WASH Finished Cross Stitch Project | How to Cross Stitch Tutorial for Beginners Flosstube 

That's hilarious! Would love to see it if you make it :D

Glad it was helpful!

Beth Field, me too!! I’m always to excited to move on to the next one right away. It takes years for the discoloration to happen, so don’t sweat it too much (see what I did there? lol I’m a dork 🤓)

@@NotoriousNeedleYou're a little Rebel.

@@carolecook1116 HAHA! Maybe a little .... 😉

Aw, nice of you to say

Hi Teegan, my newest recommendation is Dawn Ultra Free and Gentle. It has no dyes and no perfumes - which is the important part if you can't find Dawn brand specifically.

Sorry I didn't see this comment sooner! I use Dawn dish soap and I look for the clear version - no dyes. It's concentrated to a little goes a long way.

Sorry about that! I guess they changed it. Any clear dish soap will work. You could probably use a non-clear soap like Dawn and it would work fine. You need a gentle degreaser.

Hi D - unfortunately, I’ve never been able to fully remove the yellowed stains on older textiles. I have been able to reduce the yellowing with washing using Woolite. (Make sure the fabric and floss are colorfast before washing.) A quick Google search came up with a product called “retro clean”, but I’ve never tried it. Wish I had better news for you. Prevention really is the best way to go, and I know that doesn’t help you now. Best of luck and let me know if you were able to get the stains out.

Yeah, that’s rough. I definitely recommend you avoid getting it wet. A regular marker will bleed into the thread you stitched over it. Sorry. 😢

Devastating, so sorry about your grandma's quilt! This can happen when we buy kits and we aren't sure where the materials were made. The companies of the kits may use cheaper materials to keep the cost of the kit down. I found this article specifically about fixing color-bleeding in quilts. Maybe you can rescue it! suzyquilts.com/fix-fabric-bleeds/ Luckily, there are a few things you can do to prevent this from happening with the baby quilt and other projects you want to do. First, use only materials that are "colorfast" when you can. This means that the process used to dye the fabrics and threads actually holds the color in place, and will not bleed. Even the reds. I don't know much about quilting threads, but for cross stitch, I use DMC embroidery floss for this reason. If you're unsure, ask the maker, or Google the manufacturer with the word "colorfast" and you'll usually get several results. You can even ask for help if you're buying threads or fabric at a craft store. (Hint - Ask the clerk who cuts the bolts of fabric - I find they're more knowledgeable in this arena.) Second, test your materials before stitching. Throw a couple of small pieces together in hot water with mild soap and see what happens. Hopefully, nothing! Third, pre-wash your materials. This will get the "bleed" out before you use them in your project and will help reduce or eliminate damage after you've spent all your time on that lovely creation. Check the manufacturer's instructions before washing so you don't damage your materials. Last, never, ever use hot water to wash your finished project - unless you've test the materials first. Heat is used in most processes to dye textiles. So that later, hot water can release the dye to be re-absorbed by other fabrics and threads. Also, a lot of textiles will shrink in hot water. Hope that helps!! This is a GREAT question - I think I'm going to use it to create a little article on my blog to help other stitchers, too. Thank you!

@@NotoriousNeedle thanks it all the information was very helpful. It was red thread that bleed. I think if I get a kit I will get it without the thread and buy my own.

I'm assuming you're asking if the colors will bleed? That depends on your fabric and floss. If it is labeled as "colorfast", then the colors will not bleed. Check the care instructions that came with them.

I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean "Does the needle fade".

I’d give it at least overnight, you can use a hairdryer on cool if you have damp spots next day :)

I usually leave it overnight. The longest I’ve checked was 4 hours and it still wasn’t completely dry. I live in a very humid climate, so some places might take less time.

Hi Kam! I think you’re talking about either gridded fabric or stamped cross stitch with the pattern printed on the fabric. For that purpose, you should follow the directions for the product (gridding pen or pencil, or the pattern). Usually, that is more than enough to also remove any oils from the hands.

Yes! A gentle dish soap like Dawn is a great choice because it is a liquid degreaser. Liquid dish soap is concentrated, so you only need a couple of drops, literally! And remember to rinse it off after soaking to help remove and soapy residue.

@@NotoriousNeedle ok, thank you!

Yes, you can wash an unfinished project. :) The most important thing to know is if the threads and the fabric are colorfast. Follow the washing instructions from the manufacturer. If it's stitched on a starched fabric (aida is usually starched), it will change the stiffness and feel of the fabric to something softer.

Do you mean have the color from the thread bleed into other threads or fabric? Yes, I have. But I’ve learned to use colorfast threads (usually DMC) and fabric, and so that’s not an issue. Always best fo check the washing and care instructions first.

Hi Kamlesh! Starching and washing aren’t the same. Starching refers to adding starch to fabric. It’s a chemical treatment that makes the fabric more stiff. Aida fabric often comes starched to make it easier to stitch on. Washing the fabric will remove the starch and (hopefully) any dirt or stains. If the fabric was starched, washing it will make it softer. Hand-dyed fabric is usually not starched, and is pretty soft. Any starch is removed because the fabric is usually washed before the dyeing process to help it take the dye better. Does that help explain it?

Yes, you can (follow the instructions from the manufacturer) But I find it’s not really useful since I create new creases from my hoop and my hands as I stitch.

@@NotoriousNeedle so you think just stitch n than wash out the creases made from stitching n from being old n folded up ..?

@@kathbiddle-dutton7069 That’s how I usually do it. You could try both ways and see what you like better.

@@NotoriousNeedle thanks 😊

Any clear, liquid dish soap will work. Most ppl use Dawn.

You should follow the directions that come with your stamped cross stitch kit. Different materials need different types of care.

Hi Francis, the best way to remove pencil marks is if you used pencils designed specifically for writing on fabric. But if you used a regular pencil, start by erasing the marks as best you can with a brand new, soft pencil eraser. The little pink eraser on the back of the pencil will be too hard. Apply a stain remover directly to the pencil stain, following the instructions in the stain remover. Throw it in the wash. (Follow the directions on the fabric for washing) Don’t put Aida through the dryer because it’s cotton and will shrink. Good luck!!

@@NotoriousNeedle thanks and I also want to know if what do you prefer for a stain remover?

@@francisballecer9432 I use a Tide pen most of the time.

@@NotoriousNeedle thanks for the help. I will try tide pen.

A bit. Most liquid soap will work because almost all are degreasers. Try not to get anything too concentrated - I’ve had the color of the soap slightly change the color of my fabric.

@@NotoriousNeedle what about hand soap?

@@Starbeam1979 It depends on the soap and how you apply it. If you have a plain soap and lather it on your hands first before washing your project, it could work. If you have a green soap and rub it all over your wet project, that's going to be hard to rinse out. A little bit of liquid soap squirted and swirled into a small bowl of water is much easier.

@@NotoriousNeedle Thanks.

Yes, this is 14ct Aida cloth.

Why not?