For PieceWork’s Summer 2027 issue, we’re gathering stories, research, and projects that explore the world of silk. From shimmering embroidery silks and woven masterpieces to knitted lace and sericulture traditions, silk has shaped the history of the world.
Ideas and Inspiration
We welcome a wide range of perspectives, including historical research and personal reflections, and aim for a diverse cultural representation. We’d love to read your family stories about silk heirlooms; discover more about the famed Silk Trains of North America or silk as currency along the Silk Road; take a detailed look at a Buddhist priest’s silk mantle from nineteenth-century Japan; or meet a young spinner at the Cheney Silk Mills in 1800s Manchester, Connecticut.
“Cutting the Mulberry Leaves,” circa 1873–1883. Hand-colored albumen silver print image from an original photograph by Shinichi Suzuki. Photo courtesy of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 84.XA.765.8.95a
Feature Articles
We welcome researched pieces, cultural studies, and personal narratives. Possible topics:
- Textile tradition(s) shaped by the Silk Roads.
- Silk thread production and its impact on needlework styles or ethical concerns related to certain types of silk production.
- Silk as a symbol of status, diplomacy, or identity.
- The meaning of silk in different cultures.
- Conservation case studies of silk textiles or embroidered objects and challenges in preserving historic silk needlework.
- A primer on silk fabrics, silk thread, or silk yarn.
- Religious, ceremonial, or courtly uses of silk needlework.
Historical and historically inspired projects
- Small bags embroidered with twisted silk thread
- Silk ribbon embroidery
- Luxurious garments knitted or crocheted in silk
Silk flowers, braids, and other embellishments
Mimi Syeferth's "Twist of Crimson Silk" scarf from the September/October 2014 issue of PieceWork. Photo by Joe Coca
How-to articles
Explorations of specific techniques worked in silk (e.g., Suzhou embroidery, European silkwork pictures, Ottoman couching)
- How to repurpose silk scraps
We also welcome content for our website. If you have an idea for a short piece, about 500 to 750 words or the perfect PieceWork project, we'd love to know about it.
Submission Process and Forms
Find the links below to upload your proposal as well as helpful guides for writing and photography.
Online Submissions Form for PieceWork Summer 2027 and the website
PieceWork Contributor’s Guidelines
PieceWork Photo Guidelines
Questions? Email us here.
If you would like to be added to the PieceWork Call for Submissions email list, please sign up here.
A purse from the Netherlands, circa 1825, made from pointed sections of green and ochre-yellow silk. Photo courtesy of the Rijksmuseuma
Key Dates
Submissions due: July 1, 2026
We will notify you of our decision: The week of July 13, 2026
If selected, finished articles and projects will be due: October 5, 2026
Happy planning!
Karen