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Mary Corbet

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I learned to embroider when I was a kid, when everyone was really into cross stitch (remember the '80s?). Eventually, I migrated to surface embroidery, teaching myself with whatever I could get my hands on...read more

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Piper’s Silk – A Gift from Alaska!

 

Amazon Books

I’ve wanted to try Piper’s silk for a while.

My first comparison of flat silks, followed a while later by a second comparison including Japanese Silk, garnered some interest, and a very kind lady from Alaska sent me a couple cops of Piper’s silk to try out.

Piper’s silk comes in cops (or spools) of 80 meters. It is a completely flat filament silk, much finer than the Japanese silk from the Japanese Embroidery Center.

To get a “thicker” coverage with this silk, you would double or triple the strands in your needle, which is a lot easier than trying to get a finer thread by splitting the strands of Japanese silk.

Size-wise, this seems to compare with one strand of Chinese silk like Eterna (which is no longer in business).

Pipers Flat Embroidery Silk

Marilyn from Alaska recommended the Helen M. Stevens site to me when I was taking a look at embroidery designers, as well as putting me back on to trying out Piper’s silk.

I was a bit daunted by their long turn-around times on orders (up to 28 days!) coupled with the fact that Piper’s silk comes from England, which makes it more expensive, once you figure the exchange rate.

(updated 2017) Helen Stevens used to carry the same type of silk that Piper’s produces, which, through her company, was called True Embroideries Sleave Silk. It was Pipers, renamed. I placed an order, and eagerly await its arrival.

In the meantime, though, through the generosity of a kind reader, I have had a chance to try out Piper’s silk, and…. I like it! I’ll write up a comparison of it with the Japanese silk, Eterna, and Au Ver a Soie’s Soie Ovale soon, giving you some close ups so you can see how they differ.

Thanks heaps, Marilyn!!

 
 

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(3) Comments

  1. I am traveling to London and looking for shops carrying Piper’s silks as well as other embroidery supplies.

    Anyone have any suggestions?
    Thanks

    1
  2. I love Piper’s silk. Takes a while to arrive as they are a small family company but here in UK it’s much cheaper and much easier to find than Au Ver A Soie. Mind you. I really love au ver. Just wish it was easier to get and more approachable on the price (it’s about 4-5 times more expensive than Pipers)

    3
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