Silk Bedding Direct

The finest mulberry silk is used to produce the luxury silk-filled duvets, silk mattress toppers and silk pillows sold by Silk Bedding Direct on this website. Find out more by clicking one of the buttons below........

TYPES OF SILK FABRIC

There are two main types of silk which are made into fabric. By far the majority of silk is made from worms cultivated in captivity and fed entirely on mulberry leaves. This method produces a very fine white filament with a beautiful sheen. It can also be unwound in one continuous thread, sometimes as long as a kilometre, which can be woven into many luxurious fabrics.

The second type is usually called Tussah silk. The cocoons which produce this silk are gathered from the wild, where the worms are free to roam and have usually fed on oak and juniper leaves. Tussah silk is coarser in texture than mulberry silk and can only be harvested in short lengths. It is also darker in colour.

CHIFFON

Chiffon is the lightest of the silk fabrics. It is diaphanous, floaty and see-through, often used for light curtains and scarves. If it is used for clothes it needs to be lined.

HABUTAI

This silk is sometimes called China silk or pongee. It is one of the cheaper types of silk fabric. It is not usually used for clothing as it does not have the strength to stand the stress which will be placed on the seams. It is more usually used for scarves, which may be decorated with silk paints.

TUSSAH SILK

Tussah silk is also called shantung and, as mentioned above, is made from the silk produced by wild silkworms. It is usually produced in its natural colour, which is a light tan, and it is difficult to dye. The fabric is not smooth, but contains irregular slubs. It is good for clothes, however, because it does not crease.

CREPE DE CHINE

Crepe de chine is another beautiful lightweight fabric which is made from twisted fibres, some fibres are twisted in one direction and others in the opposite direction. When these fibres are woven it gives the fabric its distinctive knobbly feel and it is more matte than other silk fabrics. Crepe de chine is also more delicate and must be handled with care when making into garments.

CHARMEUSE

This is the finest quality silk used for clothing. The back of the fabric is dull, whilst the front is a shiny satin. It is heavier than other silks, but it drapes beautifully and is often used for blouses and lingerie.

RAW SILK

Raw silk has not been through the process of having the sericin removed from its fibres. Sericin holds the fibres together inside the cocoon so when they are not removed it makes the fabric stiff and it has no sheen.

DOUPPIONI

Douppioni is another heavier weight type of silk. It is a plain fabric with slubs woven in. It feels like taffeta and is often dyed in bright colours and used for making beautiful evening dresses.

NOIL

Noil is made from the short fibres which are left over after the carding and combing processes have been completed, so it has no sheen. It looks similar to cotton but still has the drapability of silk.

Silk is a very versatile material. These are just a few of the many ways it can be woven into fabric.

Find out about silk quilt bedding made with the finest mulberry silk by clicking below.....