"...I have never mixed cotton and silk together and it would be interesting to see the result. However be very careful as they do work very differently and any laundering;;;" Maureen
Aside from the laundering issues, such as varying shrinkage, and silk can lose luster in the process, I would keep in mind that not all silks are color fast. To test them I often wet, and place on a white paper towel, or clean white cloth (used for dusting, but is clean) and leave for awhile and see if the color wicks. This would apply mostly to intense colors, and some bleed more than others, such as purples, reds, black, etc. One could avoid some of this considering dry cleaning as an option, but that process tends to yellow whites, just as aging does, but solvents can make it more permanent. One should be able to cut lengths of a certain measurement, wet, let dry and remeasure to see if it shortens or gets thicker/plumper, etc. Though some may not concur, I tend to use Cheer for much needlework in bright colors as it protects, and is gentle enough for me to use on anything from knitting to hardanger. I like color in many things and find this saves fading, but some seem not to wash lace. I tend to wash all my needlework as I feel it (typically) just looks and handles better, vs. dressing it unwashed, but note that not all may apply to bobbin lace, nor to everyone HTH, Susan Reishus - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com