Hello

[Melissa S]

Hi there, I'm new and from Southern California. I'm new to historical sewing, I just started in August I think it was. I've only done a couple Regency gowns and stays but will be starting some Victorian things soon. Just waiting on some fabric and my patterns to get started!
I look forward to getting to know people on here!

[diana]

Which part of So Cal? I'm in Orange County.

[Melissa S]

I'm in LA county.

[diana]

Close to the LA Fabric (Garment) District? Lucky you! Fabrics and Fabrics is my favorite store to get low priced silk dupioni which is my favorite fabric to use for bustle dresses (well, even natural form ones). The fabric gathers and poufs so nicely.

[Melissa S]

I need to go down there sometime! I will make a note of that shop and check them out when I do. I would like to get some silk but it's so expensive...about how much is it there?

[Heather]

I love shopping downtown! And the prices are unbeatable. And the selection!! Dupioni will run about the same price as calico at Joanns.

[diana]

The last time I bought it was about 3 years ago. It was $8 then because for some reason silk was running high that year. In previous years, it was only $6.

[Emmaline]

I live in San Diego and go up to LA fabric district about once a month. The owner of Fabrics and Fabrics told us the price of silk is going sky high, and he will not be ordering as much in the future.

I got some real pretty green (fake) silk taffeta at Valentine's, and because they were moving across the street, the owner threw an extra 4 yards in my bag and I didn't know it until I got home! It was $5 a yard. I bought 10 yards and ended up with 14! So that brought the cost down even more. going to make the 1875 Parisian Trained Skirt, and I don't know what bodice to go with it. Any suggestions?

[Bookwyrm]

Silk is more expensive probably because of the new tariffs on imports from China. I work at a ribbon store, and our suppliers are switching from Chinese to Japanese for almost everything, which means the price is going up.

[SarahS]

Hmmm, well what I have heard of is increasing wages for Chinese workers and environmental problems reducing the silk worm yield. Also hear a lot about how the Chinese currency will be strengthened, but of course that never actually happens. Don't forget the increasing costs of transportation as fuel costs go up due to various factors.

Frankly if I have to pay $100-$110 for 10 yards of silk instead of $90 so that Chinese laborers can afford to feed their families it doesn't seem like such a bad thing, but as climates shift, things like silk that depend on a fairly delicate ecosystem are going to go as attention shifts to just trying to feed the people, in some areas of China the bee populations have died off and they are hand pollinating the food crops which is very inefficient and a recipe for disaster.

I planted a mulberry tree last year and it survived the summer, now if it survives the snow maybe I'll just import some silk worms.

[mette.wikkelso]

The US is not the only place that silk prices have increased. In Denmark we have also had a price increase of approximately +40%, so that 10 yards (9 meters) cost 300 US dollars. The silk is 135 cm wide, but it is still rather pricy.