My silk charmeuse dress ripped at the shoulder seam during a fitting yesterday

I was pinning the final adjustments for a client in Seattle when the fabric just gave way, even though I used a fresh size 70 needle. This is the third time this month I've had high-end silk fail on me under light stress. Are certain mills cutting corners on thread count or is it my technique?

3 comments

3 Comments

chen.jade3mo ago

Honestly, this feels like a wider quality drop. I've seen it with linen too, where it feels thinner and pills right away. It's not just you. I keep hearing from other sewists that fabrics, even expensive ones, just aren't holding up like they did a few years back. Makes me wonder if mills are using shorter fibers or cheaper blends to save money, and then just calling it the same name. Super frustrating when you're doing everything right on your end.

ellis.nina3mo agoMost Upvoted

My $40/yard linen pilled in one wash.

caseywest1mo ago

Totally hear you on this one, @ellis.nina. That is way too much money for fabric to fall apart after one wash. It is a real shame how common this is getting. Chen.jade makes a good point about shorter fibers being used to cut costs. I have had similar issues with mid-priced cottons over the last couple years. You are not crazy, this is a real problem across the board. Hard to trust anything you buy these days without making a sample first.