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Posted on April 1, 2006 by Joanne Dorin | Posted under Shopping and Product Reviews
Embroidered Silk Fabric
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Embroidered silk fabric starts off as plain silk. Silk is a natural protein fiber that has been woven into textiles. Silk is procured from the cocoon of the silkworm larva. This process is known as 'sericulture' and kills the silk larvae. The shimmering look of silk comes from the fibers' triangular prism-esque structure. This curious structure of fibers refracts incoming light at various angles to produce the shimmer and sheen that makes silk so precious and highly sought after. It is believed that silk was developed as early as 6,000 BC in China. It was certainly around by 3,000 BC and legend has given credit of silk discovery to a Chinese Empress named Xi Ling-Shi. Originally, this unique and luxurious fabric was reserved for use by royalty, but over the years the fabric spread throughout China both culturally and geographically. It wasn't long before silk fabric spread throughout the rest of Asia as well. Prior to industrialization, silk was one of the most traded items with Chinese merchants quickly selling all the silk they had at various ports along their ways. Silk trade was so extensive that the routes between Asia and Europe were commonly referred to as the Silk Road. To this day many people still call these routes by this name or others related to the silk industry. There are also completely natural, or 'wild' silks that are not cultivated in the same way. These wild silks are produced by undomesticated silk worms. These are also highly sought silks, as they vary widely in texture and color. One of the main attributes of wild silks is that since the silk cocoons have mostly been eaten through by the silk worm pupae, the silk threads that make up the cocoons are made of shorter threads. Muga is the most sought after type of wild silk. It has a natural golden sheen and is different from other silks in a number of ways. Muga silk is better able to absorb moisture and is the strongest known natural fiber. Garments made of muga silk will easily last fifty years or more and only become prettier with age and washing. Besides clothing, silk is also used to produce such goods as bike tires, parachutes, comforter filling and artillery gun powder bags. Silk is also used in surgery to produce fine suturing threads. Some Chinese doctors even use silk to fashion artificial arteries. Even the earliest bulletproof vests were made from silk. This tradition lasted roughly from the black powder era until around World War I. About The Author: Joanne is an author of Decorz.com. If you're looking for more silk items & decoration ideas for your home and garden visit http://www.decorz.com. |
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