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These are a few good rules for sewing with all types of silk, the first being to always practice on a scrap before going right into your project.

Washing:

If you want your finished article to be washable, or if you’re going to dye it after sewing, you must pre-wash your fabric before you cut out your pattern pieces. Many fabrics shrink, and you want this to happen before you cut. Wash it the same way you plan to launder the finished garment. If you’re planning to dry clean your garment, this step isn’t necessary but still a good idea, as it is always better to work with a fabric that has already shrunk as much as it ever will.

Cutting:

Make sure your cutting surface is nice and smooth. You don't want any snags! Also, it’s best to cut only a single layer, as it's some slippery stuff. Use very sharp scissors or a new blade in your rotary cutter, burrs or knicks on your cutting tool can snag your silk. If you need to cut multiple layers use tissue paper between them while cutting and sewing to keep the fabric in place. Here’s a great video on this technique:



When you are done sewing the pattern pieces together, just rip the paper away from the seam. Fabric weights / paperweights are also helpful to keep the fabric in place while cutting.

Pinning:

Pins can leave little holes in your silk, so if you need to pin, make sure you do so with sharp fine silk pins only in the seam allowance.

Sewing:

Remember to check your thread tension on your sample piece first! Sew a line about 1/2 inch in from the selvedge edge, and stitch slowly, as you don't want the silk bunching up in the bobbin housing. A longer stitch length is helpful in avoiding damage to the fabric, and it's easier to remove stitches if you make a mistake!

Needles:

What's important to remember when working with silk is using the correct needle type and size. You want a sharp point. Needles known as “sharps” or “microtex sharps” are good to use. Depending on the momme weight of the silk, a 75/11, 70/10, 65/9 size needle works well.

Thread:

Silk thread or a good general purpose thread of cotton or polyester are good choices. However, many threads do not dye equally with the fabric, so if you plan on dyeing your garment after you've sewn it, be sure to use a silk thread like our Silk Sewing Thread #SSTH. Also be sure to use a thinner thread for lighter fabrics.

Finish Seams:

Silk does like to unravel, so you will want to use a nice overlock stitch with a serger or a french seam, which encloses the raw edges and looks good on both the inside and outside of a garment.

Finished Hems:

• Hand Rolled hems- Silk thread is a good choice for this application. Check out this great video on how to sew a rolled hem:
  
  

• Machine Hems- Most sewing machines have a rolled hem foot that will turn the edge over for you for a nice flat hem. This is a great option if you have a lot of things to hem or want a crisper look to the hem.

These are just some tips to help you get started on your journey sewing with silk, watch for more in-depth tutorials as we continue to explore the wonderful world of silk!