Does the stamped embroidery design wash out?
by Aline
(Calera, Al, USA)
This is my first venture into hand embroidery. Counted cross-stitch has always been my game. So, please help!
I am taking on a huge tablecloth project which I will still be working on when I'm 90! Having never worked with anything stamped, I don't know what happens to the "stamp" outline? Does it stay there or wash out?
The tablecloth is 65/35 poly/cotton fabric and I think I read somewhere that I should wash and dry it first, before I start....then what happens to the stamped outline? I will have to use hoop also. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Carol responds...
Well done for pushing the boundaries of the needlework techniques you have tried, Aline. Counted cross stitch can be addictive, but branching out and trying free style embroidery is an exciting challenge.
When you buy a project with the design already stamped in place it is usually a permanent state of affairs. The transfer is not likely to wash out. It is therefore important to cover all traces of the pattern with stitches so that it does not show in the finished piece.
Washing the fabric before stitching is not something I tend to do. Often embroidery fabrics have "size" or starch in them to keep them firm, not floppy, and therefore easier to stitch on. However, if you do wash your tablecloth your transfer is unlikely to disappear.
Using an embroidery hoop on a piece like a tablecloth is fine. But some precautions are worth taking.
For example if you can wrap the hoop rings with bias binding or a finger bandage first it will help to keep the work clean as well as making the hoop hold the work without it sliding.
It is also important to remove the hoop when you put your fabric away at the end of an embroidery session. This will help to prevent marks on the cloth.
Another thing to keep in mind is to not leave the needle in the fabric when you stop for the night. If, for whatever reason, you do not go back to the project or some time you may find that the needle has rusted and the mark left in the fabric is unable to be removed.
Have fun with your new project.
Regards,
Carol
