The earliest silk flowers are believed to have been made by the Chinese. They had perfected their skill in making artificial flowers out of silk. The Italians followed in the twelfth century. But it was the French who rose as experts in this art, giving sharp competition to their Italian counterparts.
It is believed that when French queen Mary Antoinette was presented with a bouquet of silk flowers she was so mesmerized by its beauty that she lost consciousness. However, after she was beheaded, most of the artists were deported to England. Thus began the epitome of silk flowers during the Victorian Age. Over the top designs, bright colors, and elaborate arrangements of flowers made of silk, velvet, satin, muslin and crepe were very popular. In New York, The Parisian Flower Company supplied artificial flowers to milliners, tailors who made bridal couture and for domestic decoration as well.
Silk flowers are usually made of silk, cotton and rayon. The wire gauges are covered with durable paper to strengthen the stem and the fabric used for the petals are cut into the desired shape by laser technology. This technology is fully computerized and cuts the fabric according to the design fed into the system, taking care of untidy edges and completing the process in much less time than while using dyes. Hence, it is very economical for the artists.
After cutting the petals, each of them is painted by hand or dyed with the desired design. In order to achieve the required shape of the petals and leaves the cut outs are treated to intense heat in molds and then glued together on the stem. The attachment of the petals and leaves to the stem can also be done with the help of thin high tenacity strings.
Since the whole process is extremely time consuming and has to be mostly done manually, artificial flowers are commonly manufactured in countries with low labor wages.
The manufacturing process is bio friendly. All colors used for dyeing are natural and the byproducts are few in quantity. Permastem and Permasilk are advanced artificial flower making technologies where the petals and leaves are attached to the wire stem by fusion. The texture of petals is also improved in this manner.
The demand for silk flowers basically stems from its durability, low maintenance hassle, wide range of colors and designs and flexible arrangements. Most silk flower manufacturing companies follow the latest interior designing and seasonal trends to satisfy consumers demand. Although many patronized artificial flowers in the past, since the concept of fake flowers didn't meet much of an approval, the convenience of the product has slowly caught the buyers attention.
Silk flowers can be made to imitate natural flowers like rose, lily, orchids and carnations, as well as any imaginative design that the artist comes up with. They can be washed from time to time, and there is no need to cut the stems to size before placing them in a vase. And they never wilt, unlike real flowers.
Author Resource:-
The ArtificialFlorist.co.uk has one of the greatest collections of silk flowers online with low prices and free delivery.
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