How to Quilt with Silk

Prevent Fraying

• If you're concerned about the fabric fraying, fuse each fabric piece with an ultralightweight fusible tricot interfacing, such as Fusi-Knit from HTC (htc-retail.com), before cutting.
• Don't cut silk until you're ready to sew, as shuffling increases fraying.
• Use a new rotary blade to ensure clean cuts.
• Resist the urge to pull loose threads.

Assembly Tips

• Pin with new, sharp pins.
• Replace your sewing machine needle with a new 80/12 sharps needle.
• Use cotton thread instead of polyester, as there's less chance of cotton tearing or cutting the fabric at the seams.
• Press from the wrong side of the fabric with an iron on medium setting.
• When sewing, hold fabric taut (but not stretched) in front of and behind the needle to prevent puckered seams.
• Keep a lint roller near your ironing board to pick up threads that have frayed.

Finishing Tips

• Select a low-loft batting so the silk does not appear puffy.
• Use a neutral-color thread that blends with your silk. Amy chose a dark gray quilting thread because black was used in the weave of the silk.

Quilt Care

• Avoid laundering quilts made from douppioni silk. If it's necessary to clean a silk quilt, Amy recommends spot-washing or dry cleaning.