Sunday Stash #210 – Frou Frou
Do I have a treat for you today! I have been saving these for a special occasion, and this random Sunday in January seems like as good of a special occasion as we all need! First, you should know that I have finally finished folding and sorting all of the fabrics that have been stashed in the sorting chair. It is now empty! Hal-to-the-lujah! You should also know that those remaining fabrics were from my last trip to Singapore, which was in October. The last think you should know is that I’ll be back in Singapore next week. Please fabric gods, don’t allow me to forsake you for this long the way I have been. In future, I will treat you so good you’re never gonna want to let me go!
(Fabric One)
So now, about that treat. These fabrics, y’all. Slay. There are a bunch of pictures throughout, and feel free to scroll over and over and over again. Here’s what you need to know though. They are a silk-cotton blend that I bought at a shop in Arab Street in Singapore. I have absolutely no idea how to sew with them, but right now I’m content with them just pooling at my feet in all their gorgeousness. For each of the four fabrics, I’m showing you three pictures. The first is the fabric with natural, ambient light. The next picture strikes the same pose but with some directional lighting showcasing how the warp and weft of the threads combined with the silk takes the fabric up a notch. Then the third photo is the reverse of the fabric with that same lighting scenario.
(Fabric Two)
Do these knock your socks off or what? Do you have tips on sewing with silk-cotton blends? I’ve done a little test, and me thinks I’m gonna need a much finder needle, and much finer thread. Ironing doesn’t seem to be a problem so far, well, at least they didn’t shrivel up when I hit them with low heat. As you can see there are only two motifs, so I’d love to find other similar fabrics with more geometric stylings. Wait, I think I said I’m going back to Singapore next week? Oh you know I’ll be on the prowl for some of this business!
(Fabric Three)
Oh, and the luxurious feel of it all. Again, I’ve no idea how I’d put any of this together, as it could all fall apart in my hands. However, if I can make it work, imagine (well, try your hardest at least) the cool rustle of silk brushing across your bare skin on a cool Autumn night. Just enough warmth to escape the breeze without feeling stifled. Then you look down to see jewel-tones of shimmering fabric reflecting in the light, laid out in a traditional pattern, maybe something like a log cabin with a few solid cottons thrown in to calm the space. Oh Jesus, I’m getting all hot and bothered just thinking about it!
(Fabric Four)
I need to go lay down as all this deliciousness is making me delirious! I hope you love these fabrics as much as I do! Please, if you have any experience with this type of adventure, leave it in the comments as I’m sure other enquiring minds would love to know.
[inlinkz_linkup id=688978 mode=1]
Ohhhhh Molli. I need a moment.
That fabric! I would have purchased it also, and I only do quilts–no other sewing!!
Lol I just realized that my first sentence would have worked for your previous post as well, hahahahahaha!!
Good golly Miss Molli! What fabric! The right use for it will come in time!
The only time I have used fabric like this was for my 4th marriage 🙁 I made my “wedding suit” dark forest green velvet and the jacket was lined with a very pale green fabric that very similar, as in soft, silky, and shimmery. (at the time it was highly prized because it was “imported” from Viet Nam) I understand why I didn’t “keep” this 4th husband, I don’t understand why I didn’t keep the scraps from making this suit. If you dare use these fabulous looking and feeling fabrics in a quilt, I would “fuse” them to a very lightweight stablizer, use a very fine thread, and a very fine needle. On the other hand, can you imagine them as “jammies” or “bathrobes” ???? Ummy
Gorgeous fabrics. I would use a light backing fabric such as muslin or a fine cotton to strengthen and stabilise the silk and seams. As another posted advised: silk thread and fine needles. Maybe keep fabric whole and do whole cloth quilting or applique?
Fabulous fabric! I would use a 60 or 70 sharp or microtex needle with a stitch length of 1.5 or 2.0. Use the silk or wool setting on your iron. I have washed several different weights of silk in the wash machine, air dry. If you get puckering while stitching, shorten stitch length. If you still get puckers, try taught sewing by holding both in front and behind the needle, but don’t pull. Let feed dogs do the work. Enjoy your beautiful treasures!
It looks brocade-ish so that might be sturdy enough to not need interfacing or lining. Ditto for sharp needle and fine thread; also use a slightly larger than usual seam allowance. But you counted wrong! You really have eight fabrics there. Consider using both sides in whatever you try. The colours remind me of Amish quilts so pair them with black and get to work!
These are so gorgeous! I love the green (teal? hard to tell. Awesome either way) and red it makes me think of dragon scales. I would have no idea how to work with that either.
Jeez, are those lovely fabrics. I would buy them in a minute just to have them to look at and feel. What’s the chances of your listing the shops that you visit in Singapore…just in case I make it back there again from California, I need to know where to tell the taxi to take me.
Lovely silk jacquards. Yes, you’ll need a very fine needle and fine thread for best results with these. They’ll slip around a lot as you cut, and when you sew them you’ll need to pin closely and carefully. Also, some snagging is possible on the side (usually the back) with the long floating threads in the weave. You might test the very lightest fusible you can find and see it you like it for piecing. You might need to use a walking foot/even feed foot for piecing to prevent puckering as it advances the top layer the same as the bottom layer. These beautiful jacquards will definitely increase the elegance factor of whatever you use them in.
OMG!! Just looking at photos of this stuff makes me shiver with delight. Sewing with it will be a truly sensual experience. 🙂
Linda
I agree with the suggestions to stabilize with a light-weight fusible. However, methinks custom-made smoking jackets for you and the Mister would really be the cat’s meow!!
Oh what a colour burst! I hope you find good tips to make the sewing easy. x Teje
I see a pair of caftans in your future, hoping you bought enough yardage, and using the scraps for piecing a quilt. It would be criminal not to have direct body contact with that luscious, spectacular fabric!
Oh, Molli, how beautiful!! I think you definitely need to use Aurifil’s new 80wt thread to stitch up something gorgeous! 🙂
those would make some beautiful blouses – I am liking the wrong side of the fabrics more than the right sides. Some years back I bought some rainbow bright (with white floral) Hawaiian print fabrics and recently made a quilt top to showcase them – with the leftovers I made a ton of HSt’s with a white fabric. The right sides of the fabrics florals were mainly in white – a really bright white while the reverse of the fabric was muted – I used the backsides of all the fabrics and it is working out great. Not sure what I am going to do with them, but will figure it out one of these days.
I’m so glad to see these here after the little sneak peak on IG, Molli… way to capture all the colors as the light changes!
WOW stunning fabrics. I’m picturing Kimonos. Are you making a quilt or clothing? Pillows. Covered pouf. Scrumptious covered head board…tufted, put another print on the foot board. Panels on the wall. Oh my…to many thoughts. Looking forward to seeing what you do. 🙂
Ooh. These are so very pretty. Would make gorgeous pillows – or imagine a suit coat lined with one of these. Puuuuurdy.
I agree with Cindy! Smoking jackets it has to be!! So Clark Gable ♡♡♡
These need to stay as whole as possible, cutting them up will only detract from their opulence and beauty. Kimono’s, reversible bathrobes, lining a suit jacket, boxers – that”d be as small as I would cut them.
But, you being you, will dissect and reassemble and morph them into some sort of magical wonder no doubt!
Oooo, nice! I’m reminded of some silk wrap-around “trousers” I bought while in Vietnam (and have alas not worn since, given the general miserableness of the UK weather and the fact that I’ve podged rather since I got back!) I dunno if it will help you with any ideas, but I recently teamed silk ties with Essex yarn-dyed linen to good effect (http://theitinerantchemist.com/2017/01/09/hexagons-with-a-twist/) – the texture contrast is really quite scrummy. Or I could see your babies teamed up with shot cottons. I lightly interfaced my silks because, being former ties, they were all different weights and weaves (some shredded if I looked sideways at them), but I’m not sure you’d need to do that with yours unless, possibly, you were doing applique with it. Can’t wait to see what fabulousness you come up with! 😉
Oh, and also seconding someone else’s comment about using both sides – not doing so might actually be a crime against fabric!
I think you have to wear that gorgeous fabric Molli, love the kimono, but shirts would be awesome too or even trousers. How glam you would look, at the next quilt fair
These would go straight into my costume pile, a beautiful bra & belt set with just a bit of beading following the patterns to highlight them 😉