What is the "standard" type of edge treatment 8 momme magician's silks use?

Thanks,
Richard

I will stick with double turned flat hems. Most of the better stuff is done that way. It is time consuming and not everyone can do it. Serging is a cheaper way of hemming. It leaves wrapped threads on the edges that can be snagged easily.

Just my opinion.

Richard

My wife usually does a rolled hem which she does by hand. I am not nearly as talented as her so I stick with a double turned flat hem.
A rolled hem is the superior of the two in my opinion as it is less bulky.
Surging is bulky, snags easily and generally looks cheap and awful.

Smooth flat hems make anything else look like a poor choice. Generally they cost a little more but I think you will find that they not only look better, take less space (about 2mm wide but very thin), are much less likely to hang, but also result in a straight edge! That even makes square silks possible! One of the basic qualities to check in magicians' silks is squareness. The best silks are very square. (The obvious lack of squareness is often an indicator of rejects sold by the pound or kilo. Auctions often attract them in large numbers.)

The blanket stitch is the best choice for diamond cut or other shaped silks that cannot be folded with the natural weave of the cloth. However, making diamond cuts from 8 momme silk would totally defeat the purpose of having diamond cut silks. Knots-off silks might be a different story. (Restricted to the holes in the silk.) Blanket-stitching looks like the sewing around a buttonhole. On silks it seems more bulky than on wool and it is much less flexible than the flat hem. Good flat hems are very available today from knowledgeable magic dealers. Just insist on what you want. It's your decision, your money and your show.

Enjoy your silk magic.

Bob
Magic By Sander

Thanks guys for all the help. The reason I am asking, is I want to learn how to do this for myself. Any suggestions on a good way to learn?

Thanks,
Richard

When I started hemming I went to the Kent State Fashion Museum and talked with internationlly known designer Shannon Rogers. He told me to find some "old nuns" that knew how to hand roll it.

The best thing I can tell you is practice and practice and practice. I have never found anyting in print that gave any measurable accurate advice how to do it. Believe me. I have looked.

Richard

Just a note about folded versus serger hems. A pin or thread through the silk to hold it secure or lift it will be much less likely to tear through a folded hem that is stitched through than a serger hem. (Remember the old THIS from the 70s and 80s? Serger hems killed it! The newest Improved THIS has good hems and many other improvements.)

If silk is cut diagonal to the weave, serger hemming is about the only choice left!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

It would be really nice and a great help if there were pics of the hems mentioned above.

Great question, but I lack the capacity to include the photos. The best I can offer is to suggest that you look at the edge of a bath cloth. This is the way a serger hem looks. It is not for strength or tying. It is just to stop fraying. The thread is wrapped around the edge.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Hi All,

Can someone recommend a place where can I buy a 18-24 inch flat-hemmed burgundy silk?

I'm trying to find the right silk to do one of Curtis Kam's routines (in Palms of Steel 1) where, at the end of the routine, he pulls the silk through the center hole of a jumbo Chinese coin. I recently tried using thicker fabric, but it was too thick and wouldn't pull through the hole.

Thanks,

- Frank

Have you looked into the diamond-cut silks that are available?

I can make the silk up in 6 or 5 momme in whatever color you require.

Richard

Frank,

I think your best answer actually came in two parts. Diamond cuts are more likely to fit through the hole. (A 12" diamond cut silk looks like an 18" square.)

To get the color you want, special dying will be necessary. Richard is a pro at that.

Good luck!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

I have seen Richard's work in person and he is the best when it comes to special dying jobs.