Abstract: A graphite fabric-reinforced ceramic matrix composite material is fabricated from multiple plies of graphite fabric saturated with a slurry of an aqueous alkali silicate and a powdered ceramic. The slurry-saturated plies, laid up on a pattern, are vacuum-bagged and cured at elevated temperatures, either in an oven, or, in a preferred embodiment, in an autoclave under elevated pressure. In a preferred embodiment, the fibers of the graphite fabric are metal-plated to provide an outer surface metallization for improved bonding with the alkali silicate. The result is a composite material with the mechanical and thermal characteristics necessary for use in molding tools for the fabrication of other structures made of high temperature composite materials.