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

SMark wrote: > Is my aida and linen still good to stitch on?

Good linen will last hundreds of years.

And some of us still use Aida.

Welcome to the group.. No doubt ou'll get some answers - use them as ou like :^)

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.

Interesting collection. I remember the Goode Huswife piece - that's really nice.

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.

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.

Good luck, and we'll look forward to hearing about your progress.

Ellice in Northern Virginia

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!

Those aren't old, not even close! Old is stuff from the 50's!

Anything older than that is vintage!

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.

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

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.

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

And what an important message to write.... Cheers Sibille

Picky, picky! What the hell does it matter? LOL!

Pat