The tradition of the silk
In China the silk production has a long tradition of more than 5000 years. She is valid as a part of the Chinese culture. We with Silk Couture are very proud to be allowed to continue this tradition.
Secret
The silk production a well protected secret was millennium-long. Hardly somebody knew that the valuable threads are spun by insignificant caterpillars. There is a legend which the Chinese empress Xi Ling Shi makes the discoverer of the silk. When a cocoon fell in her teacup, it had with the Herausfischen a shining silk thread in the hand. Whether has it happened really so?
Seidenstrasse
Only in the second century A.D. the luxury material came over "Seidenstrasse" to Europe. Many secrets and ideas were exchanged about this route and also the silk found spreading. There is own silk production in Europe only since the sixth century.
Luxury
Silk was a material in which only emperors and kings could dress and lay. Till this day the fine material is valid as a luxury because real Maulbeerseide are also made even today in manual labour. In addition, silk is also used in the cosmetics and the medicine wide-diversified what she makes in many areas valuable.
Bed goods
In Europe silk is also known today rather than clothes and is not associated first with bed goods. However, in China a long tradition has the Maulbeerseide as filling for blankets and we know with Silk Couture that it has countless advantages to bed down itself in silk.
The origin process of our silk products
What makes Maulbeerseide so particularly?
We speak of Maulbeerseide if the silkworms live exclusively on the sheets of the Maulbeerbaums. The threads from which the caterpillars build her cocoon distinguish themselves by the fact that they are steady particularly feinund. The caterpillars were bred about millenniums. In contrast to wild kinds they spin the threads which become up to 3500 metres long.
Silkworm breeding
In the east and Westchina rule the perfect climatic conditions for the cultivation of the Maulbeerbäume. By special Züchtung it is possible to let slip twice per year caterpillars of the silk spinner (Bombyx mori). The silkworm breeding belongs to the most important branches of industry of the region.
Manual labour
The silk fibres can be won only with the highest craft talent. The silk cocoons are soaked in hot water, so that the fibres can be unwound. The raw silk is cooked, so that the external Sericin layer frees itself. Without Sericin the threads become smooth.
Litheness
Thanks to her special state silk also on sensitive skin feels pleasant. The people who suffer from Neurodermitis find here a pleasant solution, people with allergies can count on the fact that silk accepts no allergens. Moreover, silk disposes of a selbstreinigende function what it makes especially easy-care.
Wonderwork
The special in Maulbeerseide is that the single threads are miles long and the diameter of a single thread only approx. 20 micrometers amounts. The Maulbeerseidenfaden counts with it as the finest natural fibre. Nevertheless, he is more resistant than other materials and has a bigger tractive power than metal.
From the caterpillar up to the silk:
- The caterpillar eats during 30 days
- She multiplies her weight around the 10,000-fold
- She peels four times before them to herself verpuppt
- The cocoon spins the caterpillars from one single silk thread
- The thread is several kilometres long
- For the stability of the cocoon the caterpillar produces Sericin, a sort of glue
- To solve the glue, the cocoons must be boiled before the subsequent treatment
- The valuable silk thread can be unwound only with the highest talent and the biggest care
How do silk products originate?
So that we can offer you the highest quality with our silk bed goods, the single production steps with the biggest care are explained. The cocoons must be released from the silk phloem, so that the silk threads can be used, the threads are processed to a silk fleece and this natural-white silk fleece forms the basis for filling our silk blanket.
Silk cocoons
The silk cocoons are soaked carefully in water and are cooked. The Sericin, the silk phloem, is removed by this process, the fibres become softer and more shining. The cocoons are brushed with extreme care, so that the valuable threads are not damaged.
Silk fibres
After the single silk fibres were won in manual labour from the cocoon, now they can be processed. The single threads can be miles long, this makes our silk so particularly. The work with the fibres is a challenge and requires the highest talent.
Silk fleece
The silk threads are also pulled by hand in a fleece. For it one needs not only instinct, but also a lot of strength, because the silk fleece must have the size of the later covers. Several people are necessary for this process. The fleece is folded what determines the thickness of the later cover and lends to the fleece stability.
Silk blanket
After the fleece was put on top of each other in layers in different directions, it is used for filling our silk blankets. The silk fibres with which Silk Couture works do not slip. It is enough, the relation on the edge festzunähen, the Steppung occurs for purely optical reasons.