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    contact me at:

    Linda Learn
    Class Act Fabrics
    PO Box 307
    Tunkhannock,PA
     18657-0307
    (570) 836-2318
     email me

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        Class Act Fabrics   ...Silks...

     One thing we know from archeologist's digs: the silks valued enough to be used in burial, and even the scraps found in 10th century London middens, were smooth surfaced silks with only an occasional slub.
    I'm sorry to say that I haven't found_yet_ reference to deliberately irregular threads until an 1807 reference to pongee. I've found shantung mentioned in ready-to-wear ads in 1909 and in the May 1904 "The Delineator" magazine. Tussah was listed in a 1954 sewing book but not in a 1949....douppione was listed in 1972 but not 1969.
     Doesn't mean it wasn't there. It may not have been commonly used, or used for a different purpose. I'd love to have more research sources and time to use them. If you have sources to fill out history a bit more, please let me know!

    Someone mentioned that they had information that the uneven thread type silk was made in India in the middle ages but I don't have the documentation so I can't recommend it. I have seen documentation that fine silk was imported wrapped in 'raw silk' cloth and the wrappings were sold really cheaply (18th c). I highly doubt this was used as a 'fashion' fabric.

    As to which fabric is "period" for what__you really must go by your own research. (They're all beautiful and would make great "modern" clothing ;)  Some of  the dark jewels and black would be spectacular in "Goth". The taffetas work nicely for all times from medieval through French & Indian, and to Civil War era.

I have fiddled and fussed with the colors on these swatches, trying to match the original fabrics as close as possible. I think that the brain must make up some colors that don't exist in reality. sigh.  Email me with questions.
                                               All fabrics are 100% silk unless otherwise labeled.


click on fabric to see larger with details


#001
36"   3.5mm habotai
white
called gauze but it is a tabby weave... good for veils, partlets, fluttery stuff
$3.35/yd

MEDIEVAL: 1515 called 'poste'. Probably used in Europe as early as the 1200s and continued with different names through today.

Untitled002.GIF (1210228 bytes)
#002
36"   5mm habotai
white
excellent for veils, some use this for chemises
$3.70/yd



#0100
44" silk chiffon
floaty, see-through.
like fondling a cloud
black

$9.25/yd


 


#085
45" silk charmeuse
12.5mm, natural white
$11.90/yd


#037
45" 20% silk, 80% rayon
medallion brocade
cream
$14.95/yd

now, I've told you it would take a miracle to get a fabric if I sold out. My jobber pulled a miracle!


#0152
55" 100% silk brocade
Imported Italian silk brocade
The color on this is not right. It should be a true red...not shift  from blue-ish to orange-ish.
$19.45/yd

Untitled005.GIF (1085340 bytes)
#005
60" silk taffeta
changeable "pewter"
(lt. yellow weft/gray warp)
$19.95/yd

#006
60" silk taffeta
changeable "emerald"
(golden yellow weft/emerald warp)
$19.95/yd


#1090
60" silk/wool blend
soft and sleek tabby suiting
tweed:  green, blue, and gold
$10.80/yd

>look >
#094 frosted daffodil (yellow)
44" silk douppioni
changeable
yellow warp/white weft
$9.00/yd


click on this to see the beautiful way  the white warp took the cornflower blue dye  and the yellow turned a beautiful green! Compare to the undyed cloth on right side of the picture.
The washed and hot water dyed silk has a softer hand and smaller slubs. Think about what red dye would do!!  This is FUN silk!


#089
45" Panne velvet
18% silk, 82% rayon
luscious flat pile with subtle gleams on the draping
gold
$13.45/yd


#0155
45" 'light' douppioni
a crisp silk that is almost a rustling taffeta except for the small slubs and few thicker threads that make it a douppioni. Gorgeous color
Cranberry
$9.75/yd

#088
45" Panne velvet
18% silk, 82% rayon
luscious flat pile velvet with subtle gleams on the draping.
pure Black
$13.45/yd
 


#094 cream
 46" shantung
 like a silk taffeta with a
slight slub...
$9.75/yd


#0154
44" china silk
about 7-8 momme weight, a very light blouse weight, excellent veil weight  or a good lining silk.
deep red
$8.00/yd


#074
45" silk changeable taffeta
very fine slubs make what I call  a "mild douppioni" but it also
has a crisp hand and is light enough to be called 'rustling'.
peacock blue weft/dk blue warp
$13.50/yd

 
  #073
45" changeable taffeta
very fine slubs make it a
"mild douppioni" but it also
has a crisp hand and is light
enough to be called a
"rustling" taffeta.
emerald weft/dk blue warp   $13.50/yd



a most luscious, subtle dragon! lovely wedding gown!
#058
45" natural white 100% silk
heavy georgette jacquard
DRAGONS
$18.95/yd


#059
29" red/gold brocade
22%silk/78%rayon
DRAGONS
$15.95/yd


#0153
54" silk taffeta
a rustling 'paper' taffeta but very lightweight. Delicate warp woven stripes of
 light cream and medium cream $12.45/yd


#0142
54" changeable taffeta
Crisp hand,  The stripes run with the warp/grain and are satin gold and dark blue.
warp: taupe, gold, dk blue
weft: gold
I would LOVE to see this made up in a Civil War gown.
$12.45/yd


#0143
54" changeable taffeta
crisp hand, the stripes run with the warp/grain.
warp: white, grass green, gold
weft: black
The gold stripes are satin weave/brocaded. I saw this and exclaimed, "Glitz Coptic tunic!" (grin)
I could only get 5 yards.
$12.45/yd


#0156
45" changeable douppioni
a mild douppioni, tightly woven with smaller slubs. The colors are really dark and rich... in fact, the picture shows more purple than the fabric 'in person'

black warp and dk purple weft
$10.45/yd


smaller dragons and phoenix
alternating on rich red satin

#022
29" red/gold brocade
22%silk/78%rayon
DRAGONS/phoenix
$18.00/yd


#0139
49" silk organza
A tabby weave of crisp silk threads, this fabric has white and red warp threads in wide stripes and white weft threads (causing the red to look pink).
I pressed a yard or two for this pic. It seems that the pink is woven tighter than the white...which is why the white stripe was getting 'wavy'.
only 4 yards left
$12.45/yd


#021
29" red/gold brocade
22%silk/78%rayon
DRAGONS
$18.00/yd
also in royal blue, white,
and black


#0129
55" bengaline
a heavy silk repp weave: a thick weft (filling) thread with fine warp threads makes a heavy rib.....looks like grosgrain.
a fine "old" weave!
black
$15.00/yd


#0130
55" bengaline
a heavy silk repp weave: a thick weft (filling) thread with fine warp threads makes a heavy rib.....looks like grosgrain.  a fine 'old' weave!
The color isn't right....too pink. This is a soft red.
$15.00/yd


#020
29" brocade
78% rayon, 22% silk
Imperial DRAGONS
white with gold
$18.00/yd
 


#0131
54" silk chiffon
soft  and dreamy
dramatic and rich!
changeable black and red
$10.65/yd


#0113
54" velvet
35%silk, 65%rayon
a lovely light and drapey velvet.
This color is hard to describe.... it's kind of a dusty purple in some lights and angles but the more I look at it in the light, the more it looks like
burgundy.
$13.50/yd

  
a soft, rich "raw" look silk
 #009  
 44" matka
An even weave that is similar
 to, but nicer than, noil .
  cream
$10.00/yd


#0108
44" linen warp/silk weft
fine tabby weave
crisp hand
camel  (lite brown warp/cream weft)
$8.50/yd


#0109
44" silk satin
a lovely drape
satin weave
fuchsia
$8.00/yd
only 3 1/2 yards left


#0122
45" silk charmeuse
12.5mm luscious silk
with a nice drape
dusty pink/mauve
$9.00/yd


#0115P
44" silk shantung
a tabby/plain weave with an occasional tiny slub
mildly crisp hand
pale pink

$9.75/yd


#0138
42" douppioni silk
balanced stripes in a sophisticated color and texture blend.
black warp, black and cream weft
$12.90/yd


#0137
54" changeable douppione
 really heavy slubs make this
       a dramatic piece.
  spice brown warp and an
ivory weft
  champagne?
  $12.00/yd

only 3 yards

 

 

 


#092
100% silk POPLIN
also called silk broadcloth in US
44" wide, quality like you find in
the best antique skirts and dresses
dark navy
 $9.00/yd


#0114
45" silk charmeuse
luscious feel
smoky gray
$9.50/yd

                 #099
 45" 100% silk heavy poplin
         really really nice!   
               black
            $11.50/yd

about 2-3 yards left

        

 

#082
45" BATISTE
60% silk warp
40% cotton weft
natural white
$11.90/yd

   MEDIEVAL PERIOD: could be called mulham ca.1000 or plain rasetti 1570AD or cusacchi 1580 Venice. Other periods as well but I don't have the names. Makes excellent chemises and veils!
 



#000B
   45" china silk
  shirt weight
      print reminds me of a
 Victorian era blouse I saw.
      dusty green ...sage?
    $7.95/yd
         about 6 yds left


#0157
60" basketweave silk suiting
lovely hand, NOT a noil. .This jpg is a shade too yellow.
a touch of gold and gloss to this pretty
tan
$11.45/yd

   

 

 

 

 


#096
54" 100% silk repp
white
this is a tabby(plain) weave with a heavy weft thread so there are very big satiny ribs across the fabric.
$11.75/yd
8 yards left


#0118
45"  silk taffeta
12mm lovely light crisp silk
ivory

$8.00/yd


#0128
 44"  "barred" silk suiting
tan, cream, brown
stripes (bars) across the width.
quite spectacular
$9.00/yd
 


#028
45" silk suiting
weft stripes of colored taffeta
alternating with stripes of thicker cream threads.
really nice, crisp hand
steel blue and cream stripes
$9.00/yd

only 2 1/8th yards left
$15.00 for all

#0115L
44" silk spun taffeta
very pretty medium weight, a bit crisp hand
lavender
$9.75/yd

only about 3 yards left
 

#0115M
44" silk shantung
medium weight, a bit crisp hand
pretty
orange sherbert
$9.75/yd

about 5 yards left

page  updated 3/29/2008