Recycling silk kimono into face masks: background and introduction

Is this post for you?

If you're looking for a pretty good introduction about sourcing your own silk fabric and making your own masks, you're in a good spot. In this post I'll go into how I became interested in this project, what I learned, and what tools I used that made this project easier. The next post will focus on the pattern and video tutorials, and the final will walk through how to care for the masks.

From this...

...to this!

Why silk?

Antimicrobial properties

This all started when I heard about a company here in Japan that was recycling kimono into face masks (check out their beautiful products in this link). I was skeptical about using silk, so I started doing some research. I was so surprised to learn that silk might be even more effective than cotton, because silk contains copper, and copper has been used for thousands of years as an antimicrobial agent. Who knew?

(Want to know more? Click here for an article about a small study that pitted silk against other materials for face masks, and follow this link to read an abstract about the various ways copper was used through the ages.)

Cheap and abundant

Silk? Cheap?? Yes!!

Okay, well, now that I knew it was a good option, where would I get the material so I could try it? I spent weeks trying to source silk from various places online, but nothing was as easy or as cheap as I wanted it to be. Then I remembered all the used kimono I saw at our local recycle shop! I headed over right away, and was thrilled by the seemingly endless selection of beautiful fabric and colors. 

Imagine my shock when I looked at the price tags and saw how cheap it was! And by a stroke of luck, kimono were half-price the day I went. I didn't spend more than $5 on any one kimono, and most of them were only $1.50! Can you believe it? We've all dropped more change in a vending machine, and here I was walking out with a heavy armload of kimono! Even better, this project would give new life to this beautiful fabric and let it be used on a daily basis. Instead of staying stuck in a dark drawer until it's brought out for a special event. Or hanging sadly among hundreds of others, unwanted. (I'm not going to talk about how many get tossed in the garbage, because it pains me too much.)

Now, I understand that not everybody has access to recycle shops full of kimono. Have hope! Check out your local thrift store, especially scarves or the men's shirt section. Read on for tips that might help you identify silk based on feel, in case there isn't a label. 

But is it pure silk?

Yes. But, not everything I bought was silk. I bought 10 kimono, and 6 turned out to be 100% silk, while the other 4 were polyester. How do I know?

Burn test

Fabric manufacturers are amazing at copying the properties of silk, so the only way to be 100% sure of the fabric content is to do a burn test. If you haven't heard of it before and you want to know more about it, I encourage you to track down some YouTube videos. Threads Magazine also had a very good walk-through video, and made a handy chart (find it here). After a few tests of my own, I was confident that I could identify silk accurately. It smells bad when it's burned (like poop), it self-extinguishes, and the ash left behind makes a very satisfying crunchy sound when you crush it. If you decide to try your own burn test, 1) follow the safety instructions in the linked video just above, and 2) warn your housemates, 'cause it's stinky.

Burn test results: 4 kimono were polyester, 6 were silk

Tips for finding real silk in the store

I can't give you any guarantees, but look for these signs and you'll improve your odds of finding pure silk: 

• Biggest indicator: special fabric treatment. Look for pleating, hand painted details, shibori, embroidery, or things of that nature.
• Does the kimono lining have an ombre dye to it? High-end kimono often will, and the lining is usually silk. If the lining is silk, chances are good that your main fabric is, too.

Pure silk kimono lining. Note the orange and the pink ombre.

• Is the lining different between the upper body and the lower body? If it is, feel the lower portion with your fingers. Does it seem a little tacky, like your fingers pass more slowly along the fabric than you would expect? Silk feels that way.
• Is the lining bright white? Silk will have a cream cast to it, not bright white.
• Does the main fabric seem pleated or shaped in some way? It's likely silk, but silk with lots of ripples shaped into the fabric can be heavier and more difficult to work with.

Silk fabric with pattern created by tiny ridges

• Does the main fabric seem to have a pattern woven into it, not with color but with the fabric itself? The relief side of the fabric, if you can see it, will have the opposite pattern. This is often done with silk, but sometimes done with polyester fabric, also.



Pure silk fabric with a woven pattern of miniature maple leaves

Any other important info?

Odor, and how to get rid of it

Yes, let's talk about odor. Kimono may come home with quite a strong smell, including but not limited to mildew, mothballs, and/or cigarette smoke. The mothballs were the worst for me. I tried washing the kimono in my washing machine, but that magnified the smell by 100 and made my washing machine stink for a week, so don't do that. I also tried alcohol, vinegar, baking soda, sunlight, and a vacuum bag that was liberally sprinkled with baking soda and contained a charcoal odor-absorbing packet. 

What worked?

Sunlight and straight vinegar were the most effective, and the quickest. The baking soda and charcoal combination worked, too, but the smell seemed to come back when the fabric got wet. That happened with the sunlight-treated kimono, too, but it almost completely went away after I soaked it in vinegar. 

I finally settled on my favorite process: air the kimono outside for days (turned inside out to protect the main fabric from the sun), then rip the seams and cut and starch and sew everything, then wash it well and rinse it in vinegar, and finally let it air dry one more time. 

What not to do

Alcohol of any type is not recommended, because it will cause the dye to run. Don't use OxiClean or bleach, either, because both of those products will dissolve the fabric. Also, don't wash your kimono without airing it outside for at least 2 days (3 or more is even better).

Sewing tips

Starch is your friend

This is the project that got me to use starch for the first time. Silk is -- and this is an understatement -- difficult to work with. I cooked my own heavy starch mixture (easy recipe in the mask tutorial segment) and used it extensively.

A walking foot is also your friend

This is the project that got me to use a walking foot for the first time. One layer of silk is difficult enough to control. Add a second layer and things somehow become exponentially worse. The combination of a walking foot and heavy starch, though, made it all very easy.

But is it worth it?

Yes, absolutely. Look, it is a pain to deal with the smell, and it can be frustrating to sew, but there are ways around that. And the reward is gorgeous fabric that helps protect you, and, best of all, it feels amazing. No matter what cotton I tried, it always had little fibers that tickled my face and made me want to scratch and rub it all the time. Cotton also trapped a lot of water and felt wet against my face. Silk feels absolutely smooth against my skin, and it dries much faster than cotton. Now that I've tried silk, I'm never going back to cotton. 

If I've convinced you to give it a try, I hope you enjoy the results as much as I do. So, head over to the next post, and let's get you started!