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#1
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stitching question
Hi, I don't think I've posted to the group before. If I did, it was ages
ago. I need help. Badly. I googled the newsgroup and couldn't find my answers, so here goes. In my previous life, I cross stitched quite a bit. I haven't cross stitched in years and recently, I've been going through my books, looking at on-line cross stitch shops and would like to get back into it. However, I do feel a bit rusty and am not so sure of myself. I have many old patterns and still love many of them. My question is concerning my fabric. I still have quite a stash of linens and aida. Beautiful pieces and colors. Is my aida and linen still good to stitch on? And do we still use Aida? I picked out some patterns to start on: How's this for old? 1. A Quaker sampler that was designed for Cross-Stitch and County Crafts magazine when Brittney fabric came out. That was Mar/April 1993. I plan on using a linen instead. 2. The Bless this House Sampler from Happy Hearts by Graph-It Arts Book 5 from 1986. 3. Goose Woman from In Times Past by Vanessa-Ann from 1982. The model is stitched on Aida and I do have a piece of Aida 18 count that I think would work for this. 4. The Bird Tree by The Goode Huswife from 1998. Also, more questions: I'm finding where I bought these overdyed threads from Sampler and Weeks. I have used them in the past and my shop originally told me just to prewash them, get all the excess dye out and then use them. I did that for some Just Nan pieces and it worked out just fine. Later, I told the shop what I was doing and they completely reversed what they had said before. What is the proper way to handle these threads? And has DMC changed the dye lots on any of their old colors? Or, just to be safe, should I make sure I have enough of the color to complete the project to ensure no nasty surprises? Thank you so much. Sandi in Lawrenceville, GA |
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#2
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stitching question
Hi Sandi,
Your old fabrics should still be OK as long as they haven't discoloured along any folds. If so then try washing the fabric and drying in the sun. I have stitched on 40yr old linen that I found in my mother's stash and had no problems. I do have an old (damaged!) table cloth from my grandmother which I plan to use someday, but I will only be using pieces of it as applique because the base fabric is now quite fragile. I think this cloth is close to 100yrs old. I would also closely check your old threads, some dyes do change over time. I would take the skeins to your local embroidery shop and compare your thread to a new skein in GOOD daylight. Designs are usually based around a colour scheme and it would be horrible if a changed colour caused problems. I am always careful with overdyed threads. As most of my pieces will be used and laundered I tend to only buy thread labelled as colourfast, but I have heard gossip of some disasters with threads running when the finished pieces was washed before stretching and framing. Perhaps some of the others in the group could let you know the best treatment for specific brands. Have fun with your stitching, I have seen the Bird Tree done and it was lovely. Regards, Annette in NZ http://www.xstitchandbeyond.com |
#3
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stitching question
SMark wrote:
Is my aida and linen still good to stitch on? And do we still use Aida? Good linen will last hundreds of years. And some of us still use Aida. -- Karen C - California www.CFSfacts.org where we give you the facts and dispel the myths Myths, with research cites: http://www.aacfs.org/images/pdfs/myths.pdf Finished 1/26/07 -- Classy Lady in Coral (JCS) -- done in purple to match the companion piece WIP: housewarming gift, July birthstone, Flowers of Hawaii (Jeanette Crews) for ME!!! Retrieved from UFO pile: Marbek's Snow Angel LTR: Fireman's Prayer (#2), Amid Amish Life, Angel of Autumn, Calif Sampler, Holiday Snowglobe Editor/Proofreader www.KarenMCampbell.com Design page http://www.KarenMCampbell.com/designs.html |
#4
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stitching question
On 4/22/07 9:34 PM, "SMark" wrote:
Hi, I don't think I've posted to the group before. If I did, it was ages ago. I need help. Badly. I googled the newsgroup and couldn't find my answers, so here goes. Welcome to the group.. No doubt ou'll get some answers - use them as ou like :^) In my previous life, I cross stitched quite a bit. I haven't cross stitched in years and recently, I've been going through my books, looking at on-line cross stitch shops and would like to get back into it. However, I do feel a bit rusty and am not so sure of myself. I have many old patterns and still love many of them. My question is concerning my fabric. I still have quite a stash of linens and aida. Beautiful pieces and colors. Is my aida and linen still good to stitch on? And do we still use Aida? As others have said, the fabric is likely good. You could do a gentle swish around in some coolish water, with a little light soap (plain Ivory dish soap - the white stuff) and then roll the fabric in a towel to squeeze dry, hang it to air dry, and then when just damp, iron it. That will freshen it, and get out any dust, etc. Plus, cleaning it before stitching - especially if you're going to use some overdyes may avoid any future washing wit running overdye problems. I picked out some patterns to start on: How's this for old? 1. A Quaker sampler that was designed for Cross-Stitch and County Crafts magazine when Brittney fabric came out. That was Mar/April 1993. I plan on using a linen instead. 2. The Bless this House Sampler from Happy Hearts by Graph-It Arts Book 5 from 1986. 3. Goose Woman from In Times Past by Vanessa-Ann from 1982. The model is stitched on Aida and I do have a piece of Aida 18 count that I think would work for this. 4. The Bird Tree by The Goode Huswife from 1998. Interesting collection. I remember the Goode Huswife piece - that's really nice. Also, more questions: I'm finding where I bought these overdyed threads from Sampler and Weeks. I have used them in the past and my shop originally told me just to prewash them, get all the excess dye out and then use them. I did that for some Just Nan pieces and it worked out just fine. Later, I told the shop what I was doing and they completely reversed what they had said before. What is the proper way to handle these threads? IIRC, there was a big discussion about this for a few days this past fall - certainly within the last year. Maybe in November? But, some of us (not me usually) rinse their overdyed threads first - if it's a piece that will be washed, used. Do the cool water, and you can use a bit of white vinegar in the water, and rinse til runs clear. Probably about 1/4-1/2 cup in a normal bathroom sink basin size. The thread - if it's very variegated - will lose a bit of the look - but then it won't run again. It usually changes the look a bit, but on some it's not much - depends on the color and the actually overdyed style. There are several more entries into the world of overdyed cotton. You'll be amazed. I've added Crescent Colors to my list of favorites - very yummy. And I still love Weeks as my first favorite in cotton. Then there's Sampler Threads, and Needle Necessities (which I find seem to not really run). Anyhow - for the most part - the thread companies label them, usually "not colorfast" - so it's your choice. You can check out their various websites for some info as well. As you might guess, we haven't all had the same experiences with the overdyes, and we don't all agree as to how we handle them. And has DMC changed the dye lots on any of their old colors? Or, just to be safe, should I make sure I have enough of the color to complete the project to ensure no nasty surprises? If it's been that long - there's a good chance that a new skein will be somewhat different. There are always changing dye lots - but the dye method is consistent so colors tend to be the same to the human eye. But, with colors that are several years, or 20, old - likely the more cautious thing would be to take whatever colors you're concerned about (if you need a couple of skeins for a project and only have 1 on hand) and go to the LNS, compare - and make a decision. Floss is cheap, your time and skill aren't , and if you're pretty sure you will need more than what's on hand - I'd err on the side of caution over having to frog in the future. But, that's me. Thank you so much. Good luck, and we'll look forward to hearing about your progress. Sandi in Lawrenceville, GA Ellice in Northern Virginia |
#5
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stitching question
Aida is sold in lots of fabric and craft stores, as is linen. As to
linen lasting, you might be interested to know that when I was in the Smithsonian in the mid-1980's they had George Washington's field tent set up, and it is made of linen! |
#6
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stitching question
Those aren't old, not even close!
Old is stuff from the 50's! Anything older than that is vintage! |
#7
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stitching question
Maybe I can add to the info you are getting from all these knowledgeable
ladies. DMC did change some of the colors in the 1990s. Here is a quote from Kathy Dyers FAQs. 3. Keeping Up With DMC Color Changes Color Shift of 1995 In 1995, DMC shifted certain colors in order to keep color families consistent after various dyestuffs were discontinued due to ecological concerns and regulations. For most of the colors, the change was difficult to see. But some shades were noticeably different. These we 317 318 320 413 414 415 503 504 762 959 977 991 3363 3799 The new grays tended to be bluer than the old. I sure do miss Kathy's presence on this group! Regarding overdyes; I believe it is the GAST site, maybe Caron, who recommended washing the floss prior to stitching; just rinse the hank in cool water and let it dry on paper towels, clean towel etc. They were particularly talking of the reds, which have a tendency to run when washed. I don't remember exactly WHICH site I read that, I was browsing through various sites last week! I might add I have never washed the stuff myself, but tend to live overdyes to the end, if I can, wash the piece first, and then do the overdye with scrupulous care about cleanliness. This works fine if you are using DMC AND an overdye! My LNS has been making a record of which DMC flosses seem to appear in different variants. I should get a list when I am next there. I can PROMISE you that 503 changed; I did half a border in the old color, and then continued on unknowingly with a new skein. When I realized things looked so different, the piece is now in the UFO drawer!! Gillian |
#8
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stitching question
"SMark" wrote in message ink.net... Also, more questions: I'm finding where I bought these overdyed threads from Sampler and Weeks. I have used them in the past and my shop originally told me just to prewash them, get all the excess dye out and then use them. I did that for some Just Nan pieces and it worked out just fine. Later, I told the shop what I was doing and they completely reversed what they had said before. What is the proper way to handle these threads? Do whatever works for you. I won't use overdyed flosses with*out* soaking the excess dyes out. But that's *my* preference. I also don't necessarily complete each X before moving on to the next one when using these flosses. |
#9
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stitching question
Hi Sandi,
Your fabric should be still okay. Linen certainly gets vintage, the older it gets, but yours probably isn't even close. I would dust it off first, then gently wash it in cold water with very mild detergent. You might find that the AIDA probably has some creases, which are hard to get out, but you can work around it. Yes, AIDA is still used. I was once told to rinse overdyed threads only, when they are used on very light fabrics or on pieces to be washed. And mostly reds and blues, which are prone to bleed the most. However, so far I haven't done it, but then again, I normally don't use very heavily coloured threads at the moment. Happy Stitching Sibille www.myenchanting.com |
#10
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stitching question
And since Aïda isn't an acronym, it isn't necessary to capitalize all the
letters. "StitchingNut" wrote in message ... Hi Sandi, Your fabric should be still okay. Linen certainly gets vintage, the older it gets, but yours probably isn't even close. I would dust it off first, then gently wash it in cold water with very mild detergent. You might find that the AIDA probably has some creases, which are hard to get out, but you can work around it. Yes, AIDA is still used. I was once told to rinse overdyed threads only, when they are used on very light fabrics or on pieces to be washed. And mostly reds and blues, which are prone to bleed the most. However, so far I haven't done it, but then again, I normally don't use very heavily coloured threads at the moment. Happy Stitching Sibille www.myenchanting.com |
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