My understanding of why you wash after you finish Carrickmacross is that the cotton couching thread shrinks slightly, and it beds down into the couched thread and becomes invisible. It also seals the edges a bit more firmly than before it is washed.  --- Rochelle Sutherland & Lachlan (10 yrs), Duncan (8 yrs) and Iain (7 yrs) www.houseofhadrian.com.au
----- Original Message ---- From: Adele Shaak <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: jeanette <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: arachne <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, 19 May, 2008 12:42:46 AM Subject: Re: [lace] Carickmacross > All the Carickmacross instructions say to wash the net after the thick > thread has been > stitched down and silk fabric does not wash well. Is it strictly > necessary to > wash the piece? I'm wondering *why* they want you to wash it. Can't be for pre-shrinkage, since you've already worked on it. So, I assume it's either for cleanliness or it's some kind of blocking. Some people's hands leave a greyish discolouration on fine whitework; maybe the washing is intended to counteract that. I don't have that problem, so if I do fine white embroidery I don't need to wash for that reason. As for the blocking, that is a personal thing so if you're happy with the way the piece looks and you don't want to do it, don't. On the other hand - when you say "silk fabric does not wash well" it sounds like a general rule that you've learned, and not something you've discovered through experimenting on this particular cloth. I've had silk dresses you could throw in the washing machine. I happened to have some silk organza sitting right beside me, so just now I cut off a bit and washed it. I ran it under water, rubbed it firmly on a bar of soap, rubbed it with my fingers and rinsed it throughly. Other than a bit of ravelling at the cut edges (no more than would have happened with fine cotton) the silk looks just like it did when I started. So, perhaps you're worrying unnecessarily? Hope this helps. Adele North Vancouver, BC (west coast of Canada) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the name you always wanted with the new y7mail email address. www.yahoo7.com.au/y7mail - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
