welltraveledbrit

I'm heading to Bangkok, Siem Reap and Vietnam (Hanoi, Hoi An, Hue and Sapa)in a couple of weeks and I plan to buy some silk and have it made into curtains.

On a trip to India 18 months ago a bought beautiful Madras cotton (in both a burnt orange and the saffron of buddhist robes) and had wonderful lined curtains made. My friends in Delhi thought I was crazy...until they saw the curtains and heard what they cost!

I'd now like to do the same thing on this trip so here are the questions...

Where do you think will I get the best combination of quality, choice and price on silk material Thailand, Cambodia or Vietnam?

Where whould be the best place to have them made up both in terms of quality and price?

I'm looking to have full length double width curtains so I will need ALOT of material so the price really does matter. In India I found it was far cheaper to buy the material and then take it to a tailor rather than using one of the upscale home decor shops.

In Delhi the whole thing was a bit of an adventure and rather fun - where would you recommend I buy the material and have it made up on this trip? I'm open to buying the material in one country and having the tailoring done in another. I'm happy to buy at a market or a shop.

Thanks so much

Kathie

Best quality fabric will be Bangkok, in my experience. If I were you, I'd head to the two Jim Thompson outlets in Bangkok and see what they have. While JT is rather pricey by Thai standards, their quality is excellent and they have gorgeous designs. If you are looking for plainer fabric, look at the highest quality silks at Shinewatra (I'm not enamoured of most of their prints). At the JT outlets, you'll pay half price. Someone posted on a thread in the last year about a place that makes draperies and duvet covers in Bangkok. Perhaps they'll see your post and reply again.

welltraveledbrit

Thanks Kathie - I'm definately interested in a plain colored silk I'm not interested in fabrics with a design. I agree that JT is very expensive by local standards - I'm not sure it's even cheap by American standards! Hoever, I will certainly check out the JT Outlets, thanks for the suggestion.

I'm not familiar with Shinewatra is this a shop and if so where abouts is it located.

Again many thanks.

Kathie

Shinewatra (I'm sure I've spelled this wrong) is another Thai silk company. They have stores in Bangkok and in CM as well as other cities. I can't remember whee the big store in Bangkok is, but I'm sure your hotel can direct you to it.

(I find JT outlet fabrics VERY well-priced in comparison to comparable fabrics in the US.)

rhkkmk

another option is paya...they used to be on sukhumvit between sois 51 & 53, right on suk, but have moved down one of the sois...look them up in the phone book and call....the number i have is: 259-2041...

they made us a wonderful futon cover and people were having drapes made there also...reasonable...they have cloth or you can bring it in...

the JT shops on suriwong (down from the main store towards the river on the same side of the street) has a small selection, but the soi 93 sukhumvit shop has tons to choose from...great discounts of up to 90%...

stitchintime

Last year I bought silk at the JT outlet on Sukhumvit. My sewers at Julie's cotton and silk on New Rd made 2 long drape, 3 short drapes, 2 large and 1 small cushion. The total for silk and labor was about $350. I feel the Shinwatra on Huey Kuew in Chiang Mai has the best home decor silk I have ever seen. I have not been back in about a year, but I think it should be the same.

erly

I would not recommend buying silk in Thialand, unless you get a very good price.
Thai silk is very well promoted, but not the best quality.
Small yellow cacoons, which is why the colours are always slightly muddy..
The best silks to-day are woven on Rapier looms in India, but using fine quality Chinese silk.
Huge uniform almost pure white cacoons.
Before you go, why don't you google prices online, and see what you would be paying at home?

kmkrnn

When I was looking for silk to make my daughters wedding dress I could buy it in the Boston area at the same price as BKK. The Labor is where you will save money. If you want sude linning or some other protective linning you probably wont't get it there. Also be sure you know your exact measurements, how far down your hooks are going to be so they end up the right length. Check the outlets and see if you can get a bargin on the fabric.

welltraveledbrit

Thanks so much for all the help it's all very helpful.The information on specific prices and the heads up on the best JT outlet is particularly useful.

I am aware of the cost of silk here in California which will be a comparison and I agree the labor is the greatest saving.


Having sewn curtains for a number of rooms in our house I'd far rather someone else did it this time! Making curtains is very time consuming and rather tedious, after a while you start thinking perhaps I don't need a lining after all! Because I sew myself I'm fairly confident about the measurements etc.

A friend mentioned silk in Vietnam and one question I have is whether silk is cheaper in Vietnam than Thailand?

Again many thanks.

Kathie

I went to the "silk village" outside Hanoi where designers come to order silk. The prices may have been slightly less than in Bangkok, but most of the silk was not as good quality. There was some very high quality silk in solid colors, but you really have to know what you are doing, and pass on lots of lower quality silks.

rhkkmk

we find thai silk to be of a very high quality...not sure what "e" is referring to...some is cheap yes, but the name brands are very nice, like jim thompson and shinwatra (btw, they have a shop on or just off of soi 23, sukhumvit rd in bangkok)..

another quality silk i intend to check out on our next trip is alemta silk...they too are on soi 23 i believe...their colors look fabulous...if they do not do custom drape making i am sure they can refer you as can the other shops...

IsisMnroe

The Treasures and Pleasures of Vietnam book, mentions Khai Silk, 96 Hang Gai, Hanoi and the Khai Silk store located in back of the Sofitel Metropole Hotel.
The store near the Sofitel is smaller but has a boutique feel to it. For shop comparison of silks, do have a look. Hang Gai street is known as silk street.

erly

actually,
what I am referring to is my profession.
This is why I am fortunate enough to travel several months of the year.
I am a textile buyer, and designer, and silk is my specialty.
I do purchase fabric from Thailand, but never silk.
Purchasing silk in India, is another matter.
They are the masters, At one time all fine quality silk was for export only, things have changed, and it is now available in the local stores.
It might surprise you to know that Italian silk is also made from Chinese yarn.

welltraveledbrit

Interesting meditation on silk!

Thanks very much the thing is I want to have them made up while I'm in SEA and I don't see any point buying the silk here and then carring it to Thailand or Vietnams to have the curtains made up...it's a 'Coals to Newcastle' 'Sand to the Sahara' problem!

Aesthetically I like the texture of "raw" silk and therefore I don't think the quality will be a problem. While I want nice curtains they don't need to be the best silk available on the market today!

Thanks again!

rhkkmk

well-- in the JT outlets you will find tons of silks at reasonable prices...problem might be enough of the color you want to make many drapes....some bolts are huge and others not so huge....watch the dye lots...don't overlook the small outlet on suriwong....we found quite a few items them---they only stock cloth in that shop....the soi 93 outlet is huge and has lots of opportunities in cloth and consummer goods as well....both worth the visit....soi 93 is a few blocks past the end of the skytrain at on nut stop....we take the skytrain there and then a taxi the rest of the way---its not far but so hot to walk....the doorman at JT will get you a taxi when you want to leave...

bob

Guenmai

I'm sure the silk coutains will be cheaper in Bangkok than for exapmple here in L.A. I just picked up my Thai silk...lined...96-inches long by 50-inches wide silk panels yesterday. They are from Silk Trading and were $130. per panel. I needed 4 panels. Because I had a coupon, thank goodness I got a $78.00 discount. I was wishing I were back in BK,at Jim Thompson(outlet) but won't be back for 10 weeks and was tired of folks peeping through my new apratment windows...so I paid the U.S. price...and now don't have to deal with the Looky-Lews. Happy Travels!

alr837

I bought silk for curtains at the Silk farm part of the artisans d'angkor, in siem reap in cambodia. not the cheapest place i know, but the colour and quality was far superior to anything else i'd seen!

eurotraveller

stitchintime, I am impressed! You have your very own sewers at Julie's! ;-) Do you lease them out to humble purchasers like myself or are they strictly for your own use? Sorry, I couldn't help myself!

I am also interested in buying some silk fabric and having them made into curtains. This is all great info! Thanks!

cruisinred

We had some silk items made in Hanoi, but I can't recommend the place we used.
The robe my husband had made was big enough to use as a tent for a small Vietnamese family....even after we went back to have them alter it, the robe was still parachute like.

We did, however, have a great time at the JT Outlet. I love to buy home decorating fabric (whether I actually end up doing anything with it is another story.) Somewhat surprisngly, we got great deals on very high-end home decor fabrics from Colefax&Fowler and Sanderson....Does anyone know the story as to why JT carries these British brands?