Easter Bunny Cross Stitch Patterns – Cross-Stitch

As careful as we are with our cross-stitch projects while we are stitching, there’s always a possibility that they will get a little dirty while we are working on them.

Using white cross stitch fabric is always a little fraught, especially if you live in a household with pets or children. Anyone can come along and leave a muddy footprint or some other kind of mark on our project. And of course, we can, too, if we eat or drink near our project.

Prevention is the most important thing so that you don’t have to worry about how to wash cross stitch projects.

• Always wash your hands before working with light-colored fabric.
• Don’t eat anything that could stain, whether by leaving color, oil or salt behind.
• Put your project in a bag when you’re not working on it so that it won’t get hit by random messes.

But if you do find yourself needing to wash cross stitch projects, either after you finish or because you’ve found an old piece with some damage, there are some things you can do to ensure your project comes out looking its best.

Stitched Modern recommends using a mild soap like you might use for blocking knitting or crochet projects, and actually the process is pretty similar to blocking, too (except you should never use an iron on yarn). You could also use dish soap, or I like to use baby shampoo. The key is to not use anything too harsh like your actual laundry detergent.

If you’re dealing with old stains, the procedure is the same, you just might need to leave it sitting longer. You can also try a paste of sodium bicarbonate (aka baking soda) and water applied directly on the stain to remove stubborn yellowing or discoloration.

It’s not always possible to remove stains from cross stitch but it’s worth a try for a special piece!

[Photo: Stitched Modern.]