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Silk 101: Paterson, New Jersey is America's "Silk City"

By Jane Nicastro-Disch Warren NJ

Real Estate Agent with Weichert Realtors

November 14, 2009 10:59 PM

Oddly, in 1996 the United Nations General Assembly declared 2009 as the International Year of Natural Fibers, ostensibly to raise awareness and stimulate demand for natural fibers, especially silk. Well, maybe it's working. These days, silk is one of the most popular fabrics in window fashion. Nothing compares to the texture, luster, hand (how well the fabric drapes), and brilliance of silk.

In the Odyssey, when Odysseus, while pretending to be someone else, is questioned by Penelope about her husband's clothing, he says that he wore a shirt "gleaming like the skin of a dried onion," which almost certainly refers to the lustrous quality of silk fabric. When made into stationary side panels and draped from a distinctive decorative rod, silk flanks your window, framing and defining it, and invariable draws the outside scenery in, creating a truly dramatic focal point in any room.

Silk has a long and fabulously rich history. It began, according to legend, sometime in the 27th century BCE when an errant silk worm's cocoon fell into the tea cup of the unsuspecting Chinese empress Lei Zu. The young and curious girl of fourteen decided to unroll the thread of the cocoon to see what was inside. Then, she had the brilliant idea of weaving the thread into fabric. By studying the life of the silk worm she soon began raising them and eventually became known as the goddess of silk. Thus began, what is known today as sericulture - the art of raising silk worms. Silk would eventually leave China in the hair of a princess promised to a prince of Khotan, in southern Asia, probably in the first century CE. The princess, refusing to go without the fabric she loved, would finally break the imperial ban on silk worm exportation.

After thousands of years of China's monopoly on silk production, many other countries eventually started
producing and trading it as well. An extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and
Northeast Africa and Europe began to develop. Many luxuries of the time were traded -- spices, metals,
textiles - everything from slaves to rhubarb. Eventually it became know as the 'Silk Road,' in large part
for the role silk trading played in world commerce at that time . In fact, the silk road was a significant
factor in the development of the great civilizations of China, India, Egypt, Persia, Arabia, and Rome, and
in several respects helped lay the foundations for the modern world.

By the 13th century, Italian silk was a significant source of trade. Venetian merchants traded extensively
in silk and encouraged silk growers to settle in Italy. The wealth of Florence was largely built on textiles,
both wool and silk, and other cities like Lucca also grew rich on the trade. Even Napoleon ordered large
amounts of silk for his many homes in order to bolster the French silk industry. Consider that in order to
produce 1 kg of silk, 104 kg of mulberry leaves need to be eaten by 3000 silkworms. That means that it
takes about 5000 silkworms to make a pair of draperies to dress your window. It's no wonder so much
wealth was created by this single commodity throughout history.

Fast-forward to the late 19th century, Paterson, New Jersey. Established in the 1790s, massive brick mill
buildings quickly began to line the canals of Paterson to transform the power of the 77 foot water falls
that spill into the Passaic River Gorge. Although these mills manufactured many things -- locomotives,
Colt revolvers, aircraft engines, and cotton textiles -- Paterson began producing such large quantities of
silk it quickly became known as the 'Silk City.'

Today, over 30 countries worldwide are producers of silk. The major ones are China and India, with 54% and 14% of total production, respectively. Now, you may be thinking that this ancient fabric that managed to survive the vagaries of time and the whims of fashion is beyond your means; that it's only for the obnoxiously rich and disgustingly wealthy. Not so. You don't have to spend a Napoleonic fortune, nor travel to some obscure, remote village along the silk road in order to satisfy your drapery dreams. In fact, you don't even have to wait for them to be custom made.

You don't have to look much further for silk draperies than just outside Paterson, New Jersey, the original American 'Silk City.' Just a few minutes to the northeast and southwest are the cities of Ridgewood and Bernardsville, respectively. It is here, at the Curtain Exchange, that you can purchase gorgeous, ready-made, silk panels for your home, right off the shelf. And they're reasonably priced, too. Flanking the walls of their showroom are fabulous Taffetas, Velvets, and embroidered, multi-colored Dupioni silk panels. You won't have any trouble finding just the right color and texture for you home. If you don't live close to these places you can also find terrific ready-made silk panels at Pottery Barn and Restoration
Hardware. Or, if you like to shop on-line, a fantastic resource for purchasing spectacular silk draperies is at Half Price Drapes.com. Although the name leaves a bad feeling in your stomach, the selection and value will make up for it.

No matter where you purchase your draperies, there are a few essential things to keep in mind. First, since silk is sensative to the sun you should consider secondary shades or blinds to go behind your draperies. Or, you need to have your panels lined and interlined to protect them from the sun. This will give them a fuller body and will allow them to drape more luxioriously as well.

Second, remember, silk brings a rich color and texture to your room. As the light catches the fabric it produces an almost three dimensional effect and can produce a pattern that is often confused with wrinkles. Even a single color may vary considerably with different lighting, or your sidehangs me look like they just fell of a rikshaw in Calcutta. For this reason you should view your fabric in both artificial and actual daylight to be sure it is right for you. If you like that just-pressed look for your draperies, you'll never be in love with silk.

Lastly, silk is delicate. Always have it dry cleaned. Better still, vacuum your draperies with an upholstery brush attachment at least once a month to avoid having them cleaned altogether. This will go a long way in keeping them looking beautiful for years to come.

Whether it's formal draperies, shades, bedding, upholstery, or just some throw pillows, remember: There's about 5000 silk worms working their cocoons off, right this minute, to add warmth, beauty, richness, and drama to your undressed windows, and bring joy to your life.

Paul Stillwaggon,
For All Your Real Estate Needs
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