silk (cloth)

A plain weave silk cloth, woven from ecru yarns in many qualities. The finish is such that the character of the yarn is not altered.

Silk yarns are composed of a number of silk filaments twisted together, usually 8 to 12 to form a thread. The filaments have a natural coating of gum which gives strength and elasticity, but reduces lustre. The gum must be boiled off if lustre is wanted, which may be done either in the yarn state or when woven in cloth. Silk yarns are divided into two classes, " thrown silk" and " spun silk," the first being yarns that are made by the processes of reeling and throwing, and the second consisting of yarns spun from waste silk. Thrown Silk, or Net Silk comprises organzine and tram yarns, organzine being made from the most perfect cocoons and used for warps. Tram is made from the inferior cocoons and used as weft. All silk contains a proportion of natural gum, and the amount of gum removed give rise to the following terms: - Boiled-off Silk - Yarn which has had all the gum removed, and has the highest sheen (see Boiled-off). Hard Silk - Yarn that has not undergone any boiling-off process. Ecru Silk - Yarn boiled to remove about 3 per cent to 5 per cent of the gum by light washing in lukewarm water. Souple Silk - Yarn boiled to remove about one-sixth of the gum. Bengal Silk - See Bengal Silk. Berlin Silk - A silk yarn made for fancy hand work. It is produced by doubling from 4 to 8 twisted singles grege by a right-hand twist; then again doubling three of these with a left-hand twist. The thread is very round, smooth, and hard, also known as cordon-net. Blond Silk - A special silk yarn made by doubling three grege threads left-hand twist, then doubling three of these together with right-hand twist. Brights - Silk which has been entirely de-gummed in the skein and then dyed. Bourette, Bourrette Yarn - A low grade of silk yarn made from the waste produced by schappe spinning. Canton Silk - See Canton Silk. Chiffon Twist - Single raw silk threads, 50 or more turns per inch. Used for chiffons, crepe-de-chines, etc. Crepe-de-Chine - Hard twist tram silk, about 40 to 70 turns per inch. Made from 3 to 5 raw silk ends. Usually woven as weft. Crepe Georgette - Hard twist raw silk usually made from two threads 13/15 deniers, 50 or more turns, both right and left twist, used for crepe georgettes as warp and weft. Crepe Twist - This is tram silk hard twisted, having from 30 to 100 turns per inch. Used for making fabrics of a crepe character both all silk and mixtures. Cordonnet Silk - See Berlin Silk; also under Cordonnet. Eri Silk - A raw silk obtained from the wild silkworm " Attacus ricini." Flock Silk - A general term used to indicate silk yarns made from the outer uneven parts of the cocoon. Floss Silk - Used principally for embroidery purposes. It is a thrown silk and made by doubling two thick raw singles with right-hand twist together with a left-hand twist. Galette Silk - A coarse silk yarn made from waste. Grenadine Silk - Organzine silk with a large number of turns per inch. Jaspe Silk - Silk warps printed in the hank. Ombre Silk - Skein dyed yarn in a gradation of shades, which run in sequence of depth of colour, varying from five up to forty shades. Schappe Silk - A spun silk yarn which is made from silk degummed by the maceration process used on the Continent (see Schappe Silk). Soie Ondee - See Soie Ondee. Silk Yarns - In addition to the foregoing yarns see under the following terms for further silk yarns: - Cable, Cevennes, Chappe, Chine, Clochepeid, Crocheting, Crue (see Ecru), Cuite Cusier, Cusirino, Degummed, Docken, Doup-pion. Ecru, Embroidery, Etschingo, Filature, Filature a 1'Europeune, Filet, Florette, Fringe, Goffered, Grege, Gum Hainin, Hard, Kahing, Knitting, Lousy, Marabout, Maybasch, Melange, Mele, Mi-cuit, Minchcw, Nett, Noil, Organzine, Ouvrees, Oval, Pearlina, Pel, Pelo, Poie, Pure dye Silk, Raw (see Grege), Re-reels, Retorse, Senegal, Sewing, Simonita, Soft Singles, Soie Ondee, Souple, Spun, Steeped, Strafilato, Stumba, Thrown, Tors San File, Tram, Tramette, Tsatlees, Tussah, Twist, Washed, Zaguri.

A Swiss fabric used by flour millers. It is used to sift any ground material. It is made in pieces or in covers to fit any machine or appliance. Only the best Italian silk yarn is used and the fabric is carefully woven on hand looms and the texture is most uniform. It is elastic and of exceptional strength. The weavers do the work in their own homes. Standard width is 40-in., but it is also made 24-in., 28-in., and 34-in. wide. Made in numerous qualities and all are plain weave. Principal brands are: Excelsior, Bodmer, Dupour, Wydler and Schindler.

A fabric intended to imitate the fur of the beaver. It is a velvet cloth, cotton warp and silk weft. The pile is very close. Dyed a rich brown.

A variety of exquisite needlework, practised by the natives of India, Persia, China and Japan. Coloured pieces of cloth are cut in handsome designs and sewn together with floss silk or gold and silver thread. The work is really inlaid applique.

A brocaded silk fabric with gold figures, similar to cloth of Areste.

A very costly fabric of the 13th to 16th centuries, made of silk and richly decorated with gold ornament - used for church vestments.

A rich silk brocade, made at Cologne, Germany, during the 13th century, having gold figuring on a blue, and other colours, in the ground.

Rich mediaeval silk fabric dyed crimson; used for church vestments. No particular fabric is denoted, but any brocade used as an ensign, robe, or covering - pall of state, and generally the term means - Baudekin.

A fabric with a pure silk ground in brocade designs, developed with gold threads. Woven at Braintree for very special purposes - Coronation robes, court dresses, church vestments, etc. The fabric is specially made as required.

A costly mediaeval fabric believed to be of silk warp and cashmere wool weft. Usually dyed purple.

[sɪlk] noun حَرير ثَوب حَريري

A fancy silk cloth made on a satin base on 8 shafts. The weave effect has a rib appearance from selvedge to selvedge, and the cloth is reversible. Of French make and finish.

A thick, soft, half-silk cloth, finished on one side only; 5 or 8 shaft twill weave, silk warp, worsted weft.

A polished yarn silk cloth woven like honeycomb, used for embroidery foundation.

A half-silk fabric, silk warp and cotton or woollen weft, plain weave. Originally used for dusters, but now made for umbrella cloths. Requires very careful weaving since faults are plainly shown when finished. A cotton Gloria is woven in 3 & 1 twill from super Egyptian yarns, such as 36's warp, 34's weft, 80 ends and 90 picks per inch. For this cloth the weft is rewound to ensure regular weaving.

A half-silk fabric, silk warp and cotton or woollen weft, plain weave. Originally used for dusters, but now made for umbrella cloths. Requires very careful weaving since faults are plainly shown when finished. A cotton Gloria is woven in 3 & 1 twill from super Egyptian yarns, such as 36's warp, 34's weft, 80 ends and 90 picks per inch. For this cloth the weft is rewound to ensure regular weaving.

Various silk fabrics made in China. One variety made in Fuchow and Kaichow, Northern China, from mulberry silk, in pieces 17-in. wide and 22 yards long, is used principally for underclothing. In Huchow a fabric is made from waste silk and given this term. After weaving, the fabric is boiled-out and dyed blue, violet, scarlet, etc. This is also used for underclothing. Another variety is made in the Kiangsu Province from waste silk warp and cotton weft. They are all plain weave fabrics and in many qualities of reed, pick and weights.

The name is derived from the Spanish term for the Vicuna. The wool is mixed with silk or cotton and the yarn woven into a thin durable cloth for both men's and women's wear. Sir Titus Salt introduced the wool into Yorkshire, and it is now used for the manufacture of alpacas, lustres, silk warp alpaca, alpaca mixtures, mohair linings and numerous other cloths.

Plain weave silk fabric, woven on hand looms in Assam from the silk of the Antherasa Assama. The yarns are spun from pierced cocoons and the cloth is chiefly used for turbans.