All About Silk: A Fabric Dictionary Swatchbook (Fabric Reference Series, Volume 1)

The three books in Julie Parker's Fabric Reference Series explain the different fabrics made from silk, cotton and wool, using plain English instead of technical jargon. A detailed description of each fabric is illustrated with a real cloth example, right there on the same page, which clarifies in the simplest way what a silk shantung, cotton seersucker or boiled wool actually looks and feels like. All About Silk is the first volume in the series. A brief introduction covers the history of silk, the main sources of silk and the silk textile industry, followed by descriptions and samples of 32 silk fabrics, in alphabetical order: batiste de soie, broadcloth, brocade, charmeuse, chiffon, China silk, cloque, crepe, crepe de Chine, douppioni, four-ply silk, gabardine, georgette, habutai, jacquard, knit, matelasse, matka, noil, organza, peau de soie, pongee, printed silk, sandwashed silk, shantung, suiting, surah, taffeta, Thai silk, tussah silk, tweed, velvet. All About Silk is packed with information about the different weaves, yarns and finishes used to make silk fabrics. Terms such as cultivated silk, wild silk, raw silk and spun silk are clearly explained. The author uses simple drawings, an easy-to-read, consistent format and clear uncomplicated language. Other books in the series include All About Cotton, with 40 cotton samples, and All About Wool, with 35 wool samples.