How do you wash and iron the embroidery?

How do you wash and iron the embroidery?

KatharinaV-NL

The ultimate way to wash embroidery is to use:
- Destilled water (alternative: cook the water first and let it cool);
- Mild detergent especially suitable for wool (even if cotton or real silk is used) or do not use detergent at all;
- Room temperature water.

Never use fabric softener or fabric stiffener.
You never know whats in it. It could deteriorate your work in the future.
Rinse very-very-very well after using detergent.
Wash by letting the fabric soak & float while "softly caressing":D the fabric front and back.
Try not to rub or crease.
The purpose of washing is to get dirt/perspiration out + preserve it for the future without getting brown spots (= foxing) in it.

To dry take a clean cotton (better is linen) cloth.
Lay your textile flat on the cloth and roll both up.
Press gently. The water will spread through both cloths now.
Leave your textile to dry (do not hang if possible) on a clean surface.
I personally dont recommend a frotted bath towel as it leaves all sorts of undetectable residue.

If your embroidered piece is almost dry then iron it on the backside.
Use a clean ironing board and a clean iron.
If you like you can use an extra clean towel underneath your work on the ironing board.
I try not to iron the back of the stitching only the unstitched pieces. That is personal.

If the material is real silk set your iron to low temperature.
Cotton? Set your iron to medium to start with and press mildly.
If that is not enough press harder first. Not yet all the creases out? Then set the iron to higher temperature.

If the material is real linen (made from the flax plant) then set your iron to high and press as hard as you like.
:) Press hard! Make it your workout for the day!
Ironing is a combination of temperature & pressure on the textile.
Linen can stand a very rough treatment. Do whatever you need to get those creases out.
In my experience: Best is not to get any creases in the linen in the first place...ugh! :D

Good luck!!!

stitchyman

I never wash my stitching now, not since I had some colours bleed.  I try to keep my stitching very clean and then once I am done I lay it face down on a white towel, cover with a slightly damp cloth and press it.  So far none of the colours have bled using this method.

Duckeyd

Soaking the piece in Woolite or baby detergent is good too. I place a dye magnet in the soak so any bleeding is caught by that. Ive had very good luck with that. After I gently squeeze the piece in a towel and then lay it flat to dry.  I never iron. Steaming the wrinkles is better on the stitches and if beads and such are used safer for those too. Steam machines are relatively inexpensive gadgets these days. You dont need a really expensive one to achieve the best results either.

gilardoreus

dry clean and steam iron