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Ivyworks ArtistryWell, I guess the subject line covers it, what is silk plush? I've heard it called silk mohair too. If anyone can give me a rundown on what it is, and where you purchase it, I'd appreciate it. 
Well, I know that silk-mohair blends exist, and perhaps 100% silk, too? But I also hear the term "art silk" tossed around a lot when talking about vintage bears. That refers to "artificial silk," various fibers used to make plush during and after WWII when mohair from England was scarce.
Perhaps someone else can fill you in on the modern varieties.
Becky
Benson BearsShannon, there are pure silk plushes which are fantastic for making mini and small bears and being silk take up dye really well. There are also some silk/mohair blends in longer piles which are also pretty nice to work with, though they do start to look a bit manky while you're working with them, but they brush up beautifully afterwards. The silk/mohair is softer feeling than mohair. As for what people call "silk mohair", I think it's just a general ignorance thing, where some are calling anything with a pile "mohair" including synthetics! I've seen the Sassy mini bear upholstery velvet referred to as "Sassy Mohair" and mohair it ain't! People should really get their terminology sorted Art silk, is as Beck said artificial silk, and is generally made from Rayon, one of the less nasty artificial fibres as it it derived from wood and is very similar to silk in that it takes up dye really beautifully. I hope this has clarified a few points for you, Hugs Linda
There are silk-blends which are a mixture of silk and mohair and also silk plush which is 100% silk. I find the blend of silk and mohair better to work with as the pile is more robust , choppier and easier to fluff up and stays fluffed but the 100% silk, while very pretty is very fine and downy and flattens easily..I also found it less easy to scissor sculpt as it did show the scissor marks and so I ended up spending AGES cutting it. You can get 5mm 10mm and I think the longest pile is about 15mm. Lovely colours too...I buy the ivory and dye it myself.
You can get it from www.bearbasics.co.uk in the UK and www.baerenstuebchen.de
