Background is royal blue, black woven, Thai silk swatch below enlarged 1,000%!

Silk FAQ 17:

How does World of Thai Silk
manufacture its silk fabric?

All our silk is made in Thailand using a rather complicated process. Although there are now many enormous, automated factories making silk fabric all over the world, almost all the material sold by World of Thai Silk is created by individual, independent, women weavers at their homes in Northeast Thailand using traditional methods and their own looms. This is why the width of the cloth varies and each bolt is a unique work of art.

The process begins by raising silkworms on mulberry leaves. When they are mature, the silkworms spin silk cocoons. The cocoons of raw silk are then degummed by the weavers using soda and soap or special chemicals. Raw silk coated with gum appears bumpy and irregular.

They boil the degummed silk with various natural or chemical dyes at 90 degrees Celsius, constantly stirring the silk to get uniform color. The dyed silk thread is then dried. Degummed silk is smooth, lustrous and translucent.

The dried and dyed silk is then spun into yarn on wooden or plastic tubes. The women use this yarn to spin the fabulous Thai silk fabric we sell.