Regency period fabrics imported from India were new and exotic and all the rage. The big bonus of using modern sarees is that some are printed using the exact same block printing techniques used in period. Sometimes the print designs are accurate for historical sewing. I love the silk/wool blend sarees. In India they are worn in winter for warmth. I don't know if they qualify as bombazine since I've never seen any of that material close up. I can tell you that the silk/wool saree fabric has a twill weave but is very slightly fuzzy and is very soft. I've read that bombazine has no luster. Some of the silk/wool sarees have no shine at all while others that are fuzzier have just a tiny bit of sparkle like ends of some of the silk fibers are sticking up and catching the light. And lastly most sarees have beautiful trim that goes all the way around. That can be removed giving several yards of trim that can be reused. It's a win-win for me.

[@DixieDIY]

This is a great idea. I've only every owned one saree and it was like china silk but the print wouldn't have been good for historical.

[@Chibihugs]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge of silks. I find them kinda intimidating. I knew how they are made but nothing of how to tell them apart or understand what they are each good for. This has made them much more approachable. You are fantastic! Virtual Hugs

[@terriannswallow4948]

This is a great video! 👏 I hope you put one together for other common historical fabrics; I'd love for someone to break down the different types of wool and cottons in such an informative way. I also really liked how you talked through different weaves and now I know how to pronounce some of the words I've only ever seen printed! PS. That top, did you make it? It's so lovely

[@DixieDIY]

Thank you! And yes, I made the top (it's actually a dress).

[@brisalvi7435]

You're so knowledgeable on fabrics and was easy for me to follow even though English isn't my language! I Hope you consider making a series on the subject 🖖🏻

[@DixieDIY]

Thank you so much!

[@teriplemel2266]

Fantastic video, and chock full of valuable information!

[@onemoreteaspooncreative7398]

Thank you so much for this video! I took SO MANY NOTES. Really appreciate all your time and effort in sourcing references and links for us all.

[@TorchwoodPandP]

One More Teaspoon Creative me too!

[@margaretsmith9637]

SAS on Indian School Road in Phoenix has some interesting silks for not an arm and a leg and the fashion district in LA has inexpensive silk sometimes in their discount section. Sometimes they do not realize it is silk and be careful of them telling you the polyester is silk. Ask if you can have a swatch and go outside and burn it if you are not sure.

[@athenathegreatandpowerful6365]

Silk blend is a silk ground with the pile in polyester or rayon or the secondary fiber.

[@debbielough7754]

You can occasionally get bombazine, though it's not called that any more - the closest description you'll get is wool and silk or silk and wool. I was looking at some online the other day, though I can't remember which of the sellers it was (sorry). Duran Textiles in Sweden have a small range of either block printed or screen printed and then hand painted silks. (They're stil not cheap, but remember they're priced in Krona before falling over at the prices). And Sartor in Prague have gorgeous silks (and others).

[@emmamarentette]

This is a really helpful video, thank you! Would you do videos for wool and linen and cotton as well?

[@sketchpadangel]

Fantastic video! I learned more about silk watching your video than I did studying fashion design in college.

[@DixieDIY]

Wow, thanks so much!

[@YanickaQuilt]

Textile artist here. In fact many paints can be used on fabrics. GAC 900 can be added to heat bond paint to fabrics.

[@DixieDIY]

Wow, thanks so much for that tip!! Now I'm going to go dive into a paint-product rabbit hole...

[@l.schweig4852]

Thanks for the great info, especially about weights and modern equivalents. I am also happy to hear you encourage having fun and making compromises. One of my favorite outfits I have made was constructed from polyester tablecloths. I don't wear it near open flame, but I have fun when I wear it!

[@DixieDIY]

Thanks! I love when people creatively re-use fabrics for costuming, no matter the fiber! :)

[@jenniferb585]

Thank you for this! Learning all the names for the different fabrics is so helpful. Books are great but seeing the way the material moves and how the light shifts on it is really helpful. I would love to watch videos on other fibers if you felt like making them ^__^

[@DixieDIY]

Thanks for watching! I might do a video on other fabrics but I admit I don't know much about wool so I'd probably have to stick to linen and cotton.

[@lizziemeyer9707]

@@DixieDIY Cotton would be one that I am particularly interested in.

[@alexaamarok2680]

I love this video! It is such a helpful resource. Will you be making more videos like this about other types of fabrics?

[@tammybishop1993]

That was very informative & interesting. Thank you

[@TimesmithDressHistory]

Thank you - enjoyed this very much. Especially appreciate the explanations on weight and comparing the different methods of measuring that.

[@linw7320]

LOL "Yes, yes I did" said as if admitting to a criminal offence, but, just answering self Q & A about unlikelyhood of using historically accurate fabric. That was flippin Adorb. Thanks for the great content and commentary!

[@DixieDIY]

Thanks 😉

[@KirileeCosplay]

This is absolutely fabulous! I love silk and I learnt so much watching this!

[@InThisEssayIWill...]

Super helpful! THANK YOU!! I tend to pick up a lot of my fabric from thrifting (in other words altering thrifted finds) and I got so lost trying to figure out.. what kind of silk the garment was, it is so hard to tell texture/weight from online pictures! And you helped narrow down some terms that I maybe definitely wasn't understanding correctly (cough* brocade/damask cough*) not interchangeable got it 😁💚

[@doctorjrk43210]

The practical and extant examples were a great boon. A wonderful companion piece to Zoe Hong’s silk fabrics video; thank you very much for putting it together and sharing!

[@DixieDIY]

Thanks! I'll have to check out her video now

[@oldstuffbethtx8052]

Fantastic info. Thanks.

[@brissygirl4997]

I grew silk worms in primary school and they are a p.i.a to hatch and keep alive, so I know exactly why silk is so expensive. This video was really interesting I had no idea there were so many different styles of silk fabric or that each one was slightly different in the way it was constructed. I've saved this for future reference to my costube playlist

[@DixieDIY]

Thanks so much! Wow, I never thought of silk worms as being used for a school project. Sounds fascinating, even if they were a struggle to care for!

[@brissygirl4997]

@@DixieDIY My grade 3 teacher had them and brought them into class for us kiddos to ogle, once the moths hatch out of their cocoons which are a beautiful yellow colour, they laid eggs in the cardboard box they were kept in. Keeping the moths alive is a bit more of a struggle than keeping the worms alive. We fed our worms mulberry leaves, since the owner of the caravan park that my parents ran a gas station for had a mulberry tree, yu can also feed them lettuce but they are fussy little creatures and will only eat one particular thing, so you can't swap and change what you feed them. My mum even unravelled some of the cocoons and kept some of the silk, before the pupa hatched into a moth. I just googles what unhatched silkworms are called and found out that they are boiled, gased or roasted alive in their cocoons :'(

[@laureneliset]

I’m not even halfway through and already this video is so helpful

[@reclaimingashleyrose9475]

So helpful! Thank you!

[@jenniferstaples1165]

Lots of great info and resources! Thanks so much for sharing!

[@ReinaElizondo]

Very helpful!

[@thearchivemermaid2033]

How do I save this video forever? I'm still a bit afraid of using silk since my skills are a bit below where I want them to be but I will for sure be coming back to this video multiple times to get the best possible HA creations.

[@phoenixanam606]

Thank you for this class. I learned a lot. Did the event offer the same type of class for other fabrics? Again Thank you for such a well presented class.

[@trulytart3534]

Fabric Wholesale Direct sells silk taffeta at prices that are close if not the same as Silk Baron.

[@EngineeringKnits]

This is such an amazing helpful video, thank you for sharing all of this knowledge!

[@elisabethm9655]

What a wonderful video! Super concise and helpful.🤩

[@DixieDIY]

Thanky you!

[@elsa7998]

Really late comment on this topic but kimono silk still does a lot of the ikat/hand painted designs and the designs are actually pretty similar (I'm no historian but I'd guess a lot of silk was imported from Asia?) The only downside is that it only comes on in 12 inch wide panels so it definitely doesn't suit all designs and can get quite exe. But something to look at if you are interested!

[@kathrynehiersche1817]

This is incredible, just what we needed! Thanks!

[@sibylline7220]

That was an amazingly helpful vidéo!

[@elinordrake7129]

Thank you so much! This was one of the most interesting & useful videos I've seen on KZbin!!!

[@ladytaliastorm8882]

Thank you - I plan to watch this a few times because I really want to understand the differences and your information is so wonderfully detailed.

[@DixieDIY]

Thank you so much!

[@sandradearing604]

I feel smarter already!

[@michiru7422]

So that’s what momme is. Great video! I like Hyena out of CA. I only buy on the sales. Great quality fabric but only reasonably priced on sale.

[@DixieDIY]

I've never heard of them before. holy moly they have some beautiful fabrics!!

[@yourbookladykatie]

This is a FABULOUS video. I learned so much, and there's so much eye candy!

[@runfridr]

The historical fabric store! :)

[@Musicfreak1ify]

If you are in Australia, I do recommend Beautiful Silks.com, Based in South West Victoria but has a beautiful range of silks most un-dyed or bleached white as she mostly sells to dyers and scarf makers.

[@DixieDIY]

Nice! Thanks for adding options for people in Australia

[@jelsner5077]

Excellent! Please do linen next, if you haven't, already.

[@webwarren]

I've always pronounced momme "mum", as it would be in French. Much like "voile" is "vwal" (not voy'l) and rhymes with "toile" ("twal")... Similarly, "moiré" is pronounced "mwa RAY" (as in x-ray) or in Americanese, more-ay (like the moray eel). Most rayon/silk velvets put rayon pile on a silk base. This allows certain chemical processes to "burn out" the pile in patterns, to leave piled designs on a woven base. Historically, there are two structural differences between velvet and velveteen: in velvet, the pile is created by a secondary warp while in velveteen, the pile is created by a different technique (which I've forgotten) along the weft. That said, for modern recreation, cotton velveteen is often a better weight and drape than silk velvet. Don't overlook home dec fabrics and your local fabric warehouses! Some years ago I was fortunate enough to find lengths of wool velvet in a fabric warehouse that specialized in home dec fabrics. It was heavy enough to use for a doublet gown for late-autumn wear at one of my local renfaires. I also lucked out on finding a 13-yard length of light olive ("goose-turd green") cotton velveteen whose light damage was easily worked around because I had so MUCH yardage :) A 2/1 twill is often modernly described as a gabardine and is commonly available in polyester and wool. I did buy a length of silk gabardine some years ago which is still in my stash... There are special silk paints. I found some years ago at an art supply shop. If looking for some today, I'd go to Dharma first. The last time I looked at anything from Fashion Fabrics Club, they only had "specials of the month" which were largely polyester or polycotton blends.

[@DixieDIY]

This is such a good comment, so much knowledge. Thank you!

[@webwarren]

@@DixieDIY you're welcome. I grew up in a garment district family; my great uncle taught me things like decorative headwork and sewing lace... I forgot for the moment, I've also heard momme pronounced "mummy"

[@selene5100]

Omgosh. This was absolutely so helpful!! Seriously, thank you SO much!

[@DixieDIY]

I'm so glad! thanks for watching

[@yourbookladykatie]

Ooohhh destashing groups!

[@allisonyoung3761]

Such an awesome video! Thank you!

[@BeQueerMakeStuff]

This is incredibly informative, thank you!

[@Sew_Learning]

Thank you so much! I never knew half of these fabrics. 🇦🇺😎

[@Lillyk96]

Mood does carry a wool silk blend, based on your description I don't think it is quite like bombazine (it's definitely not matte). It is crazy expensive but if you have a perfect project for it and a $70/yd budget they have a huge number of colors.

[@DixieDIY]

"Crazy expensive" should be Mood's motto, lol!

[@fernlintner65]

What a great video i am so glad I found your channel cant wait for a late night binge!!

[@DixieDIY]

Woohoo! welcome aboard!

[@sarahmwalsh]

Thanks for this great video! I added a few more stores to my "historical fabric vendor" bookmarks and I will definitely be checking those out!

[@CrystalKittyCat]

Ooof, that Dallas district pic hits hard. I still haven't been back there since the tornado damage.

[@DixieDIY]

Me either, but I've heard most of the stores are back in business. The "button man" has moved to etsy, though.

[@CrystalKittyCat]

@@DixieDIY Good for him! I know he wanted to get on Etsy for some time, but taking pictures of all his product was really daunting to him. I'd love to know his shop name on Etsy!

[@rorykerr2120]

This video was so helpful!😊 P.S I highly recommend fabric wholesale direct for silks!

[@DixieDIY]

I've used their voile for a few costume projects. They've got pretty good prices!

[@bridgettebutler2089]

Thank you for all the helpful information! I’ve been trying to find a good silk to make face masks for.

[@cherylfelton4030]

This was such a great video!! I learned so much from it. Thank you for making this awesome content

[@DixieDIY]

thank you!

[@melissamybubbles6139]

Thank you. I don't know how to sew a pillowcase yet, so I'm no where near to ordering silk. Still, I'm glad to know what types exist. Sometimes off-hand references confuse me. Could you perhaps do a video explaining how insulating and comfortable different types of silks are?

[@DixieDIY]

Hmmm, I'll consider it. I've heard that silk is supposed to be good at regulating body temperature. I have several charmeuse/habotai/silk blend garments in my everyday wardrobe and they're all perfectly comfortable (I live in Texas and it's always hot). I will say from experience - silk will get darker with sweat...

[@melissamybubbles6139]

@@DixieDIY Okay. Thanks. How soft are they? I'm sensitive to texture. I'm having a bit of trouble finding information on adapting historical styles to the needs of people with sensory processing problems. I'm glad to know they work in hot weather fairly well.

[@loudevanneaux661]

Would you happen to have more info on tissue taffeta? I’ve found a seller on etsy that has a ton of different colors that I like, but I’m not sure about the weight. Do you think it be suitable for making a robe a la Française ?

[@DixieDIY]

So my only experience with tissue taffeta are some samples I bought online, so I haven't worked with actual yardage. I can say that it is very very thin and you can easily see light through it. It feels very crisp and delicate, almost like you could just tear it. You could use it for a Francaise but I'd advise lining it with something sturdy - possibly even lining the skirt (for regular taffeta I wouldn't worry about lining the skirt). If you can get swatches, do that and see if it'll work for your idea.

[@felicitygee381]

This was fabulous, I have been really confused by all the different names, and although I am unlikely to buy a lot of pure silk I really appreciated a list of full explanations/descriptions. A lot of what is offered for sale is polyester but labelled with these names, making it very confusing. Now I have some tools to help me discern how to convert pattern fabric descriptions to actual online purchases.

[@DixieDIY]

Glad it helped!

[@Celebrinthal]

Thank you, this was very informative! And the satire is hilarious XD