Preserving Your Cherished Textiles

Did you ever wonder what goes into preparing old textiles for their new lives??

Admiring the talented work of someone else’s hands

Step 1. Acquire said items. Recently I attended the "Yardage Sale" held at the Materials Resource Center of @mccpeace in Ephrata, PA. Not only do they have an enormous quantity of vintage textiles, but I know my purchase will further their mission. I also frequent thrift stores and friends give me items they no longer need.

Step 2. I machine wash everything I get (if washing it won't completely ruin it). Most of my finished products can be washed which means that the materials they are made from have to withstand the washing process.

Overnight soak

Step 3. I inspect the items for stains. After the initial washing, if items are stained they go into the overnight soak. I use an environmentally friendly cleaner that is formulated to be safe to use on old textiles.

Step 4. Rinse and hang to dry in the sun. I time the overnight soak so that the following day I can hang the items in the sun. The sun can do wonders to brighten textiles!

Step 5. Machine wash and dry again. This removes any residue.

Let the sun work it’s magic

Step 6. Iron. Now the items are ready for their new lives!

Ironing is meditative for me. It allows me to carefully inspect each piece and to admire its beauty again!

If you bring me your sentimental textiles to be made into a custom order, sometimes it's necessary for me to follow all of these steps before I can even begin to make the designs. That's part of what's included in the consultation fee for custom designs. That consultation fee applies towards 1-5 items. I stand behind the quality of my work. I want you to be 100% pleased with the final product!