Tuesday, October 16, 2007
To Soak or Not to Soak...
...that is the question. As I wind down on Blessed Be (mostly just the lettering left) I'm looking forward to starting Hope Perches, which consists mostly of lettering. It uses several different brands of overdyed floss from The Gentle Art and Carrie's Threads, and it was suggested that I might want to soak them in water before I use them, since they are not colorfast. Do you do this? I am wondering if it would make the floss harder to use if I soak it first. Would I soak the whole skein, or only the amount I think I am going to use? I have used Crescent Colours floss before and didn't soak it; so far I haven't seen anything that looked like it had bled onto my fabric. But if this is a good practice I am game to try it. I'd be interested in your experiences with overdyed floss, and any suggestions. You are all so helpful!
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3 comments:
I never have soaked overdyed threads and I have stitched with them mostly for about the last 4 years. I just try to be very careful as I stitch and not get things dirty.
I used to think everything had to be washed when I was done with a project. With the advent of overdyed threads and fabric, that made those thoughts obsolete.
I think if you soak, you will find that you lose a lot of the coloring in your floss. I had a friend that HAD to wash something because of a soiled piece and it was very light even the overdyed fiber and it came out almost white. It was noticeable when you knew what it was supposed to be.
My advice is to Not Soak.
I've never soaked my fibers before using them. I just make sure to be religious about always washing my hands before I start stiching, and making sure I never set my work where it could get dirty or spotted.
When I pick out fibers, its for the color I see right then. I don't want to take the chance on the color fading if I soak them, or have to wash the piece.
I did a piece with some overdyed threads and I didn't soak them ahead of time or wash it afterwards. I just made sure I was, as Mindi puts it, religious about handwashing. I also keep my pieces in a plastic tub when I am not working on them, so that keeps them clean and dust free. I will also periodically stop stitching to wash and dry my hands, and I work on a wooden scroll frame so the excess fabric is rolled up.
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