Is there a fabric "Washable Silk"?

[temom]

My friend had a blouse on the other day that was absolutely gorgeous. It was a washable silk, and it was so soft! I would love to make a blouse out of such material, but I don't know what it would be. Any thoughts?

[Mule]

You can wash many silks if you use cold water and a gentle cycle. Just line dry. It still changes the texture slightly, so you you'd want to try a test first.

[MartySews2]

I've washed silk & put it in the dryer, it becomes very, very soft. I just use the delicate cycle. All of my clothes have to be able to go thru the washer & dryer.
Marty

[Magot]

I am a bad girl - I just sling my silk in the washing machine with everything else. It is tough stuff - just don't use biological detergent!

[sewingmom]

I had some silk blouses and washed them in the washer and noticed that the holes where the stitches went through the cloth became very promenant as if the fabric was weakened. I, from then on put silks in a mesh bag in the laundry so the tug and pull on the fabric is diminished. It works but yes it does change the "hand" of the fabric.

[LeapFrog Libby]

I don't have any silk right now, but when I was a kid I had lots of silk dresses and blouses. and slips, and nightgowns. My Mom washed them all. Back then she washed in the bathtub with a scrub board. And the drier was a line in the back yard with clothes pins. LOL. Silk was a very strong fabric then. Not this almost sheer stuff I see in Blouses today.

[temom]

So did you gals buy a particular kind of silk, or will most anything I buy that is washable work?

[MartySews2]

I just bought silk from Hancock Fabrics.
Marty

[bridesmom]

I remember one of our former members made her wedding dress out of a beautiful duponi silk and I remember her mentioning about washing the silk and how it really changed the texture of it.

[DorothyL]

I am a bad girl - I just sling my silk in the washing machine with everything else. It is tough stuff -

Me too. I did shrink a favorite jacket though. It was a tweed. It fits now though, since I lost weight.

Dorothy