Help! Protecting gold silk embroidery thread from navy cotton backing 🫣

[OptimisticRealist2024]

I've started this huge piece of embroidery from Haptic Lab: https://www.hapticlab.com/products/diy-constellation

I've stitched down the paper pattern - which is reaaaallly fragile - and done about half the constellation names in gorgeous and pricey gold silk thread from DeVeres.

In my fried-pregnant-lady-brain, it's just occurred to me that this is going to need washing at some point and the 100% cotton navy fabric I'm stitching is going to run onto the gold thread. Gulp.

Will it be okay on a cool wash? Can colour catchers rescue me? I have considered taking the paper pattern off and starting again, but the paper is like crepe paper and tears easily (obviously) so I think that ship has sailed.

It's huge and I've spent so much time (and money) doing this. I feel like I've taken the cake out of the oven and realised I didn't grease the tin. 🥲

Can the gold thread be dry cleaned?

IIRC silk is a protein fibre, whereas cotton is a cellulose fibre, and they need different dyes. You might get away with cold washing. Do you have enough of each to embroider a few test patches and launder them in different ways?

Thanks - I thought of dry cleaning but not sure if the silk is okay for dry cleaning. Also the quilt is huge so would cost a fortune to dry clean locally. Hoping there's a cheaper (slightly more eco friendly) option!

I do have some bits that I could test but on the actual quilt there's substantially more fabric than thread (if that makes sense) so a sample might not show real life results? But maybe I'll try a sample on a cool wash and pray. Thank you!

I agree that silk and cotton usually demand very different laundry processes. I don't think machine wash would work as the silk thread might shrink and tauten across the whole design unappealingly.

I would gently handwash it cool with lots of colour catchers. The box says use only one per wash but I have used up to 10 when I worried there was a risk of colour run. I use Dyson ones and they haven't let me down yet!

Good luck OP, this is an utterly gorgeous piece 😍

Have you got spare fabric and thread? Can you make up a few samples and wash them to try out different methods?

Having been faced with the damage dry cleaning has done to silk thread used in church vestments….I really cannot recommend you use dry cleaning. the chemicals can be pretty hard going on delicate fibres.

Maybe have a think about turning this piece into a fabric hanging kept away from direct daylight, or direct heat to protect the silk and dye used in the navy cotton fabric from damage.

Concur with the suggestion of making a few samples to test cleaning ideas. The long cold soak, none wring( will damage the embroidery) and dry stretched flat might be the best bet. I avoid modern detergents and use a teeny amount of oxyclean to long cold soak up to seven days the worst of the worst.

Liquid soap flakes are excellent for cleaning very delicate fabrics. I use it for all my woollens and silks.

I'm not sure that oxyclean plus water is anything more than water after a few days.

^ this. Tbh I would do anything to avoid cleaning an embroidered piece

ideally you would have prewashed the backing fabric before you started but I would not start over

why do you need to clean it? Use it as a hanging/decoration. I have pieces I made 30+ years ago and have never washed

To avoid washing your quilt: top sheet under (& fold over do faces don’t touch edge of quilt when you are in bed)

lay a clean towel down if you need to sit on the bed

The hygiene police may not approve but they won’t have spent hours embroidering away …

I managed to keep a (non embroidered) quilt comforter in perfect condition for 9 years of daily use this way … it can be done!

Hi everyone! Thanks for all your responses 😊 I can't use it as a wall hanging (my house is too small, I don't have any walls big enough!). It's destined for our spare room/nursery as a throw - I often read in there and wanted a new blanket to curl up in for that.

I normally pre-wash fabrics before working on them but had a complete brain fart with this one and forgot to do it. This pregnancy has robbed me of so much brainpower!!

I can live with not washing it until it's done, but definitely think I'd need to be able to wash it because life. I'd quite like to actually use it - I prefer to use the things I make, but I know others often craft ornamental pieces so it's not for everyone - but almost certain it will get tea/coffee/mystery stained at some point!

I did do a small 4x10 inch sample with some silk thread stitches, hand wash in lukewarm water with a bit of gentle eco washing up liquid and it seems to have fared well. 😊 The wadding hasn't taken any dye and neither has the silk, which is better than I expected!

Tbh I'm not sure I'd ever be brave enough to put it in the washing machine so happy to try to keep it clean, spot clean if I need to but know all may not be lost if I use method for the sample I did.

Thanks everyone!