Mea Culpa with fabric tests
I was wrong about the silk... after a long, over 24 hour bath in bleach... it finally, FINALLY, has mostly disintegrated. There are some small little fuzzy bits, and two long strands of threads (probably from the selvedge), but the rest is gone. And I will state that it had to take a long time in bleach to do this... as the first 12 hours or so, very little was gone.
Gone, too, is the sample of the wool I was told was 100%, but it also took about a day to completely disappear.
Both fabrics must have been heavily coated with chemicals that changed the silk from one that is self extinguishing, to a flammable nightmare. At least it is pretty, it is breathable (hopefully) and will be kept away from open flames, so no 12th Night parties wearing it, and no standing by the firepits, either. I plan on making it into a forepart and Elizabethan sleeves.
The wool at least is still acting like wool, and is still self extinguishing. And my old gown will remain in use since it really is wool.
Gone, too, is the sample of the wool I was told was 100%, but it also took about a day to completely disappear.
Both fabrics must have been heavily coated with chemicals that changed the silk from one that is self extinguishing, to a flammable nightmare. At least it is pretty, it is breathable (hopefully) and will be kept away from open flames, so no 12th Night parties wearing it, and no standing by the firepits, either. I plan on making it into a forepart and Elizabethan sleeves.
The wool at least is still acting like wool, and is still self extinguishing. And my old gown will remain in use since it really is wool.