Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with silk

Printage

Glendale — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:02:31 -0800

Silk screen printing: I have the blank shirts. I have the design in a PSD file. I need a printer that can print shiny silver foil... Any suggestions? I need a relatively fast turn around time as well.. I'd like to get the shirts back within two weeks of me shipping the blanks. Please cite whether you've personally used the company or not... Thanks :)

How to pack silk?

susanvance — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:57:17 -0800

What is the best way to pack a silk dress without wrinkling it? I'll be flying to another city soon for a formal event, and will need to pack a silk dress in my carry-on suitcase. This is the first silk item I've owned, so I'm pretty clueless. If folding it, I'd need to fold it at least once lengthwise and crosswise - or should I roll it?

I'll of course hang it up and try to steam it in the bathroom during my morning shower once I'm there, but what can I do to avoid wrinkles in the first place? I won't have access to an iron or steamer.

Thanks for any tips!

the weather is right for silk scarves

strangememes — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:13:20 -0800

Where might I find silk scarves between Burlington, Ma and Manchester, NH? I am in Burlington, Ma and will be heading to Manchester, NH this evening with the hope of picking up some silk scarves on the way. Do you know of any stores that might sell some? Extra points if it's also close to I-95 or I-93.

Oily Stain On Silk

davehat — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 05:50:54 -0800

How do I get a stain out of a silk tie? About 3 months ago, I got some food on a cream silk tie and although I acted PDQ in removing the bulk of the spill, I now notice it has left a slight oily discolouring in two places.

Does anyone have any tips for cleaning silk ties that have worked for them in the past? I have an interview tomorrow and I really want to wear this particular tie!

What should I do with Indian silk?

enaira — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:06:00 -0800

What should I do with Indian silk? My boyfriend went to India and brought me back some gorgeous Indian silk fabric, which I have no clue what to do with. Theres probably about four or five yards...any suggestions?

Do silk stockings run easily?

lisaj32 — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 11:02:46 -0800

Are silk stockings less likely to run or snag or be otherwise damaged through regular use than nylons?

Sleep/eye mask: Thin, comfy, durable?

sdis — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 09:47:58 -0800

Find me a good, thin eye mask for sleeping that would allow me to sleep on my stomach comfortably. I'm kind of addicted to eye masks for sleeping, but I don't really like the ones I own. I got one of these, which is nice, except it's too thick to sleep on my stomach, it's a little rigid (so I need to put the strap way above my ears to align the thing such that it doesn't let in light from the bump created by my nose), and the velcro straps are a bit plasticy and hard.

Anyone know of a very thin, comfortable, possibly silk mask, that blocks out light from every side, and has a fastening system that is somehow as comfortable as thin elastic straps, but as durable as a velcro or buckling-type fastener? (I've been a fan of some of the better airline masks, but I'm hoping to find something that doesn't fall apart in a month or so)

Help! My doll has a tan!

bristolcat — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 16:34:26 -0800

I just bought an antique Japanese doll and she's in fair condition except for one thing--her silk "skin" is very discolored. How can I make her snow white again? I have a few of these dolls and I find them fascinating. I know they probably aren't worth much in the grand scheme of things, but I like to have them around.

Most of the dolls I have are pristine white. This particular doll must have either been in a smoker's house or around heavily varnished furniture, as she has turned practically brown. Is there a way to return her to white? Everything is silk, including her skin. She's probably about 50 years old. As is, she is probably not very valuable so I'm willing to take a chance with her if it means I can restore her.

I know that I can't use bleach and I know that I probably shouldn't even get her wet. I had heard a tip that gently swabbing vintage silk with rubbing alcohol worked, but I want to get the opinions of the hive mind first.

Also, are there any ways to halt dry rot on silk? She's starting to show some deterioration in the back.

Here are some pics:

Face of doll
Doll comparison
Dry rot?

Thank you!

Can I dye a silk shirt?

puddinghead — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 21:38:50 -0800

I'd like to dye a silk blouse. Any thoughts? Any suggestions for an appropriate brand of dye, or should I not attempt this at all?

How do I find a printing manufacturer in China or Korea

aisleofview — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 06:24:41 -0800

I would like to find a printing manufacturer in Korea or China who manufactures Silk laminated business cards and postcards. Presently I wholesale 4 color printing to printers and would like to add this service. I know they have distribution in the U.S. and I would like to find the source. Any ideas?

Smelly Silk Sweater

chickletworks — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 00:12:37 -0800

How do I get the fishy smell out of a silk (well, silk and cashmere blend) sweater? I'm not even sure what's causing it. At first I thought the smell was due to some weird reaction between the dry cleaner's chemicals and my perfume or lotion, but I've since caught a whiff of it around store displays of silk shirts. Getting the sweater wet seems to make the smell worse so Fabreeze isn't much help.

Is there anyone who a.) has experienced this and can tell me I'm not smellucinating and b.) found a way to fix the problem?

Slick silk shirt stretched - recommend rapid remedy?

lekvar — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 19:24:43 -0800

I hung my new silk shirt up to dry after washing it the first time, only noticing later that the tag specifically says "dry flat." Now the fabric that supported the shirt's weight while it dried is all weirdly, badly, unattractively stretched out. It hasn't worked its way back into shape after about 24 hours. Is there anything I can do to encourage it to regain its previous shape?

Hanging antique Kimono- How?

Jeff_Larson — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 22:15:41 -0800

How do I hang a 40 year-old silk kimono on a wall without damaging it? My mom recently entrusted us with a kimono given to my grandfather for representing the proprietors of the San Francisco Tea Garden after the Japanese internment during WWII. I guess my mom likes us a lot because this kimono is beautiful and irreplaceable. We hung it on the wall with a dowel and put a shelf underneath (where the bottom hem falls) to protect it 1) from stress and 2) from our kitten.

This afternoon it looks as though there are several new small tears near the center (waist height) of the kimono, which we can only assume come from the stress the fabric is putting on itself.

Barring going to a professional art-mounter, can anyone tell us who we should talk to about how to display the kimono without destroying it? Or even how we can find out who to talk to? I tried google but it was stupid.

Zulu War cigarette advert...

timpollard — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 08:50:11 -0800

Does anyone have a link to (or a copy of) the famous 'Zulu War/Rorke's Drift' pastiche Silk Cut cigarette advert shown in British cinemas in the 1970s?

Where to buy fake flowers?

gaspode — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 19:43:48 -0800

I would like recommendations for good places to buy high quality artificial flowers. Online stores or places in NYC. Money little object as long as they look good. I have found plenty of vendors online, but don't know anybody who has purchased from them.

How to make shirts?

geoff. — Mon, 11 Jul 2005 21:01:33 -0800

I've been actively trying to create shirts of the quality seen here. While I'm less concerned with the technical aspects of creating a vintage/fatigued looked -- how does one go through the initial stages of design? (What program is best to design in, how should I approach the silkscreener, fabric acquisition...) Where would be the best place to get the luxurious cotton used in the t-shirts made by Grail, Rebel Yell, Paper Cloth & Denim... I'm really frusterated as I cannot find anything to match the lightweight cotton fabric used among these. Do such companies travel to Italy or is a trip to Manhattan sufficient?

What would be the best format to bring to a silkscreener? Right now I have a virtual replication of the t-shirt in Photoshop to scale, the design is somewhat complicated and I'd like to ease any technical problems before they start. I can easily redo my designs in Illustrator if that's easier to work with.

I'm convinced there's some sort of standard process for this designer casual wear, as everyone and their brother seems to have a company. I'm just out of the loop. I've talked to people in the apparell industry but my contacts are unfortunately within large multinationals geared toward totally different markets.

If someone in the know is reading this and is aghast and tells me "I have no idea what I'm in for", please feel free to say it.

Cleaning silk shoes

snardo — Thu, 30 Jun 2005 19:00:04 -0800

How do I clean mud off silk shoes?

olive oil spot remover

leafwoman — Sat, 04 Jun 2005 13:54:50 -0800

I wear lots of silk knits and I love to cook. Sometimes I get olive oil spots splashed on the knit and I can't seem to ever get the spots out. I wear an apron but the stuff is sneaky. How can I get those spots out of my silk knits?

Is it feasible to build your own silk-screening / screen-printing press?

Espoo2 — Thu, 02 Sep 2004 01:50:58 -0800

Screen-printing/Silk-screening: I'm looking to get into it to produce some t-shirt ideas I've had floating around. But I don't want to buy all the expensive equipment. Is it feasible to build your own press, provided with good instructions?

Does Whatever a Spider Can

kenaman — Sat, 26 Jun 2004 18:49:22 -0800

Should not Spiderman's web not shoot out his arse?

Taking Care of Silk

ferociouskitty — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 09:57:50 -0800

I have quite a few silk blouses, and I'm curious about the various washing instructions. Some are dry-clean only, others hand wash/line dry, and others still are machine wash/tumble dry. (As well as other assorted combinations). Why all the variations, when all are 100% silk?