Thank you for your purchase of an Avlea embroidery pattern or kit!  Folk embroidery is designed to be USED so here are a few tips on how to wash and store your beautiful work!

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How to hand wash:

Fill a sink or clean bucket with lukewarm water and 1 teaspoon Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap. Immerse embroidery and gentle agitate for a couple of minutes. Run clean rinse water in the sink or bucket and rinse 3 times to remove all soap residue. Lay out a thick towel and place wet embroidery in towel and roll up and press to remove as much water as possible. You may now iron with a medium iron (the dampness left in the embroidery will help steam the piece) and a press cloth (a lightweight cloth placed on top of the embroidery while you press to prevent damage). If you need to wait to iron, roll up embroidery in a fresh towel and put in freezer until you are ready to iron (this will maintain the right level of dampness for the pressing). If your piece becomes stained, you can treat with Z’out enzymatic cleaner or leave out in the sun to naturally bleach.

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Storage:
When not in use, embroideries are best stored out of sunlight. For daily use embroideries, simply folding them with as few of folds as possible and storing them in a drawer or over a hanger in a closet is ideal. For long-term prika (bridal chest) storage, use acid-free tissue and acid-free boxes and do not store in cedar chests (wood emits acetic acid over time which can damage textiles). Use 5 layers of acid-free tissue.

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What if my embroidery gets stained and I can't get it out?

I recommend taking it to your local drycleaner and seeing if they can get the stain out (sometimes they can). But, if the stain won't come out, I still recommend using the piece as this is just part of integrating textiles into your daily life. Years ago, I stitched a 36x36-inch version of the Byzantine Rose Border which took me 9 months to complete. I displayed it proudly the first Christmas our son-in-law joined our family and he set down a coffee cup on it, which left a stain I couldn't remove. Now, every time display the piece and see that little coffee stain, it reminds me of that happy Christmas.