100% Silk, 44" wide
Ivory Gauze Stripe Silk WSV 110
$14/yd

Lovely!

Striped gauze was often used to make lady's neck handkerchiefs and aprons. In the picture the penny was put behind the silk to show how sheer this silk is but you can also see my hand holding the fabric. In The Pennsylvania Gazette of 1770, "Run away . . .  an Irish servant woman . . .  had on . . .  striped silk handkerchief" as cited in Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls. White fine silk thread will melt into this when hand sewing.

100% Silk, 41" wide
Gauze Silk WSV 111
$10/yd

Beautiful!

Gauze was often used to make lady's neck handkerchiefs, caps and aprons. In the picture the penny is behind the silk to show how sheer this silk is. In The New York Gazette of 1783, "Run away . . .  a negro wench . . .  had on . . .  a gauze cap and pink ribbons" as cited in Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls. White fine silk thread will melt into this when hand sewing.

100% Silk, 41" wide
Yellow Silk Twill WSV 112
$10/yd

Now in stock!

Twill silk of this weight is great for men's waistcoats but may also be used for women's petticoats, gowns and jackets. In The Virginia Gazette of 1752, "ran away . . .  a lusty well-looking Servant Woman . . .  born in England, and took with her when she went away . . .  an old quilted Petticoat of brown Shalloon, covering a yellow Silk, some of which appears, and lin'd with yellow Stuff". Ivory silk thread will melt into this when hand sewing.

100% Silk, 41" wide
Blue Silk Twill WSV 113
$10/yd

New!

Twill silk of this weight is great for men's waistcoats but may also be used for women's petticoats, gowns and jackets. In The Virginia Gazette of 1745, "two Servant Men . . .  in a small Schooner . . .  did barbarously murder Mr. Tobias Horton, their Skipper, (his Body having been since found on the Bay Shore, nigh Windmill Point) and ran away with the Vessel and Cargoe . . .  The Skipper, when ashore at Indian Creek, told of his having . . .  a blue Silk Vest, with Silver Buttons" on board the schooner. Medium blue silk thread will work well for hand sewing this silk.

100% Silk, 41" wide
Gray Silk Twill WSV 114
$10/yd

We ship promptly!

Twill silk of this weight is great for men's waistcoats but may also be used for women's petticoats, gowns and jackets. In The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London of 1756, during a house breaking trial "Hannah Watkins, spinster, was indicted for stealing one silk waistcoat, laced, value 40 l.". Gray silk thread will work well for hand sewing this silk.

100% Silk, 45" wide
Red Persian WSV 109
$14/yd

Scarlet red silk as fine as this was used for neck handkerchiefs, and linings. Cited in Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls The Pennsylvania Packet, of 1771, "Run away . . .  an Irish servant woman . . .  talks a little on the brogue, is full of impudence, loves strong liquor, and will get drunk, when she has an opportunity; she is a good seamstress, and professes to be a mantua maker; had on, and took with her . . .  red silk handkerchief".

100% Silk, 45" wide
Brown Persian WSV 108
$14/yd

Brown silk as fine as this was used for neck handkerchiefs, linings and sometimes bonnets. Cited in Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls The Pennsylvania Packet, of 1778, "Ran Away . . .  an indented girl . . .  country born . . .  had on and took with her, a brown silk bonnet".

100% Silk, 45" wide
Ivory Persian WSV 106
$14/yd

Ivory silk as fine as this was used for neck handkerchiefs, linings, and sometimes bonnets. In The Virginia Gazette, of 1773, "RUN away . . .  a convict servant man . . .  born in England . . .  had on . . .  [a] silk handkerchief round his neck".

100% Silk, 45" wide
Gold Persian WSV 104
$14/yd

Gold silk as fine as this was used for neck handkerchiefs and as a lining. In The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London of 1767, "Richard Griffiths, and Mary his wife, otherwise Mary Pitt, spinster, otherwise Anne Taylor, spinster, were indicted for burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Anne Nevell, widow . . .  and stealing . . .  a coloured silk handkerchief, the property of the said Anne Nevell".

100% Silk, 45" wide
White Persian WSV 102
$14/yd

This fine white silk was primarily used as a lining and hem facinings on women's gowns. White silk as fine as this can also be used for neck handkerchiefs, and men's cravats (aka neck cloths) and neck stocks. Sometimes Persian was used for women's bonnets. In The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London in 1758, "Arthur Hambleton was indicted for stealing . . .  one white silk lining to a gown".

100% Silk, 45" wide
Black Persian WSV 100
$14/yd

Fine black silk was commonly used as a lining material but may also be used for neck handkerchiefs, women's bonnets, and to cover chip (straw) hats. It may also be used for men's cravats (aka neck cloths) and neck stocks. In The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London of 1775, "CHARLES M'GINNIS and ANN his wife, were indicted for stealing . . .  a piece of black silk lining, value two pence; a piece of black silk, value six-pence".

100% Cotton Organdy, White, 45" wide
WCV 200 Not pictured
$4.50/yd.

Organdy was a type of muslin often referred to as book muslin in the 18th century. This fine crisp cotton was used to make shirt and shift ruffles, women's caps, aprons, and handkerchiefs starting in the 1760s and continuing to the present. Organdy is stiff and holds its shape well. In The Proceedings of the Old Bailey in London of 1771, "I lost two aprons a book muslin and a stript one". We understand this is not a silk but it did not seem to fit in elsewhere.

100% Cotton, Gray and Brown Stripe Manchester Velvet, 51" wide
WCN 101
$10/yd

New!

Manchester velvets first appear in London in the 1750s and first show up in America runaway descriptions starting in the late 1760s but they really don't become common until the late 1780s. From the late 1780s and into the early 19th century Manchester velvets were commonly used for working class men's waistcoats and breeches and less often coats. In The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London in 1784 a man "was indicted for feloniously stealing . . .  a pair of Manchester velvet breeches, value 8 s." Black 60/2 linen thread for hand sewing will match this fabric.

100% Cotton, Black Stripe Manchester Velvet, 51" wide
WCN 100
$10/yd

We ship promptly!

Manchester velvets first appear in London in the 1750s and first show up in America runaway descriptions starting in the late 1760s but they really don't become common until the late 1780s. From the late 1780s and into the early 19th century Manchester velvets were commonly used for working class men's waistcoats and breeches and less often coats. In the 1770 Virginia Gazette, an ad included "RUN away . . .  an English convict servant man . . .  had on when he went away a . . .  black Manchester velvet waistcoat". Black 60/2 linen thread for hand sewing will match this fabric.

100% Cotton Ticking, Blue and White Stripe, 56" wide
WCC 101
$10/yd

Ticking (also ticken) for most of the 18th century was made of linen but beginning in the late 1770s in England and the early 1790s in America large cotton mills were established. These quickly grew in scale and by the early 19th century cotton ticking was cheep and available. For example in The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London in 1810 it was recorded that "WILLIAM LEE was indicted for feloniously stealing . . .  two remnants of ticking, value 3 s." For those of you who shoot this fabric is 6.5 - 7 microns thick.

100% Cotton Organdy, White, 45" wide
WCV 200 Not pictured
$4.50/yd.

Organdy was a type of muslin often referred to as book muslin in the 18th century. This fine crisp cotton was used to make shirt and shift ruffles, women's caps, aprons, and handkerchiefs starting in the 1760s and continuing to the present. Organdy is stiff and holds its shape well. In The Proceedings of the Old Bailey in London of 1771, "I lost two aprons a book muslin and a stript one". We understand this is not a silk but it did not seem to fit in elsewhere.