Making playsilks

[Clarity]

I can buy pre-dyed playsilks, but in searching the BBB, it seems as though everyone has really enjoyed making them, so I'd like to try it. I am, however, a bit fabric impaired.
I've searched past posts but I have a few questions about purchasing the silks. If I go out to Dharma Trading Co. I see where I can get something like 8mm 36" Habotai silk - cut by the yard. My question is...if I under "cut by the yard" I choose 5, I will get 5 36"-36" square silks...correct? Do the edges need hemmed? (I've seen some of the sites selling playsilks say "handrolled edges" or "hand-hemmed".) Oh, and what are the chances I can by the same thing at my local JoAnn fabric store?
That's all! TIA

[kcampbell]

Don't know anything about it either but would love to learn. I actually just ordered our first two for the holidays.......I always learn about all sorts of random stuff here!

[Clarity]

Okay, well I'm definitely going to try making playsilks, but I see at Thai Silks that I can buy pre-dyed 36"-36" silks for $3.60 apiece. Seems like a toygarden said they used 8mm silk so would there be any reason NOT to buy these too?

[brittone2]

to prehemmed silk squares, 8mm (good for playsilks). The most common size people tend to go with is 35x35.
http://dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1741-AA.shtml?lnav=scarves_silk.html

I've heard hemming silk is a pain, so having them prehemmed is a big help.

Silk hankie-sized ones could be fun for certain things too. These are 11x11"

http://dharmatrading.com/html/eng/3001305-AA.shtml

[s7714]

Silk (or any fabric) cut "by the yard" is not going to have finished edges. Follow the links Beth gave you to the scarves on Dharma instead. Finishing the edges on very thin fabrics is a major PITB, so I strongly recommend going with actual blank scarves!

Jennifer
Mommy to
Miss Pure Energy 3/03
Miss Limit Tester 6/05

Our bones may be brittle, but our spirit is unbreakable.
Osteogenesis Imperfecta www.oif.org

[Clarity]

THANK YOU! And Beth, you too. I guess I wasn't looking in the right place. Can't wait to get them!

[egoldber]

I used the scarf blanks from Dharma when I made mine. :) I used several different sizes.

[rlu]

FWIW, I bought my white to be dyed silks (not the pre-dyed) from Thai Silks and am happy with them. My problem was the color ran (luckily before I gave them to DS who would have put in his mouth) and ended up more pastel than intended. I used kool-aid. I was thinking of trying again (only made 2 and I think I have several more white ones) and look for different directions than I used before. Could have been user error, don't think it was the silk.

eta: I made these years ago and can't recall the exact directions used.