Tried using a specific silk from a shop in Chinatown and my whole design puckered

I bought this beautiful, lightweight silk from a vendor on Mott Street for a draped blouse idea. I didn't pre-wash it because the bolt said 'dry clean only', but when I steamed the seams during construction, the fabric shrank and puckered in weird patches. Learned the hard way to ALWAYS do a test swatch with your exact finishing method, even on 'nice' fabric. Has anyone else had a fabric react totally differently to steam versus washing?

3 comments

3 Comments

bennett.mason15d ago

My friend's wedding dress silk did that exact same thing in Brooklyn.

chen.adam15d ago

Reminds me of a silk shirt I had that completely fell apart in the rain.

bennett.vera11d ago

Oh man, my cousin's silk scarf just dissolved in a light drizzle last spring.