Every piece from Little Blue Heron Embroidery is embroidered ribbon and fabric. Satin, ribbon and toile hold a stitch beautifully, and they last for years when they are treated as textiles rather than hardware. Here is how to look after yours.
Everyday Care And Storage
Store your sash rolled, never folded. A fold sets a crease across the fabric, and a crease that sits over stitching is the hardest one to press out later.
- Roll the piece loosely, with the embroidery facing outward so the stitches are not crushed against themselves.
- Keep it in the bag it arrived in. That bag is there to keep dust and light off it.
- Store it away from direct sun. Sunlight fades thread and ribbon over time, even indoors on a bright windowsill.
- Keep it somewhere dry and at room temperature.
- Handle it with clean, dry hands. Lotion and makeup mark satin quickly.
Outdoor Wreath Sashes
A wreath sash is a decorative textile, not an outdoor product. It will live happily on a sheltered front door, and it will not enjoy a storm.
- Bring it indoors in heavy rain, snow, or high wind. A soaked sash is heavy, and a heavy sash pulls on its own stitching.
- A covered porch or a recessed doorway is the kindest spot. Full, unshaded sun all day will fade the color over a season.
- Secure both ends so the sash cannot whip in the wind. Wind is what frays a ribbon edge, more than weather ever does.
- Check the tie points every few weeks and re-secure anything that has worked loose.
- If it does get wet, bring it in, lay it flat on a dry towel and let it air dry completely before it goes back out or into storage.
Cleaning
Spot clean only. Never machine wash, and never tumble dry.
- Use cold water and a plain, mild detergent. Hot water can set a mark and can shift thread color.
- Dab a clean white cloth on the mark and blot. Do not rub. Rubbing pushes the mark into the weave and can pull at the stitching.
- Work from the outside of the mark inward so you do not spread it.
- No bleach, no stain remover pens, no solvents. Bleach will take the color out of the thread before it takes the mark out of the fabric.
- Rinse the spot with a second cloth dampened with cold water, then press the area with a dry towel to lift the moisture.
- Lay it flat to air dry, away from radiators and direct sun.
If a mark will not lift, stop. A professional cleaner who handles delicate textiles is a better bet than a stronger product at home.
Pressing
If a piece needs freshening after storage, press it gently and never directly on the embroidery.
- Set the iron to low heat, with no steam.
- Turn the piece over and press from the reverse side.
- Lay a pressing cloth, a clean cotton tea towel or a piece of plain cotton, between the iron and the fabric.
- Never rest a hot iron on the stitching itself. Direct heat flattens the texture of the embroidery and can scorch satin.
- Press in short, light passes rather than holding the iron in one place.
- Let the piece cool flat before you roll or hang it.
Between Seasons
Most of these pieces come out for a few weeks a year, so how they are put away matters more than how they are displayed.
- Make sure the piece is completely dry before it is stored. Any dampness at all will mark the fabric over months.
- Roll it around a cardboard tube or a rolled towel rather than folding it.
- If you have acid-free tissue, lay a sheet over the embroidery before you roll. It stops stitches catching on the fabric behind them.
- Slide the roll back into its original bag or a clean cotton pillowcase. Avoid sealed plastic boxes, which trap moisture.
- Keep it out of a damp garage, a basement or an unheated loft. Swings in temperature and humidity are what cause spotting and musty smells.
- A closet shelf inside the house is the best place it can be.
Bouquet Wraps And Bridal Sashes
A monogrammed wrap is a keepsake as much as it is part of the day, and a little care right after the event is what keeps it that way.
- Remove every pin, corsage pin and floral wire before you put it away. Pins rust, and rust marks satin permanently.
- Check for any sap, pollen or water from the stems and spot clean it cold that same week, while it is still fresh.
- Let the piece air somewhere shaded and dry for a day. Flowers leave moisture in a wrap even when it feels dry to the touch.
- Once it is fully dry, roll it with tissue and store it flat in a box or a fabric bag.
- Keep it out of the plastic sleeve a florist may have used, and out of a sealed bag.
Questions
If you are not sure how to treat a mark, or how to store a piece you want to keep for years, email us at support@shoplittleblueheron.com before you try anything. We would much rather answer a question than repair a sash.
