# Recycling silk shirts?



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Does anyone have tips on sewing with silk shirts?

I can find these for $5 or less at the thrift store. I am planning to remake them into scarves. 

Plan A - Cut 8 to 12 inch wide strips, sew ends of strips to make a longer strip. Fold lengthwise with good side on the inside. Sew along the cut sides, leaving an opening for turning. Turn inside out (like a casing), sew close the opening. It would be a double thickness of silk cloth with good side out.

Plan B - Cut 4 to 6 inch wide strips, sew ends of strips to make a long strip. Sew a hem all around. Will produce a scarf with single thickness but twice as long.

I'm leaning toward Plan A because the hem is hidden inside the piece and good side of cloth is always out.

Any suggestions on thread and tension settings for a Singer sewing machine?

Have a good day!
Franco Rios
Sacramento


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

I can't help you with the tension setting but I would go with a fine silk type thread. Maybe a fine polyester. I like the plan A also. For one it will me much easier because silk is not real easy to work with so hemming will not be real easy.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I used them to cover photo albums before. Then I put a lacy fabric over them. A nice cream colored silk looks wonderful if you are making a wedding album. And you can use the other colors for other albums or to match the secondary color to the wedding. I know my BIL/SIL wedding was marron and white, so I did the album itself in white with white lace then put a maroon colored covering on a photo holder on the front.


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

I was just thinking I could piece together scraps from different shirts and make crazy scarves.

That way I could use up pieces from shirt sleeves, shoulders, etc.

Just thinking out loud here.

Have a good day!


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Thank you Ruby and Mekasmom.

I'll post some pictures when I get done.

Have a good day!


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

First, you should be able to find a silk-finish cotton thread (Metler) if you can't find silk - no way is polyester a good choice. Even a crummy old cotton thread would be better. Go to a quilting store, there's some fabulous Egyptian cotton embroidery thread now.

I like Plan A so seams can be hidden inside, and it allows for easier piecing and is a lot easier to wear. My jazziest piece was a 6 inch diameter, strip pieced, with a short seed bead fringe. Pretty labor intensive, used 4 shirts, but actually the bead fringe made an easy finish. No way would I ever hem a single layer pieced scarf. And you would have to flat fell the seams. I used a french seam, very forgiving of wobbles and no frayed threads to show through. Iron as you go.

Your tension won't be the issue as much as stabalizing the fabric to run under the needle - I used tear away tissue, and just layed pieces of it under the work as I went along, 12 stitches per inch on the lightest weight silk, didn't adjust the tension on my old Singer from what I use for cotton shirting. Let me know if you want to talk recycling silk t-shirts...:monkey:


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Thank you Reddirt Cowgirl,

I like the idea of using tissue to stabilize the fabric. Thanks for the SPI setting. 

I'll post pictures as I go.

Have a good day!


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Here is my silk scarf made from a silk shirt. I have some more pictures on my blog.
http://francosfiberadventure.blogspot.com/2013/01/silk-scarf.html

Have a good day!


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Very nice work!


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Thank you RedDirt Cowgirl. 

It was fun. Your input was very helpful.

Do you have any tips for keeping it flat? Just ironing does not seem to hold it flat.
I thought maybe a couple rows of stitching lengthwise?

Thank you again for your tips!
Have a good day!


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