The cool luxurious feel of certain fabrics against your skin is something that cannot be replicated. It is very soft and smooth and simply caresses your skin.

Silk has long been a staple and exotic fabric and a symbol of pure luxury.

For thousands of years only the elite were able to afford this rare commodity. It may have been harvested by simple farmers but it wasn’t worn by them and it had a tremendous impact on the trading world.

As precious as gold and spices were, the demand for silk was even more. This creation of nature is still sought after today. Yes, the availability has increased and more people are able to wear it but pure silk is something that is still a valuable commodity.

This article will let you know about silk’s unique history and how it helped shape the world of fashion today. You may just find out something that you did not know.

When was silk first discovered?

Silks were discovered between 6000 and 3000 BC by the Chinese. The empress Xi Ling-Shi was the first to develop the silks into fabrics. But the rarity of silks meant that only the royalty had access to this precious fabric. Gradually through gifts and trade the silks made their way to various other parts of Asia.

From Asia it was a simple matter of traders taking the silk fabric with them throughout the rest of the known world. For many centuries the Emperors of China hoarded the secret of cultivating the silkmoths in captivity. There is countless recordings or digs in which silks were discovered from around the world.

What types of clothing can be made from silk?

Any type of clothing can be made from silks. The key is not using just one strand though. Spinners have to combine several strands of silk in order to make a tough enough fiber to withstand the weaving process. Fabrics that are made from very thin silks can easily tear or rip apart.

But to answer the question, you can find silken fabrics to make anything from. If you want a pair of socks…there are certainly manufacturers out there that can provide you with them.

It is more common to find silks being woven into typical clothing items such as dresses, pants or shirts. The smooth quality of the fabric combined with its luster gives it a great appeal to virtually everyone.

Who was the first person to mass produce silk?

There really is not one single person who is written down in history as the first to mass produce silks. History does credit the Chinese for holding the majority of the market even up to this day.

True mass production of silks did not come until the Industrial Revolution. Thanks to new weaving methods and machinery, more silken fabric could be produced. The Jacquard loom helped make silk embroidery easier and less expensive.

How does silk come in so many colors?

Silks are just like any other fibre that is woven. It can be dyed to any color that the manufacturer wants. There is a process though. First the fabric must be bleached to remove the natural yellow tint that comes from the raw silks. After it has been bleached out, dyes can be added in to reach the desired shade for the finished product.

Quality silks will be dyed in a way so that you do not have to worry about bleeding or color run-off. In the past when the dying process was done by hand, the colors were fairly limited with what could be dyed naturally. With today’s chemicals and varying shades of hues, a silken fabric can be transformed into a multitude of colors.

By: Michael Selvon

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Mike Selvon portal offers free articles on silk. Find out more about silk, and leave a comment at the discount silk blog.

Technorati Tags: chinese, clothing, colors, dresses, fabric, fabrics, fiber, fibre, history, natural, of, pants, pure, quality, shirts, silk, silken, silks, soft, woven

Silk is a luxurious fibre or fabric that is very much in demand for all kinds of reasons

Silk is a lifestyle fabric. It is a symbol of elegance and refinement.

Who would have imagined that a minuscule creature like a caterpillar and its cocoon would turn out to be the source of one of the most versatile and widely used fabrics in the world?

From time immemorial silk has adorned the royal courts of Chinese emperors, Mughal emperors and queens of many dynasties and kingdoms.

Silk is one of the most popular choices for drapery fabric. The reason being, silk is the strongest known natural fiber. It blends compatibly with fabrics such as rayon, cotton and linen.

Silk drapery is available in various kinds of patterns, colors, textures and designs.

Taffeta silk drapes give a look of elegance and extravagance.

Embroidered silk is a great option for drapery on a formal occasion such as a wedding or other social functions. Babylon and Chinese silk again are excellent choices for occasional use or ceremonies. If you are looking for something more toned down and simpler then Dupioni silk drapes are worth considering. Silk drapes are available in different hues so you could mix and match for that funky look as well. The fabric is not restricted in its use so you could use your own imagination and set your own trends.

Silk drapery is durable and robust. It appears to be delicate but silk does well in resisting tears, odors and dirt. It is a good insulator as it keeps the house warm in winters and cool in summer. It is a non-allergenic fabric and does well in resisting mildew and mold. Silk draperies add finesse and class to your home. A well coordinated interior along with matching tapestry and furnishing will give your home a unique and regal look.

Silk drapes need to be taken good care of in order for them to last long. It is advisable that you dust your tapestry regularly. This will keep them looking bright and fresh. Long term maintenance calls for dry cleaning rather than hand washing. Machine washing is a strict no-no. Machine washing may totally ruin the fabric as it may get severely crumpled and lose its luster and crispness. Hand washing of large drapery is not practicable as it is a very laborious job. You should do your homework intensively before buying drapery for your home. What you need to consider is your budget, the particular rooms the drapery is needed for, the season or time of the year and of course your budget.

Author: Gardner Wilkinson

Silk Drapery Fabric – Browse through our curtains site and see the wide array of Silk, Linen, Taffeta Silk and Velvet, Cotton Satin, Exclusive Italian Cotton Silk and Sheer curtains drapes in breathtaking colors and embroidery.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gardner_Wilkinson

Choosing a new bedroom look

Silk drapery is durable and robust. It appears to be delicate but silk does well in resisting tears, odors and dirt. It is a good insulator as it keeps the house warm in winters and cool in summer. It is a non-allergenic fabric and does … Silk drapes need to be taken good care of in order for them to last long. It is advisable that you dust your tapestry regularly. This will keep them looking bright and fresh. Long term maintenance calls for dry cleaning 

Drycleaning

If cleaning solvent odor clings to the clothes, hang them in the open air in a well-ventilated room until all odor is evaporated. Draperies Draperies have a number of invisible enemies. The sun can fade and streak them. … Synthetics are more resistant than cellulose fibers, while silk is least resistant. Line all draperies for protection against fading and fiber rotting. If you are using cotton and rayon fabrics, allow for changes in length caused by atmospheric changes

How To Clean Curtain – Tips For Cleaning Curtains

Tips For Cleaning Curtains. Check the fabric of the curtains, whether it is heavy or light. If your curtain is made up of light fabric, such as cotton or silk, a gentle shake now and then will be enough to keep them clean.

Technorati Tags: chinese, cleaning, clothing, curtains, draperies, drapery, dupioni, embroidered, fabric, fiber, fibre, made from, natural, products, silk, taffeta

If you like to sew, then you know just how fussy silk fabric can be.

The edges have this tendency to fray and pull, and the fabric will literally crumble at your fingertips if you are not careful.

However, the upside to fabric that is made from silk is the luxurious feel that you get when you touch it. Like you imagine wrapping yourself in it over and over until you are all covered. Silk feels good on your skin, it feels great between your fingers, and it is a fabric that many people love to use and wear. There are many different kinds of silks, how do you know which one to choose for what?

When you are investigating silk fabric to find the best one to use for the purpose you need it, you are more than likely going to run into dupioni. You will find that dupioni silk is the best of all silks, it feels the best between your fingers, and on your skin when you are wearing it. This silk is the most expensive that there is, and you will find that there is none more luxurious anywhere.

Chiffon silk fabric is another one that you are likely to come across. While this type of silk fabric is elegant is gorgeous, you will find that it is also affordable. More so than the dupioni. This is good news if you are looking into getting into a huge project with silk, and the kind that you are to use for the project is up to you. You will find when using chiffon for your projects what ever it is, that it is the easiest to work with, and you will have no problems getting this fabric to cooperate.

If you are looking for silk fabric to go into a crazy quilt, you will find that any kind will do. In this kind of quilt any kind of fabric goes, silk or not. It is always great to add a touch of silk to this type of quilt. However, it is mandatory to do so. You will find that the silk in a crazy quilt will pull out the softer side, and you will love the end results as will the person that you are making the quilt for.

Silk fabric has many different uses. You can use it for whatever you want to. You can be creative and put it in a quilt, make drapes, make clothing, or just drape the fabric over a curtain rod without ever sewing a stitch into it. There are so many things that you can do with this fabric that you will have no problems using it all up. Use your imagination and have fun with it. You will love the end result.

by Charlena Stadelman – ArticleCity.com

Care of Silk Fabric

Silk is a delicate yet very strong fabric and needs special care when cleaning.  

My Textile Notes: Care of Silk Fabric

Always wash silk in soft water. Add a pinch of Borax or ammonia, if the water is hard. 1. Put the silk in a tub full of lukewarm water and mild soap like Ezee. 2. Rub the silk fabric for a few minutes in the solution and drain. 

Provide silk fabrics: Test the silk fabric if its real

To test fabric if its silk, burn test can tell you if the fabric is silk or not, we do use this test when we buying materials from wholesale market / supplier shop. And may use this test to check the wool/cashmere as well.

Technorati Tags: chiffon, dupioni, fabric, pure, silk, silk fabric and sewing, silk fabrics, silk quilting fabric

Silk is a wonderful and fascinating material and it has many different uses

Over the last thirty years, the production of silk has nearly doubled with China taking the lead. This is because the world continues to consume countless silk products. Silk is in such high demand for its elasticity, strong fibers and the beautiful sheen that it makes when woven together.

Silk continues to be used as a material to produce fine dresses. Chinese women continue to have their wedding cheongsam dresses made out of silk. They choose this material because it is one of the finest materials known in ancient Chinese culture.

Delicately woven dragons, flowers and butterflies are sewn into the silk dresses.

The material is thick so it allows a women to look leaner and have cleaner lines. Additionally, the shininess of the material is very flattering and alluring. Women’s evening gowns are also made of silk. It also falls well and is a material that is slightly warmer allowing the women’s body to feel a bit of warmth, in winter silks, even as she wears a sleeveless gown in the winter.

Silk shirts remain popular amongst women. Especially for women’s blouses, silk is a great material. It is seen as more classic and flattering since it drapes a woman’s body. Additionally, the thinness of the material allows women to easily tuck the shirt into their skirts or wear a jacket on top without having the jacket look bulky. For men, silk shirts are becoming more and more popular. Men have started wearing silk short sleeve shirts as well as long sleeve shirts. Men used to only wear silk shirts for the evening, but the lightness of the material has made it a popular alternative to cotton.

Silk is also used very frequently for pajamas. Silk pajamas feel soft and smooth and very comfortable while sleeping. Both men’s and women’s pajamas are now made of this fine thread. For women, silk is often used to make lingerie as well. Using this fine thread has become a great option since it is smooth, tends not to catch on your hair, and is very breathable for the body.

Silk scarves have also been around for a long time. The number of gorgeous patterns and designs on the scarves has made these items very expensive. Women tend to tie the scarf around their necks for warmth and for style. Men tend to carry one in their pocket as an alternative to the cotton handkerchief. Be prepared to pay more for a silk scarf with a fancy design.

More and more, manufacturers of bedding have started to make silk sheets and silk pillowcases. The health benefits of silk are starting to be more widely known. Sleeping on them helps prevent coughing and sneezing, especially for those allergic to dust mites which do not like silk. Additionally, sleeping on silk sheets is sometimes beneficial to women’s hair, helping it to have less tangles and less split ends. Beyond the solid color sheets, many makers of luxurious bedding are now offering their own version of sheets with lots of different patterns and designs in stores.

Silk has come a long way since the Silk Road. It is still a highly sought after material. Having pieces of fine clothing or a scarf or even a silk sheet silk sheet is often seen as the ultimate extravagance.

Author Jenny Wells is a personal shopper and decorator for women in Los Angeles and Miami. She has found that having silk sheets in your bedroom can really enhance and beautify the room.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jenny_Wells

Historical Tapestry: Silk by Alessandro Baricco

I am not sure if I have ever read a book about the silk industry before, so it was a refreshing change. Even the geography is something that I have only touched on over the years.

Silk Paper in the Woods

Thanks to the silk papermakers, this week at the Folk School, campers were treated to colorful bits of paper, drying in the breeze, as they travelled down the path to the dining hall each day. Bold oranges, natural yellows

How silk yarn is made

How silk yarn is made General Discussion.  That’s how Silk yarn is made. Source: Fars News Agency Photographer: Faramaz Bordbar. rashidr is offline, Share on Facebook. rashidr. 

Technorati Tags: blouses, dresses, fabric, fiber, fibre, lingerie, material, pajamas, products, scarves, sheer, shirts, short, silk, silks, underwear, winter, women

Silk scarves are very versatile and can add flair to a regular outfit in seconds.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a portable clothes wardrobe… in your pocket?

With womens silk scarves you can! Gorgeous, compact, convenient and inexpensive, you’ll be in fashion heaven.

Silk scarfs…sometimes the difference between a so-so item and a great looking item can be as simple as a shawl or scarf in the pocket. What’s that you say? It is one of the easiest ways for ladies to compliment their stylish blazers or a smart looking pant suits are with silk ….compact, portable and gorgeous in their portable clothes wardrobe…their pocket.

More than glamorous enough to wear to a fine restaurant and yet casual enough to wear around the board room, this fashion accessory adds versatility and style to any wardrobe. So, how do you use them? Although they could be thrown over the shoulder or tied loosely around the neck, generally the preferred way is to wear them is double-knotted and slightly off center (with the knot to either side).

The convenient thing is that this knotty silk scarf can easily be removed and folded into a purse or even a pocket in case circumstances call for an instant wardrobe change to the ensemble during the day.

They are particularly attractive for the shimmering look. That’s the look they have due to the nature of the silk fiber used to make them. These mostly natural fibers are triangularly shaped and therefore appear to reflect light differently as a person moves. The angles at which light reflects off them cause an effect which is not seen among more common threads and courser materials.

Although there are many imitations, the most famous types comes from silkworm larvae cocoons and are in quality brands such as Hermes and Burberry. But, be sitting down when you see the price! They are very expensive. But, that aside, it’s quite interesting that something which sounds so earthy and slimy can be so gorgeous to wear.

The fabric made from such silk fibre is also surprisingly utilitarian. They are often worn in places where dust and contaminants may be whirled up from time to time and need to be kept out of the mouth and hair. One of the more intriguing uses for these came in the early years of flying when the aviators were constantly being exposed to harmful fumes from the airplanes. Pure ones were worn over the face to filter out some of the pollutants. Even more amazing is the fact that this fabric from a worm was used in some of the first bulletproof vests and as under armor in ancient times.

Although it doesn’t have enough strength to stop a weapon on its own, this fabric could have made the difference between life and death by keeping an arrow or a long range shot from penetrating the skin too deeply. Not a bad return for such a thin fabric!

By and large most people today will not be needing protection from flying arrows. But, the classy sense of elegance gained by such wear are the main reason they continue to be popular in all sorts of wardrobes.

Because they add such a great touch to business wear or dinner wear, they can make all the difference between an average first impression and a double take. Throw in the convenience and portability and you’ll see why womens silk scarves are here to stay in fashion popularity. Purchase several today and change your clothing look…fast!

Scarves and shawls and other womens fashion accessories can be found at their highly rated online store at: http://www.FashionScarvesAndShawls.com

By Ron Rougeaux
Published: 10/8/2007

Technorati Tags: buy, fabric, fashion accessory, fiber, fibre, knotty, silk, silk neck scarves, silk print scarves, silk scarf, silk scarfs, women's silk scarves

If you soak an ink-stained silk fabric in hot water, it sets the ink more firmly. This article gives a brief insight into how to remove ink stains from silk

Whether you are a school-going kid, college-going youngster or the office-going executive – one thing that is experienced at some point in time by everyone is getting those highly noticeable blotches of ink stains on your clothing. Tablecloths and carpets at home too are susceptible to ink spilling from someone overfilling his fountain pen, or a leaking ball pen/gel pen. Remember, stain removal is sometimes a Herculean task.

How to Remove Ink Stain from Silk

What would you do if ink falls on one of your expensive silk dresses or a shirts. Instead of crying over the spilt ink, you have to remove the ink stains from the silk at the earliest.

As soon as the ink falls on your silk dress, use a blotting paper to blot out the ink. Do it gently to prevent the ink from spreading.

Soak the silk in cold water for a couple of minutes.

On a clean surface spread super-absorbent tissues. On top of it place the ink-stained silk fabric. Place a few more tissues over the ink-stained area. Place a heavy object over it and leave it for a couple of minutes. The absorbent tissues would absorb maximum amount of ink from the stained area.

If you still feel more ink stain needs to be blotted out, do not hesitate to repeat the above process. However, remember to use a new set of absorbent tissues.

Spray the ink-stained area of the silk fabric with a good hair spray. This would loosen the remaining ink. Place absorbent tissue papers above and below the stained area, and keep a heavy object over it. Leave it for a couple of minutes. The stains should have gone by now. Wash the silk in lukewarm water with a gentle soap.

If in spite of using hair spray, ink stain is still there, allow the silk fabric to dry completely. Prepare a solution of water and white vinegar using equal quantity of both. Soak the ink-stained area for some time. Gently brush the stained area using an old toothbrush. Keep brushing gently till the entire ink stain vanishes. Then wash in cold water. More information on Ink Stain Removal and removing stain on carpets.

By Maya Pillai

From jeans to T-shirts, silk gets a new spin

“We have developed a special type of soft pure natural silk fabric, which is being used in making T-Shirts by some private garment companies in Ludhiana and Tirupur” 

Care of Silk Fabric

Care of Silk Fabric. Silk should be dry-cleaned, in most of the cases. Whenever in doubt, dryclean it. It should not be machine washed at all. Silk Shrinks when washed in water. It doesn’t itself shrink. 

Silk Apparel Garment, Basics Wash Care

Wash care basics of a garment entail the economic ways of using it for a prolonged time. The life span of an apparel product made out of silk is governed by many parameters. Character of fibre, fabric construction, weight

How To Wash Silk – Tips For Washing Silk Clothes

What diamond is to jewelers, silk is to the weavers! It is one of the most lustrous and luxurious fabrics in the whole world, which has been used by people for centuries. So, taking proper care of the silk fabrics is very essential 

Technorati Tags: care of, cleaning silk, fabric, fiber, fibre, how do you remove ink stains from silk, how to wash silk, silk, silk wash

The Chinese kept the secret of silk for thousands of years!

Truly it is an exclusive fabric and back to the past it was only for the high society and kings. The secret was protected by enforcing dire penalties. Anyone found guilty of smuggling silkworm eggs, cocoons or even seeds of the mulberry tree was put to death.

A secret doesn’t remain secret forever. The production of Thai silk begins with a small worm know as Bombyx mori: the silk worms coming from the eggs from the silk moth. The worms eat the leaves of mulberry trees until they become 1 year old, after they will build a cocoon from their spittle.

To extract the silk thread, we have to put the cocoon in hot boiled water. The length of silk thread in a cocoon varies considerably, from 500 to 1,500 yards. The length much depending on the species of worm that produced it.

Until today in Thailand, most silk thread is hand-reeled by women, the filaments form several cocoons being reeled together on a wooden spindle into a uniform strand of raw silk.

It is truly a time-consuming process.It may take up to 40 hours to reel one and a half kilograms of silk. Several sericulture families have simplified the job by using a reeling machine. Most traditional manufacturers, however, still use the old or “original” method, which produces three grades of silk: two fine ones suitable for lightweight fabric and a thicker one used for heavier material.

The skeins of silk thread are then soaked in hot water to remove the remainder of the seracin. Since Thai silk yarn is yellow, it must be bleached before dyeing; this is done by immersing the skeins in large tubs containing hydrogen peroxide, after which they are washed and dried in the sun.

Thai Silk is then woven on a handloom, the threads (warps and wefts) that pass across and are inserted during the weaving process. Thai Silk is hand-woven fabric, which means that although if conforms to set standards of width, color, and quality it still retains a degree of individuality impossible to achieve by more advanced technology.

Cleaning & taking care of Thai silk

Thai Silk has an excellent durable and resilient quality. It is a delicate fabric that cannot be treated like linen or cotton. To keep the fabric in its original look and feel it is recommended to do dry-cleaning. Wash Thai silk best by hand by using a very mild soap. Rinse the silk fabric in tepid water (not over 48.6 degrees Celsius) until it is cleaned. Then carefully press the water from the fabric by hand. Do not wring. In the last rinse, add a spoonful of clear white vinegar to retain its original luster and allow it to drip dry in the shade.

Important:

Please do not use any drying or washing machine to clean your Thai silk item. We advise to iron the fabric on the reverse side just before it is dry; or you could also put a fabric over the silk during the iron process to make sure the iron does not have direct contact to the silk fabric.

Identification of real Thai silk

Simply follow the four main methods for determining true silk:

-A) The Price. Real Thai silk cost up to 10 times more than artificial silk

-B) Look & Feel. One fact is that traditional Thai silk is hand-woven which means that no fabric is the same, and each one is unique. Artificial silk is machine woven, so it has always the same color and every part of the fabric looks exactly the same.

-C) Luster Check. Luster also shows whether a fabric is real or imitation. Pure Thai silk is made with one color for the warp and the other for the weft. This produces the sheen and luster and additionally creates the unique two tones and blends. The change of the color is then depending on the angle you hold it against the light.

-D) The Burning Test. If you burn silk with a flame, it leaves fine ash and smells like burning hair. We remember silk is made of natural fiber coming from the silk worm and similar to the fiber of hair or fingernails. Once taking the flame away it stops burning. Burning artificial silk is similar to burning plastic.

Author: Dennis Wisser

About us:http://www.designerbags.de

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Wisser

TIBI Tops- Yellow Silk Blouse

They also give a sweeter and a softer look to a blouse, so even though this shirt seems rather plain the small details of the shirt really act to make this a classier and nicer looking blouse than just a plain tee shirt sleeve or even a … 

Yellow Silk Blouses  The Fashion Blog

Between five and eight of these super-fine filaments are twisted together to make one thread. Finally the silk threads are woven into cloth or used for embroidery work. Clothes made from silk are not only beautiful and lightweight, …

Silk Camisole : UK Underwear Blog

When silk is brought into this equation it adds another layer to the beauty of the camisole. Whether it be as underwear or outerwear, silk is made to be enjoyed. If you’re going for a night out and want to be the center of attention, … 

Technorati Tags: clothes, dresses, fibre, fine silk thread, how to care for silk fabric, long silk dress, pure silk, silk, thai, washing

Silk flowers are beautifully colored, authentic-looking floral imitations that come in a wide array of flower varieties.

There are a host of silk flowers available that imitate and in many cases look better than the real thing. And the most fascinating characteristic of these silk flowers is that they are durable and long lasting.

Find Quality Silk Flowers Click here

Today, many floral designers and craftspeople are using silk flowers to create durable, long-lasting, and beautiful floral decorations and arrangements.

Silk is a natural protein fibre that is obtained from the cocoon of the silkworm larva. The shinning appearance for which it is prized comes from the fibre’s triangular prism-like structure, which allows silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles. Silk is delicate as well as very durable and, more importantly, extremely long lasting. In comparison to fresh and dried flowers, silk flowers can be used over and over again and still maintain their beauty, vitality, and hue. Though direct sunlight can sometimes make silk flowers fade, most can tolerate extreme heat and cold.

Silk flowers can be used anywhere, anytime, and for any occasion. If you would like to keep your house perennially decorated with flowers and not make regular payments to the florist, silk flowers are your answer. Silk flowers can be used for floral arrangements for weddings, dinner tables, and the like.

There are plenty of online vendors who deal in silk flower arrangements, and they have arrangements for every occasion. You can also customize your order, right to the last petal. Also, if you are a floral enthusiast, start decorating with silk flowers – they are easy to work with and require very little care, unlike their fresh counterparts. Also, they look brilliant and fascinatingly real.

Find Quality Silk Flowers Click here

Article author: Peter Emerson

Silk Flowers provides detailed information on Silk Flowers, Silk Flower Arrangements, Silk Wedding Flowers, Wholesale Silk Flowers and more. Silk Flowers is affiliated with Flower Bulbs for Sale.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Emerson

Here are some more related posts about silk flowers

Wedding Flower Guides  Information, Comments, Reviews

Silk Wedding Flowers for Now and Forever Fresh or silk wedding flowers should I have? Everyone certainly wishes the flowers arrangements for they wedding could last a lifetime. Fresh flowers arrangements is the typical option for

Wedding flowers for blended families

By choosing to order silk wedding flowers, you eliminate the last-minute panic as you wait for the florist to arrive with your flowers. There won’t be any mix-ups that can’t be corrected, no broken off blossoms and no pre-wedding …  

Silk Wedding Flowers

One main that is a definite advantage is that silk wedding flowers can be preserved for years together whereas the fresh flowers need to be dried and the preserved you just cannot them otherwise for years. Silk wedding petals are also … 

Technorati Tags: artificial silk flowers, budget, cheap, discount, plants, quality, silk, suppliers, wedding flowers

When you think of silk, besides thinking about the luxurious feel, its softness and cool touch to the skin, you might also think about the silkworm that is generally associated with its production. However that beautiful silk scarf you like to wear may one day soon actually be made from spider silk instead. This method of producing silk fiber is being seriously researched these days.

The charm of the silk fabric has allured mankind for thousands for years. The dazzle, broad range of colors and the excellent texture has made this fabric the most loved of all. Silk fabric is manufactured both naturally and artificially.

There are four types of natural silk available, namely tasar, mulberry, muga and eri. However, the higher demand for natural silk led pressure to find out other options to make silk. The four natural silk sources seem incapable of catering for the increasing demands. Now here a significant question arises – Is there any other source available to get natural silk? The answer is “YES”, it’s a “Spider Silk”. It is true that such an irritating and ignored insect can produce good silk fibre.

Spider silk is a fibre, which is extracted from spiders. It is strong fibre, even its tensile strength is compared to steel. The tensile strength for one type of steel is at 1.65 Gpa, whereas spider silk is nearly at 1.3 Gpa. But, the density of spider silk is much  less than steel and its tensile strength to density is about five times more than steel, such as DuPont’s Kelvar, aromatic filaments

Spider silk’s Structure

Within a distinctive fibre, there are crystalline sectors with amorphous linkages. These crystal sectors are beta-sheets, which are put together. Spider silk is very flexible, and can be stretched up to 40 percent of its original length with no breakage problems. This results in a high ductility. Liquid crystalline spinning of spider silk is similar to aromatic nylon.

Spider silk is made of complex molecules of protein. Spider can’t be farmed such as silkworms, as they are cannibals. Due to this nature they even eat each other. The silk extracted is very fine, thus to make one square yard cloth 400 spiders are required. The fibre gets hardened when it is exposed to open air that creates a problem to work with. Because of the repetitive symptoms of the DNA encoding it is difficult to recognize its sequence. Only from 14 species the protein has been decoded.

Although various protein sequences are found in different spiders, a common one in spider silk structure is a sequence of amino acids, which self-assemble into a beta sheet group. The Ala rich blocks are distinguished by segments of amino acids with heavier side groups. The beta sheets gathers to make crystals, on the other side, other segments makes amorphous domains. The interaction between the crystalline segments and elastic amorphous regions results in exclusive spider silk properties.

Spider Silk Origin

The silk gland releases the fibre. Different spider species have different glands for their own reason like web-creation, housing, capturing the prey and defense. The visible part of the gland is called as the spinneret. The initial part of the gland is full of thiol and tyrosine, the key ingredients in silk fibre. After the making of fibres, the ampulla plays the role of a storage box.

Here, the spinning duct sweeps-off water from the fiber and small channels also help in this process. Liquid separation is conducted at the verge of the distal limb of the duct, and further passes to the valve. The valve is anticipated to help in fixing broken fibers again, playing more in the way of a helical pump.

Artificial spider silk

It is not usually possible to utilize spiders to produce spider silk in enormous quantity to cater to industrial demands, because it is hard to manage huge number of spiders. Steps have been taken in extracting the spider silk gene and using other options to manufacture the needed quantity of spider silk. In the year 2000, a Canadian biotechnology company, Nexia was successful in making spider silk protein in goats.

These goats hold the spider silk protein gene, and the milk produced contains considerable amounts of the protein. However, the trials were unsuccessful at spinning the protein into a fibre equivalent to the natural spider silk.

The spider’s spinneret is able in turn the silk proteins into strong domains. Particularly, the spinneret makes an incline of protein concentration, pH and pressure that leads the protein blend through liquid crystalline transitions, resulting creation the required silk structure. Imitating this process in laboratory has been witnessed very tough. Nexia tried to imitate this process by pressing the solution of protein via fine holes; however, this was an insufficient trial to manage the fibres appropriately.

Spider Silk Applications

Recent research on spider silk includes its potential utilization as an extremely strong and versatile thing. The interest in producing the spider silk is mostly due to a blend, both its mechanical properties and the non-polluting option. The manufacturing of latest man-made fibres like Dupont’s Kevlar, are made from petrochemical processing that results massive pollution. On the other hand, the manufacturing of spider silk is entirely environment-friendly, as it is produced by spiders at normal temperature, pressure and water, without any pollution. Additionally, spider silk is fully biodegradable. If the production of spider silk increases, it may replace Kevlar and can be used for a range of products like bullet-proof clothing, wear-resistant lightweight clothing, topes, nets, seat belts, parachutes, rust-free panels on motor vehicles or boats, bio-degradable bottles and medical items.

Conclusion

The spider silk has raised an open challenge to scientist, engineer, spinner and weavers to manage its development and to get acquainted with inherent skills of spider in making the silk thread.

Spider Facts

The spider is equipped with eight eyes, two of which are extremely large and face forward giving the spider highly clear and magnified vision. The spider’s back legs are extremely strong and when the spider hunts, it does so covertly and then leaps on its … Spider silk is five time stronger than steel and twice as strong as bullet proof kevlar. This is in pound for pound studies. Spider silk is also capable of stretching about 30 per…   

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The problem with harvesting spider silk is that it’s difficult to near impossible to mass-produce due to the limited amount that spiders can make. This of course is why the work of Dr. Nakagaki is so groundbreaking. 

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Researchers around the world are working hard to untangle one of nature’s greatest mysteries: exactly how do spiders make silk and can it be produced on a commercial scale by man. … But it does nobody any good if it can’t be produced in the volumes necessary, and therein rests the biggest problem. There is currently no proven large scale way to produce spider silk. It turns out that you can’t just corral a bunch of spiders to spin their magic. 

Reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/    http://www.amonline.net/    htpp://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/

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It has many fairytale stories on the silk with its early development possibly by 6000 BC. More fabulous features of silk are unveiled by the research which tells people why. Some of them are so interesting that you have possibly never heard that.

Silk Production Life cycle

Silk can be produced by wild caterpillars or mulberry silkworm. Compared to the wild silks, the scale of cultivated silks is far bigger and the quality of silks is more controllable. The most popular type of silk is produced from cocoons made by the larvae of the mulberry silkworm. The whole life cycle of silkworm has four stages: egg, larva, cocoon (pupa), and moth. The commercial silk production happens at the third stage: cocoon or pupa before the pupae make damage by the emerging moth.

It takes around 30 days to become mature silkworm from larva with enough food – mulberry leaves. It spins and makes cocoons, then turns into pupa. The pupa becomes a moth in about 10 days and a moth comes out the cocoon shell. The female moth dies almost immediately after the egg depositing. The male lives only a short time after. The silkworm contributes one of the most luxurious fabrics within a short time life cycle.

Uses

Silk has a wide application in the clothing industry such as formal dresses, fashion clothes, bathrobes, pajamas, scarves, cufflinks, and underwear. It is a perfect all season fabric. In summer silk makes it comfortable to wear in warm weather because of its good absorbency for moisture and its low conductivity keeps warm air close to the skin during winter season.

Also the silk fabric can be transformed with a cashmere-like soft touch through napping so it becomes warmer with this kind of silk scarves and clothes. People love the shimmering appearance of silk but few know the reason. The shimmering comes from the fibers’ triangular prism-like structure which allows incoming light to refract at different angles.

Besides the clothing industry, silk has many uses in other fields such as home decor, military and medical. A piece of hand painted silk scarf can be framed to decorate your home if art is your favorite. The soft appearance disguises one important feature of silk: silk is the strongest natural fiber, even stronger than a steel filament of the same diameter as silk. That is why early bulletproof vests were made from silk until about World War I. Surgical sutures are another application in medicine.

Production

Most of silk production countries are from Asia and China is the largest provider around 80%. Brazil is the only non-Asian country that is on the top ten list. USA is the largest consumer country of silk in the world.

Interesting Number

Some numbers are interesting and few people know that. One cocoon can unravel a continuous thread of1000 meter long. Silk fiber is one of the finest fibers, about 10 nm (1/1,000,000 cm) in diameter. A single kimono takes silk from over 2000 cocoons.

The above information presented shows you why it has such a good reputation in the fabrics world. Silk is definitely one of the top choices for people who love natural and quality fabrics. It is soft yet strong, versatile and comes in the most beautiful colors and designs.

By: tietosuccess

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