Pre-shrinking Silk chiffon & silk dupioni

Minerva1 · Joined: 21 Apr 2007 Posts: 3 Location: Georgia

I'm finally going to make a lined skirt with my silk chiffon using Ambiance for a lining. I'm also making a coordinating jacket out of silk dupioni using Ambiance for a lining. My question is what is the best way to pre-shrink these fabrics? Thank you in advance.

Barb · Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 12:56 pm Post subject:

If these were fabrics from Sawyer Brook, we would recommend dry cleaning. If you want to wash the garment, you could pre-shrink the fabric yourself by handwashing in cool water. Silk Doupioni will shrink and change its texture when washed. It will require pressing. This would be similar with the silk chiffon. Both are fragile fabrics and need gentle care both before and after construction. Why don't you test wash a swatch before deciding to do the whole yardage? That way you can assess the changes that take place when the fabric is exposed to water. Good luck and let us know what you decide.