About Our Fabrics....

Fabric shrinks. None of our fabrics are considered pre-shrunk. On each type, we have done tests with a hot wash and dryer and tried to give you an idea how much it will shrink in length and width, but it can vary from batch to batch, so this is just intended to be a guide. Remember to allow for shrinkage!

• Fabric width measurements are approximate - they can vary slightly from lot to lot. Some fabrics have a woven edge (closed selvedge) and some have an unwoven edge (open selvage). We cannot guarantee which you will receive.
• Silk bolts average about 50 yards and can be a little over or under; we charge you only for what is actually on the bolt. The  yardage on full silk bolts usually runs between 45 and 55 yds.
• It is natural for silk to have some irregularities - it's the nature of 100% silk fabric - surface variations , tiny slubs, etc., are to be expected and are in no way to be considered defects.
• "mm" stands for 'momme', the unit of measure used to designate the weight of silk. The higher the number, the heavier the silk. Anything less than 8 momme is considered lightweight and is usually fairly sheer.
• Because of the labor involved, returns of cut fabric or large fabric returns, will incur a 20% restocking charge. 
• Buying full fabric bolts will get you the best prices we can offer, but you will also get a discount when purchasing more than 10yds of most fabrics. If we don't have to measure or cut it, it costs us less and we pass that savings on to you. More questions? Give us a call! We're happy to work with you to get exactly what you need.

We import top grade silk (Grade A, 1st Class) and still price it lower than anyone else in the USA. Rising overseas labor costs, shipping, and tariffs keep pushing prices up industry wide, but keeping our prices affordable is something we work hard to maintain.

All our fabric is off-white, white, or where noted, black. We also now have Habotai, Crepe Backed Silk Satin (Charmeuse) and Chiffon in 30+ mouth watering colors, including bridal (optic) white!

Our un-dyed fabrics are either:

• "Natural" - washed, NOT bleached, NOT optically whitened (known as Greige Goods - pronounced gray, also the true definition of PFD - Prepared for Dyeing). Most natural fabrics are a cream or dark ivory color.
• Washed, bleached, but NOT optically whitened (also known by most as PFD).
• Washed, bleached, AND optically whitened - we call this RTD, or Ready to Dye, as opposed to PFD. Optical white fabric glows under blacklight, so is an easy way to tell.

They all dye well. Technically, non-optic whitened fabric dyes better (however, we find it hard to see the difference). For processes like tie-dye and batik, some folks prefer optical or at least well bleached fabric so it is as white as possible in areas with no dye. That is why most, but not all, of our cotton clothing blanks are optical white.

If fabric has been treated in any way, for crease resistance, permanent press, water proofing or just to look good in the store (a common practice) or to function better in its intended use, this will reduce the effectiveness of the dye (any dye) or resist the dye entirely. The finish that was applied will keep the dye from adhering.

All of the fabrics that we offer are intended to be without such treatments and are ready to dye as is. However, when solid color dyeing, pre-washing or scouring is ALWAYS recommended! (just in case there is some residual machine oil, skin oil from handling the fabric or any other residue from the many steps along the way the fabric takes). Use Dharma Dyers Detergent and HOT water for pre-washing, and add some Soda Ash (~1 cup/wash machine load) to that mix to really scour cottons and other plant fiber fabrics (but not wools or silks), especially natural ones that haven't been bleached.

Other things worth mentioning are:

• We are only able to sell fabric by the full yard (no fractions of yards).
• Cut yardage is shipped folded in a box.
• For overseas orders, light weight fabrics on a bolt usually incur big extra DIM (Dimensional Weight) charges, so we roll the fabric off the bolt and fold it in a box to save you on shipping. But if you don't want your fabric rolled off, and you want to pay the DIM charges, please do let us know.
• We can only cut full yds - not fractions of yards. Sorry!
• Bolt sizes may vary, either smaller or bigger - that is how they come to us from the mills in the U.S. as well as from overseas. We only charge you for what is actually on the bolt - if you order bolts online, the final total of your order may vary slightly because of this.
• Bolts may not be continuous yardage. It's not uncommon for there to be at least one break in a bolt.
• Fabric returns are subject to a 20% restocking fee.
• Sample swatches are available for all our fabrics for $0.25 or less with free shipping!
• Our Fabrics are not treated with fire retardant. Treat them if using in public art installations to conform to local safety rules. Here is a non-toxic fire retardant. Our fabrics cannot be used for sleepwear for children 12 and under due to Consumer Safety laws regarding flammability.