Historically, its unmatched beauty, durability and comfort was prized by the ranks of nobility — Roman and Arabian aristocrats in particular. The rarity of the fabric made it all the more precious. For more than a thousand years , how that silk was produced remained a well-guarded secret kept by ancient China, reluctant to let its monopoly go. The fabric was one of the most valued commodities that traveled westward along the vast network known as the Silk Road.
In that era, silk was worth as much as its weight in gold and was sometimes used as a form of currency. What is it about silk that has captivated humanity for thousands of years, making it a still-sought-after status symbol today? Unlike cotton or hemp, which are made from plant fibers, silk is a protein fiber made from the saliva of silkworms, a small insect scientifically known as the Bombyx mori moth.
The process of harvesting these cocoons for silk is called sericulture, and has existed for thousands of years. Essentially, farmers create an artificial environment for the moths to lay their eggs on special paper , where they will hatch and become larvae. Once their cocoon is complete, the sericulture process traditionally includes killing the silkworm by boiling or steaming it alive. This is followed by reeling, where cocoons are unraveled and become one continuous string that can stretch up to hundreds of yards long.
Multiple long silk strands are then entwined to create silk thread. Eventually, that silk thread is woven into a fabric for commercial use.
This process of harvesting the eggs, rearing silkworms, and killing them in their cocoons happens continuously to keep up with demand for silk. Domesticated Bombyx mori moths, through selective breeding, have lost their ability to fly and have atrophied wings. Advances in technology mean that manufacturers instead opt for using various dyes such as acid dyes or reactive dyes. This gives a greater range of choice in colours and shades to be able to serve wider demand.
That being said, the general idea behind the technique remains similar as the silk is immersed in a dye bath to soak up the colour. The silk may be fed into the bath through two cylinders, or fixed to a round jig which is immersed in the bath.
In many cases, this will be one of the last steps of the processes as manufacturers generally now prefer piece-dyeing in an attempt to reduce waste. By holding plain white stock ready to be dyed, it reduces the need to hold too much stock in specific colours that have not been ordered and so may never be used. Here at Biddle Sawyer Silks we hold large quantities of our silks in various colours in order to be able to provide an immediate service with next day delivery on silk we already have in stock.
We also work with clients who provide their own bespoke colour palettes, and are able to match their samples via lap dips. The traditional spinning wheel has always, and will always be an integral part of the silk production process.
Although updated industrial processes are now able to spin silk threads much quicker, it simply mimics the functions of the classic spinning wheel. The process of spinning essentially unwinds the dyed fibres on to a bobbin, so that they lay flat ready for the weaving process. This can be done in many different ways from hand-spinning to ring-spinning and mule spinning.
Weaving is the process in which the final piece of silk comes together. There are many different ways in which silk can be woven — satin weave, plain weave and open weave are most common, and the finish of the silk will depend on the type of weave. Generally, weaving involves interlacing two sets of threads so that they lock around each other and create a strong, uniform piece of fabric.
The threads will be woven at right angles to each other, and the two different angles are called a warp and a weft. The warp will run up and down the fabric, while the weft runs across it.
Should a piece of silk require a special pattern or design, it will need to be printed after pre-treatment. This can be done in two different ways: Digital Printing or Screen Printing. Digital silk printing uses a specially designed textile printer, using ink to transfer hand drawn or digitally produced artwork on to fabrics.
Screen printing is the traditional, more hands-on method of essentially creating the same outcome — though in some cases, a bolder, more vibrant look may be achieved due to a thicker application of ink. Read more: Digital Silk Printing — The process explained. In order to be deemed ready for use, silks must be finished. Finishing a piece of silk gives it that highly lustrous sheen that it is so commonly known for, and is the reason that the desired look and feel can be achieved.
Spider silk is the most difficult to produce as spiders do not produce as much silk and cannot be bred like silkworms. That makes this variety very expensive, reducing its common uses. It is one of the most durable types of silk and is used in the production of bulletproof vests and wear-resistant clothes.
Another commercially known type of silk is Tasar silk. It is produced from wild caterpillars, called Tasar silkworms.
Due to its strong properties, this variety is mainly used in furnishing and it is mostly available in its natural color of copper since it is very tough to dye. It takes around 35, silkworm cocoons to make 5.
These 35, cocoons are produced from about 30g of silkworm eggs, which in turn require about a ton of Mulberry leaves to feed on.
Being a by-product of an animal, silk is not vegan. There are many criticisms about the production process of silk. For instance, PETA People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals campaigns against mass produced silk and appointed it to be the second-worst material for the environment, just after leather. Therefore, silk is considered highly unethical as the silkworms are boiled alive and killed during the extraction process.
The unethical production of silk has sparked many controversies and incited the use of alternative textiles such as nylon, milkweed seed pod fibers, silk-cotton tree, polyester, and rayon. However, the conventional method of producing synthetic fibres is far from green due to the fact they derive from petrochemicals which are not renewable. They use energy-intensive technology, do not biodegrade and are not easy to recycle. Silk, on the other hand, is a biodegradable, compostable material.
In order to reach a compromise, there are entities working to improve the ways of producing silk either in the traditional or artificially ways, through laboratory methods.
The English fashion designer is aware of the several environmental issues related to the fashion industry. As a modern brand, their investments on research and development aim to reduce their footprint under many points of view. Material innovations is one of their focal points. Stella McCartney decided to take action against the traditional production of silk and to find alternatives. In this purpose, they partner with technology innovator Bolt Threads.
By studying the silk that spiders make and the way in which they make it, Bolt Threads were able to replicate these processes at scale, and create a vegan silk with remarkable properties.
This partnership represents a huge step-change for the brand and for the future of fashion. Silk fabric has withstood the test of time in the fashion industry. Clothes made from silk are considered to be high-end products due to the high quality of the textile and of course expensive prices. For sport clothing, silk fibre is blended with cotton to give more strength, stain resistance and sturdiness. Silk is also used for home furnishings. Silk throws, pillows and curtains are examples of home decors.
The antibacterial property of the textile allows its use for medical purposes.
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