How to Sew with Habotai Silk

Many people find it difficult to sew with habotai silk until they become more comfortable with the material. Though this tends to be true of all silk, many people have stated that Habotai silk seems to be even 'slipperier' than other types of silk.

Practice makes perfect. Though there are some tips and tricks to help make sewing with Habotai silk easier, the only thing that's going to get you over that learning curve is practice, practice, practice.

Those experienced with sewing silk fabrics are quick to point out that the hesitancy involved in sewing with an unfamiliar fabric can cause a lot of the headaches involved in learning to sew with Habotai silk.

Until you're comfortable sewing with silk, you should use swatches and pieces of silk that are not critically important to you. This is the best way to handle the stress induced error problems.

Next, using your scrap pieces of Habotai silk, try to sew with confidence. Pretend the silk is just a piece of fabric like the ones you are accustomed to working with. 'Fake until you make it', as the saying goes.

Sure you're going to make some mistakes, but I feel you will have quicker success diving into the learning project than using a hesitating approach to the task at hand. Try to feel as confident about handling the silk as you would another type of fabric, and you're less likely to have problems along the way.

Another important factor in sewing with Habotai silk is the size of the needle in the sewing machine. I suggest using a number 9 needle. Though this needle size is quite thin, it will be much more capable of stitching through silk.

At the first sign of a pull it is time to change the needle to a finer gauge. Though a number 9 seems to work well with most silks, some people prefer to use a 10 or 11 on heavier weight silks.

Also, the tension setting is critically important when it comes to working with silk on your sewing machine. The tension must be set in just such a way as to facilitate the silk moving through, but not so light as to let the silk get ahead of you. The silk should be guided through easily and handled lightly for best results.

The type of thread one uses can make a difference when working with Habotai silk, as well. I've had much success using cheap and effective maxi lock cones. However, if you are making an heirloom piece, you should use silk thread for authenticity.

Another consideration about the type of thread that you'll use in your silk sewing project is whether or not you will be dying the garment or other project. If you will be dying your finished piece, you should use silk thread so that the dye takes in a uniform manner across the entire piece.

With a little bit of practice you're sure to become adept at working with Habotai silk. If you have any questions or tips of your own, I found the Anjoorian Silks Forum at http://www.anjooriansilks.com/forum/ to be exceedingly helpful, with frequent posts by members.

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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Title:	How to Sew with Habotai Silk
Author:	Joanne Dorin
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How to Sew with Habotai Silk