The finest silk fibers, and most of what we use today, are produced by "cultivated" silkworms grown in a controlled environment. The worms are fed a diet of mulberry leaves and increase their body size 10,000 times in their short life span. Once the cocoonis spun and before the worm hatches through the silk into a moth, the cocoon is soaked in hot water then unraveled, producing filaments that can be up to a mile long in size. The raw silk is then processed to remove the sericin - the natural "gum" that protects the fibers and causes them to stick to each other as the cocoon was spun. Silk is a protein fiber, similar to wool or to human hair. It is only natural for silks to have some irregularities –sometimes called "slubs". This is the nature of the 100% silk fabric. Silk that has been processed can be woven or knit into a variety of fabrics. Silk will shrink, so if you are using it to construct clothing, be sure to preshrink it. Silk often has a wonderful feel, (referred to as a "hand"), and an almost iridescent sheen that makes us think of luxury. The weight of silk is shown as "mm" – pronounced "mommy" – and varies within the different types of silk. Some favorite high quality silk fabric include silk satin, silk charmeuse, silk chiffon, silk crepe, silk organza, silk dupion, silk duchess satin, silk georgette, silk habotai, silk tulle, silk taffeta, silk twill and sandwashed silk fabric.

Silk habotai fabric is a lightweight, sheer, plain-weave fabric. It's sometimes referred to as habutai, or habotai, or pongee. Silk habotai fabric is one of the less expensive and more commonly available silk fabrics. Silk habotai can often be found as light as 5 mm and as heavy as 12 mm. Most of our scarves are made of 8 mm Habotai. When purchasing for clothing construction, or purchasing ready-made clothing, this fabric is not recommended for fitted garment styles because the seams will tear from the stress.

Silk habotai fabric is one of the most basic plain weaved silk fabric. Silk habotai fabric is often referred as "China silk" and it is an excellent choice for making lining for garments, sleeping bags and etc. Silk habotai fabric is as light and airy as chiffon and not as shinny as satin charmeuse. Silk habotai fabric is the most popular silk for painting/printing as its feature determines it show paintings and prints as vivid as possible!

Usual Usage:

Silk habotai fabric is an excellent choice for making lining for garments, sleeping bags etc . And Silk habotai fabric is widely used for printing/painting.

------Predatex Silk Co.,Ltd., a China based company who is exporting only 100% mulberry silk fabric!