Eco Printed Silk Scarves
Nature’s colors are living things. To keep your scarf vibrant for years to come, please follow these steps:
- The Golden Rule: Use only pH-neutral soap. Common detergents are often too alkaline and can shift the color of natural dyes (turning purples to grays or pinks to yellows). I recommend a drop of clear, gentle dish soap or a specialized wool/silk wash like Eucalan or Castile soap.
- Wash: Hand wash in cool water. Avoid soaking for more than a few minutes.
- Dry: Do not wring or twist. Lay the scarf flat on a clean towel, roll it up like a sleeping bag to squeeze out excess water, then hang to dry out of direct sunlight.
- Iron: Iron on a medium/silk setting while the scarf is still slightly damp to restore that beautiful Habotai luster.
Naturally Dyed Embroidery Thread
Hand-dyed thread requires a little extra love during your creative process.
- Color Fastness: While these threads are lightfast, natural dyes can sometimes “crock” (rub off slightly) on your fingers while working, or bleed slightly during the first wash. This is a normal part of the natural dye experience.
- Washing your Finished Work: If you embroider onto a garment, hand wash the entire piece in cool water with pH-neutral soap.
- Storage: Keep unused thread in a dark place (like a tin or drawer). Prolonged exposure to UV light is the biggest enemy of natural dyes.
Eco Printed Muslin Table Runners
Art for your table that celebrates the changing seasons.
- The Golden Rule: Just like our silk, these plant-based fibers require a pH-neutral soap. Avoid standard detergents with “brighteners” or high alkalinity, as they can cause the botanical prints to shift or fade prematurely.
- Wash: Hand wash in cool water or use a very gentle machine cycle. For best results, wash the runner on its own to avoid snagging the muslin’s open weave.
- Dry: Line dry or lay flat. If you prefer a crisp finish, do not let it dry completely—remove it while it is still significantly damp.
- Iron: This is the most important step! Iron on a high-heat cotton setting while the runner is damp. This flattens the muslin fibers perfectly and highlights the fine details of the leaf prints.
Hand-Embroidered Lavender Sachets
Fragrant botanical treasures for your linens and home.
- The Golden Rule: To keep the fragrance potent, gently squeeze the sachet every few weeks. This “bruises” the dried lavender buds inside, releasing a fresh burst of essential oils.
- Preserve the Embroidery: Because the hand-stitching is delicate, avoid friction. If the sachet is kept in a drawer, place it on top of garments rather than underneath heavy items to protect the tension of the threads.
- Cleaning: Should the linen or muslin casing become soiled, spot-clean only with a damp cloth and a drop of pH-neutral soap. Do not submerge the sachet in water, as wetting the lavender buds inside will cause them to lose their scent and potentially tea-stain the fabric.
- Sunlight: Keep the sachet out of direct, harsh sunlight to prevent the natural embroidery threads and the botanical colors from fading.
- Refreshing the Scent: After a year or two, if the natural scent begins to fade, you can carefully add a single drop of high-quality organic lavender essential oil to a corner of the fabric (avoiding the embroidered area).
Hand-Knit Wool Hats
Warmth from the land, crafted for the elements.
- The Golden Rule: Wool is naturally antimicrobial and water-repellent; it rarely needs a full wash. To refresh your hat, simply hang it in a breezy spot out of direct sunlight to “air out.”
- Washing: If a wash becomes necessary, hand wash in cool water using a pH-neutral wool wash or a very mild soap. Avoid any “scrubbing” or agitation, which can cause the wool fibers to lock together (felt) and shrink the hat.
- Drying: Never put natural wool in a dryer. Gently squeeze out excess water (do not wring or twist), roll it in a clean, dry towel to absorb remaining moisture, and lay it flat on a drying rack to air dry.
- Maintenance: Small “pills” or fuzzies are a natural characteristic of high-quality, minimally processed wool. You can gently remove these by hand or with a dedicated sweater comb to keep the knit looking crisp.
- Storage: Moths absolutely love to eat wool. In the warmer months put your hat in a bag or box safe from moths.
