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ladycarobe
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| Posted: Sept 30 2010 at 9:25am | IP Logged
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I have seen play silks mentioned as a favourite toy on different threads both here and on other forums. I am thinking of buying a set as a group present for my girls for Sinterklaas (5th Dec). [We do not have Santa in the Netherlands, but Sinterklaas is somewhat similar].
However, I have never seen play silks IRL. I will have to buy them through the internet and I'm a little nervous . When I think of silk, I think of very flimsy, easily torn fabric. Am I mistaken? Are these play silks durable? I do not want to buy something that will be in rags within a week.
I have been looking at these.
Is this a good place to buy them? Any other recommendations?
I have seen that some of you dye them yourself, I would love to do so, but I'm really not up for that at the moment due to a difficult pregnancy.
thanks,
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best wishes,
Ladycarobe.
mom to dd6  , dd4  and dd2  and pregnant.
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MaryM
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In this playsilks purchase question thread, several people have commented favorably on the quality of the play silks from this company you are asking about. I am the one who posted the tutorial for dyeing your own. I am pretty sure that those who are dyeing them (individuals or companies) are getting them from similar sources and using similar quality silks. They are surprisingly durable. Unless, you have a flaw or the material gets cut, they aren't going to tear/shread under normal play conditions.
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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SeaStar
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I would just like to add that any large square of material seems to do it for my kids. It doesn't have to be silk. We have a very large piece of purple velour as well as a piece of leopard print fabric that see pretty constant use around here.
For years I wanted to get play silks for my kids and then finally got them some... and they don't play with them any more than the other fabrics. I think I was more excited to have silk than they were.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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guitarnan
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We often check the remnant bins at fabric stores - we have found fleece, silky synthetics and more at nice prices.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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St. Ann
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My girls do play with the silks and cottons...I also use the play silks to wrap family(my children) presents for birthdays and namedays. They are bright and cheery and reusable!!!!
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Stephanie
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JodieLyn
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any material that delights the senses will get used.. soft or silky or fuzzy or bright or glittery or shimmery or fancy in some way.. the gaudier the better in my experience
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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Grace&Chaos
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guitarnan wrote:
| We often check the remnant bins at fabric stores - we have found fleece, silky synthetics and more at nice prices. |
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Ditto 
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Jenny
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Betsy
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We have had out set of plays silks for 6 years. I have all boys, and they never play with them gently. I have only had one casualty, and I believe that a scissors may have been involved! (Despite the big rip they still played with it for the longest time).
My ds's were less than thrilled with play silks as a gift, but it certainly is one toy that has stood the test of time in our home. Like others have commented on, if you already have pretty fabric to play with playsilks won't replace that. But, if you are starting from scratch I think you will get a lot of use out of the play silks.
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Erin
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When I first looked at buying playcloths for my dc, a friend who had bought silks etc, recommended to buy cotton, she said out of all the different fabrics her children used the cotton was the most popular.
I bought a few different squares of bright colours and they have been popular. But actually probably the much longer bolts of various fabrics picked up at garage sales have been the most popular, the size lends to versatility.
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Erin
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Mackfam
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My children consistently play with silks! They've been a great thing for dress ups, imaginative play, house decor, liturgical decor, SO MUCH!
They're used by everyone in my family - boys and girls...and me! We've had ours (from Sarah's Silks) for several years now and they're still going strong. They are not treated gently either - they've been knotted, re-knotted, tied, folded, tucked, stuffed, pulled, stretched, etc. We also have some larger silks we purchased from Dharma's silks (I think??? I know I followed some links from Mary's tutorial???) We'd really like to try our hand at Mary's dyeing tutorial next!
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Jen Mackintosh
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Trinity
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Playsilks are a favorite toy in our home too. We have a rainbow of colors. : )
I think we found ours at an etsy store. There are also some sellers on Hyena Cart that carry them.
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Trinity
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ladycarobe
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Thank you all!
You have set my mind at peace. "Surprisingly durable" that's what I wanted to hear . We do not have other fabric to play with. We used to have one or two old scarves, but they have...uhm...dissapeared, I think.
I find buying presents very difficult. We just had two birthdays (for the 4yo and 2yo) and my 6yo will turn 7yo in two weeks...and I'm totally out of ideas for Sinterklaas, which is a big deal around here. But the play silks sound very good, so that is at least one less worry.
Thank you ladies!
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best wishes,
Ladycarobe.
mom to dd6 , dd4 and dd2 and pregnant.
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MNMommy
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My kids are obviously the exception with play silks. I bought four for Christmas two years ago, and I think three of them have had to be tossed in the last few months. My kids prefer to use them as capes, and the silks struggled. But....the kids loved them, so they are probably getting new silks this year.
The year we bought them, the kids used them as capes for a Three Kings scavenger hunt on Epiphany. They were adorable.
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Jennifer
Tired mom to - 10yo dd, 7yo ds, 6yo ds, 4yo dd, 2yo ds
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DominaCaeli
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Erin wrote:
| When I first looked at buying playcloths for my dc, a friend who had bought silks etc, recommended to buy cotton, she said out of all the different fabrics her children used the cotton was the most popular. |
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No playsilks here--we have a stack of solid-colored cotton receiving blankets that get played with constantly by all the children including the baby.
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Celeste
Joyous Lessons
Mommy to six: three boys (8, 4, newborn) and four girls (7, 5, 2, and 1)
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JenPre
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How big are the play silks? My daughter will be 1 in December and LOVES anything cloth. I'm thinking for this Christmas/birthday to make up some for her using remnants or fabric from Joann's. Anyone have an opinion on how big to make them?
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Jen
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Play silks
