Mulberry silk fabric is known for its luxurious feel. It is soft, smooth, supple and hypoallergenic. It also breathes well, allowing moisture to evaporate and keeping you cool during the night. It is also resistant to fading and does not erode when exposed to salt water. These characteristics make mulberry silk fabrics an excellent choice for bed linens, as they provide a healthy sleep environment.
Silk is a naturally odourless and hypoallergenic material. It contains a protein called sericin, which makes it antibacterial and fungicidal. This helps to keep your silk bedding clean, which is important for people who suffer from allergies and sensitive skin. Additionally, mulberry silk is naturally fire retardant and crease-resistant.
The beauty of mulberry silk comes from its production and the nature of the fiber itself. The silkworm (Bombyx mori) creates its cocoon from the long, thin filaments it emits while feeding from mulberry leaves throughout its metamorphosis. Once the moth is ready to emerge, these strands are harvested from the cocoon. Then, they are spun into the silk that you can find in soft silk sheets and bedding.
This specialized process is known as sericulture. Because the moths are raised in a controlled environment, they produce consistent and high-quality silk. This is what distinguishes mulberry silk from other types of natural and synthetic fibers.
Other silk is made from wild silkworms that are not cultivated or fed with mulberry leaves. These worms are not as consistently productive, and their filaments have a shorter length. As a result, they do not produce as strong or lustrous a fabric as mulberry silk.
The other difference between mulberry and other types of silk is that mulberry silk is produced using continuous filament fibers. This type of silk is stronger than other natural and synthetic fabrics because the individual fibers are longer, which means they don’t have any uneven or lumpy spots that could catch on your skin or hair.
Mulberry silk is also smoother and softer to the touch than other types of fabric because the individual filaments are all a uniform length. This gives the finished product a luxurious, smooth and satin-like finish that is not found in other fabrics.
Another characteristic that sets mulberry silk apart from other types of silk is its color. While other silks are often a variety of colors, mulberry silk is always pure white.
You can find mulberry silk at many local and online fabric stores. It is typically pricier than most other garment fabrics, but the price varies depending on the dye, treatments and weaving technique. It is sold in narrower widths than most other garment fabrics, at an average of about $20 per yard. However, there are a number of ways that you can reduce the cost of your mulberry silk fabric by shopping around and considering different options. Also, making sure that you sew your seams correctly can help to keep your costs down.