Xpertblogs

Silk Production

Silk is produced from jelly substances secreted by silkworms. The secretion hardens as soon upon exposure to air, forming what is known as a filament. The hardened filament is tightly held together by sericin, a silk gum. The silkworm spins layers of the single filament and a cocoon is formed. Each cocoon is composed of a single thread, measuring approximately 914 meters (3,000 feet). A series of hot and cold water immersions soften the silk gum and loosen the filament, leaving it ready to be reeled and spun into a silk thread. In instances where the silk is used as a filling, softened filaments are manually stretched and layered to form the comforter batting.

Silk Identification

In general, spun silk is soft and lightweight. When touched or wrapped around the body, you’ll immediately notice the distinct smoothness of silk.

Raw silk is generally characterized as being soft and lightweight. It has a very fibrous appearance, similar to cotton. Silk fibers tend to cling to one another, forming the comforter batting. Pure silk should be pearly white with a slight sheen.

The “burn” test is the easiest (and best) way to determine if a fiber is truly silk. Place a flame under a piece of either raw or spun silk. Silk fibers burn on contact but extinguish upon removal of the flame. True silk leaves a powdery ash residue.

Silk Grade

Silk has several different grades. Short floss silk may merely be remnants or broken cocoon silk. However, long floss silk is extracted from whole cocoons with one continuous filament-some as long as 3,000 feet! Long floss silk tend to adhere to one another, making it less likely to pull apart. SV Silk comforters are filled only with the finest long floss mulberry silk.

Types of Silk

Two different types of silk exist, and they vary greatly in quality. Silkworms produce Wild Silk using any available food source they can find. This type of silk is generally found to be of lower quality and consistency than Mulberry silk.

Mulberry Silk filaments are finer and have a more consistent filament width than Wild Silk filaments. Bombyx Mori silkworms, which feed on only Mulberry leaves, produce this type of silk.

Hypoallergenic

Silk-filled comforters are naturally hypoallergenic. The silk fillings contain sericin, which is mold and mildew resistant. Along with sericin and other natural properties, silk-filled comforters draw out moisture and release it through the comforter.

Silk comforters are 100% natural without any chemicals involved in processing the silk. They’re perfect for those with allergies.

Down Alternative

Silk comforters are great alternatives to any down, natural fiber, or conventional polyester-filling comforters. Unlike other comforters, silk comforters are neither bulk nor thick. The king-sized winter-weight comforter is less than an inch thick, yet it provides enough warmth for those cold winter nights.

Additionally, silk does not seep through comforter covers like traditional down bedding. It is odorless provided one or two air-outs a year (see Care Instructions for details) and will never leave unsightly feathers around your house.

Lightweight

Silk comforters are the lightest comforters on the market. Imagine sleeping through the night without ever feeling weighed down. It’s impossible with traditional comforters, but an everyday experience with silk.

Silk comforters are also very suited for use by children. Their lightweight nature allows for a warm rest without the sheets being kicked off. The end result is a good night’s rest for both the parent and the child.

Soft and Contouring

Silk comforters contain the softest and fluffiest silk available. There’s nothing more comfortable than wrapping yourself in a silk comforter and letting your tensions melt away.

Air Permeable

There’s nothing but the finest layers of Mulberry silk in an Silk comforter. A standard winter-weight comforter is composed of more than 150 silk layers. Each layer is carefully stretched and placed by hand to provide easier airflow. Silk also has a natural ability to help regulate temperature. Because of this, body heat is retained during the colder months and released during the warmer months

The more that down is allowed to loft, the better its ability to insulate and breathe. The best constructions maintain an even distribution of down yet allow the sleeper to adjust the comforter to their liking.

In sewn-through comforters, two outer layers of fabric are stitched together in a quilted pattern. This construction is best for lightweight down comforters because it keeps the down from shifting, but it does not allow for maximum loft. It is sewn through where a stitch goes from the top of the comforter direct through the comforter and emerges on the bottom of the comforter. It can keep the down in place and is a more economical form of construction than baffle box construction.

A baffle is a wall of fabric perpendicular to the top and bottom layers of the comforter fabric. A baffled construction features fabric walls sewn between the top and bottom of the comforter cover, which both prevents the down from shifting and allows the down to fully loft, thus providing more insulation and warmth. In other words, baffles help to give comforters the appearance of depth. Baffle box construction is of a higher quality than sewn-through stitching

User Tip: To keep the down in place the best, look for “true baffle box” or “closed baffle box” or “end-to-end” baffle construction. These indicate that the baffle boxes are fully sealed as opposed to being partially open. Partially open boxes may allow some down movement from box to box. Closed boxes do not permit the down to move.

Down is measured by “fill power,” which is the amount of volume one ounce of down occupies. The higher the fill power, the lighter and fluffier the down and better insulating ability of the down — in other words, you stay warmer with less weight. The lower-quality down is 500 fill power, and it goes up to 700 or 750. Higher fill power down is also fluffier in appearance. Hint: Choose a lower fill power if you live in a warmer climate and don’t need too much heat.

So, the higher number fill power means greater loft, which creates more little air pockets within the down to capture and hold the warm air, so you stay warmer with less physical weight on you. You can stay snuggly warm under a cozy down comforter/duvet without having a heavy weight on top of you. When you are looking at down comforters, the information should tell you what the fill power is.

If you are not allergic to down, nothing feels better. The down pillows that have an inner baffle don’t compress as much as plain feather pillows. If you don’t like those, get high quality foam pillows. For a comforter - again provided down doesn’t bother you, get a baffled duvet in a weight appropriate for your climate (here in Florida i use the super light weight, if it gets real cold in your neck of the woods, get a heavier weight one). Then pick out a duvet cover. This is nice because the cover is removable, that makes it really easy to launder and to change styles if you get bored with your current cover.

Down is not feathers. Down is the soft, fluff, undercoat of the bird that traps warm air next to the bird’s skin. It resembles dandelion fluff in appearance and weight. If you can feel pokey feathers in a comforter, be advised that it is probably only made up of ½ down and ½ feathers, which means it is of lower quality. Down has numerous light, fluffy filaments extending in all directions, without a feather’s quill shaft. Down keeps birds cooler in summer yet warmer in winter, and provides breathable comfort.

Down can insulate in down comforter & blankets, and provide support as in down pillows due to its ability to spring back to its original shape, known as lofting.

Down is more comfortable than synthetic filling due to its ability to let moisture such as perspiration escape in a process known as wicking. One never feels clammy with a quality down comforter. Simply put, down is more comfortable in varying temperatures and climates than other materials.

Down feels incredibly light to the touch, so is more comfortable to sleep under.

Down comforters look the same but are completely different once you know how to compare them on features.

A sheet is a thin square piece of fabric, usually matching the fitted sheet (this goes around the bed to separate the sleeper from the mattress), that is like a blanket, but provides very little cover.

A bedspread is usually just a blanket of medium thickness that is used primarily to decorate the bed.

A blanket is of some thickness (not usually thin like a sheet, but it can range from close to thin to very thick) that is used for warmth.

In blankets, which weave is the warmest?
A conventional weave blanket is the best for warmth and insulation. Its tightly woven fibers, usually made of synthetic or wool, trap air beneath the blanket against the body.

What is the difference between a blanket and a throw?
The difference is the size. Blankets are usually sized like comforters: Twin, Full/Queen, etc. Throws typically measure 50″ x 60″. Some throws “for two” measure 50″ x 70″.

History of silk:

Silkworms feed voraciously on mulberry leaves prior to entering to cocoon stage. To create its protective cocoon the worms produce a protein based, jelly-like substance from silk glands which hardens upon contact with air. The silkworm requires approximately eight days to complete its cocoon. A single silk filament can reach lengths of up to 1,600 yards.

The silk filament is obtained from the cocoons by a delicate process known as reeling or filature. The cocoons are first heated in water to dissolve the outside gummy substance. The end of the cocoon filament is joined and twisted with filaments of four to eight other cocoons and then combined with other similarly twisted filaments to make a thread that is wound on a reel. The thread is continuous and, unlike other natural fibers such as cotton or wool, is made up of extremely long fibers.

No longer exclusive to royalty, silk is still coveted for its elegance, versatility, and is significantly more available and affordable. Traditionally highly valued for apparel, silk is now the fabric of popular choice for home furnishings including bed linens, drapes and carpets.

Benefits:

Too delicate, difficult to care for, and does not “wear well” are often misconceptions attributed to silk. On the contrary, silk is the strongest of natural fibers, most often washable for easy care and resilient for long wear. Silk is breathable, naturally hypoallergenic, absorbs moisture, reduces humidity, and is surprisingly cool in the summer, and remarkably warm in the winter. Silk retains its shape, drapes and forms well, and has an unmistaken sheen and feel.

General care instructions:

Hand Wash: Silk duvet covers, sheets, pillow cases and apparel are washable. The preferred method is hand laundered in lukewarm water with mild soap or detergent using a gentle hand movement. Do not soak too long. Rinse in cool water and roll silk in a towel to remove excess water. Never wring water from silk.

Machine Wash: Larger items can be machine washed. Wash in cold water with mild detergent, no bleach, on a gentle cycle. Wash silk separate from other items, and do not overload washer to avoid any unnecessary wear to the fabric. Silk dries quickly. Tumble dry on very low heat only if necessary.

Dry Clean: Comforters are dry clean only.

Ironing: Silk has a resistance to creasing or wrinkling, most will smooth out naturally. If ironing should become necessary, press the damp silk on the reverse side with an iron set on low. Silk charmuese (satin) requires a cool iron to bring back sheen.

What is a silk filled comforter?

Conventional comforters are filled with a synthetic polyester material. Other popular beddings are stuffed with down, which contains feathers instead of polyester. A silk filled comforter is filled with numerous layers of silk fiber. SV Silk uses only the highest quality long Mulberry silk available to comprise the multiple layers of our comforters.

Construction of Silk Comforters

Even the finest Mulberry silk will have short fibers. These short fibers are kept in place by squares on the comforter sometimes called box stitching or the hand tying method. Hand ties or “hand tacking” is a traditional Chinese method to keep the longer finer silk fibers in place.

Why should I use a duvet cover?

A duvet serves three purposes:
1) It protects the silk comforter to further extend its lifespan.
2) It saves you money by eliminating the need for dry cleaning.
3) It gives you the flexibility to coordinate with your existing bedding décor.

What’s the difference between a silk comforter and a down comforter?

Cheaper down comforters may contain low quality down filling, leading to down clumping and feather trails.

On the other hand, silk is very lightweight and requires a tremendous amount of layering to fill a comforter. Each layer is meticulously gathered, stretched, and placed by the hands of an experienced assembler. Standard spring/fall comforters contain nearly 100 layers of manually stretched silk. This gives a final product that is luxurious, carefully created, and available at an affordable price.

Silk is a luxurious textile which is produced by a silkworm and woven into a naturally thermal and hypoallergenic material- great for hypoallergenic silk comforters.

Maintenance of Silk Comforters

Although it is hard to beat the luxurious feeling and soft “hand” of a silk comforter, silk is quite fragile and requires a duvet cover in most cases or manufacturers’ warranty will be voided. The life of a silk comforter is not as long as a high quality down: 5 years can be the average lifespan. A good quality comforter can last for 10 years with good care. Silk comforters must be dry cleaned.

We have been finding out recently that not all comforters are created equally. The criteria for distinguishing between comforters are more complicated than I realized. Here is some information to make it easier to pick a comforter.

A Comforters Fill Power
In simple terms this means how fluffy-puffy is the fill. The higher the fill power means your down comforter will last longer. Fill Power =The space one ounce of down occupies in cubic inches.
800+ = superb quality comforters
700+ = excellent quality comforters
600+ = good quality comforters

How are Comforters Fill Power tested?
One ounce of down is placed in a cylinder and stirred. The loft is measured in cubic inches. The sample is compressed. The down is left alone to “rest” for 24 hours. After the resting period, the down is
re-measured. The down remains undisturbed and should regain its original loft within 72 hours.

Comforters-Thread Count-Barrier Weave fabric
The comforters thread count is the number of threads that are contained in one square inch of fabric. Higher thread counts in a comforter’s fabric mean it is lighter and softer. The tightness of the weave also prevents leakage of the comforters fill to the outside air. The lightness also helps the fill to “puff up”. Higher thread counts are obviously better. In other words- no little feathers poking through the comforter’s fabric.

Comforters Construction, 3D Baffle Design
Comforters Sewing Quality. Better sewing means more durability, less tendency for sewing to break. Comforters are generally sewn through or baffled. The baffling is an internal fabric wall which allows the fill to “loft” more. It also adds strength to the comforter. Comforters which are sewn through are
generally better for lighter weight comforters only.

Comforters Piping
A comforter can be made with material sewn around the edges. The piping is
the type of material that runs around the entire exterior edge of the down comforter.

Comforters Weight
A comforter can be made warmer in two ways. Fill power and weight. Clearly the aim is to get the maximum warmth at the lightest weight. To get this you would choose a higher fill power number. Feathers are a great deal less warm than high grade down. Once you have selected the fill power then add weight for extra warmth.

I hope some of this information helps you in picking out your comforter.

How do I know if the duvet will fit inside the duvet cover? Always look at measurements rather than size name when matching dimensions. Suppliers vary in their definitions of bedding products. It is best to have no more than 1″-2″ difference between duvet and duvet cover dimensions. This will reduce bunching and provide a much better fit.

How do I determine whether down or poly insert duvets are best? There are benefits and drawbacks to both. Down provides softness and warmth yet can bunch and be more expensive. Poly inserts provide a cleaner look with less bunching but are not as soft. To incorporate the best of both worlds, a poly insert can be placed inside the duvet cover and a down comforter used underneath for sleeping.

How is a duvet cover unclosed? Duvet covers have zipper, button or snap enclosures. Each style listed will indicate how it is enclosed.