About Me & My Artistic Expression (or Thread Obsession)

When I was a small girl, every Sunday afternoon my mother took us kids to visit my Grandparents. While my mother and grandmother chatted at the kitchen table over coffee, I wandered through the company rooms of the house admiring all the fancy workings that adorned the furniture. Every table top was covered with at least one fancy working. Towels were trimmed in lace, as was every hand cloth, pillowcase and tablecloth. And every week this fascinating display changed!

In my Grandparents home my Grandmothers "private" area was in the basement right next to the cloths washer and across from a very large stove. While my grandmother sat waiting for the cloths to wash and the oven to bake, she would create her fancy workings. As a little girl I would sit on the floor at my Grandmothers feet and watch her knit or crochet. This is how I learned . . . . by watching. To this day I still knit backwards.

What fascinated me as a child remains a passion of mine today - some 40 years later. I naturally gravitate towards century old patterns and have a fondness for Victorian and Celtic designs. I draw a great deal of my inspiration from nature, which is probably why I'm so hooked on Irish Crochet. I also recently I began creating some of my own designs and will some day put them to patterns. I work with a variety of fibers in creating my work such as cotton, bamboo, wool & linen - and lots of color!

In this blog I'll talk about things like fiber, crochet tips and techniques, and share my knowledge in the crafts history. Resources are immense with the internet, but I'll list my favorites here too.

My greatest passion is crochet, but I do still knit from time to time.

You can browse through an array of my creations at:

Artistic Needlework: www.etsy.com/shop/ArtisticNeedlework

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Artistic-Needlework/101214780007413

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/ArtisticNeedleW/

Posted by Artistic NeedleWork

Care Instructions



Any handmade piece deserves the highest quality of care. A handmade crochet or knit piece will last for generations when cared for correctly. The following instructions are meant as guidelines to help you care for your handmade knit and crochet items.  Should you have questions feel free to contact me.

Best Regards,
-Denise
at Artistic NeedleWork

 Daily Cleaning and Care of Crochet Lace


Dust and lint will accumulate on your item and it is best to remove the particles regularly. Just shake the dust out of a piece just like you would shake a tablecloth. The most efficient way to remove hair and lint is with a lint brush or piece of tape rolled sticky side out.  DO NOT promptly place a doily on a surface which you have just polished with furniture polish. The doily will absorb the oils from the polishing compound. These oils are very difficult to wash out of the cotton.  Wait a day or so before returning a doily to furniture which has been polished. Direct sunlight will damage and deteriorate the cotton your crochet piece is made of causing the piece to literally break apart.  For this reason, keep your item out of direct sunlight and store in a dark place when not in use.

You can iron crochet lace doilies but DO NOT place the iron directly on the piece. In doing this you will permanently scorch the piece. If you desire to iron the piece, place a towel between the doily and the iron and use a moderate heat setting with steam.

Washing
Gently hand wash in cold water with one teaspoon mild liquid laundry soap.  Pure white doilies may be washed in warm water. ALWAYS wash colored doilies in COLD water. For tuff stains wash the item in liquid dish soap and let the piece soak awhile. DO NOT scrub any part of the doily with a brush.  DO NOT wring or twist the doily. After washing rinse the piece several times in clean water. Starch should be added to the final rinse water.  I recommend using a starch like Argo, which is added directly to the rinse water. *

Dry and Block

Place washed doily between two layers of a clean, lint free towels and roll up gently.  Leave rolled for a while until the towel has absorbed most of the moisture. Gently arrange and shape the doily on clean, dry lint free surface. You can pull gently to shape piece all while spreading the piece flat with your hands.  Allow the piece to thoroughly air dry before use. 


After multiple washings, a piece will loose its starch and shape.  At this point it may be necessary to re-block the piece or pin it out while wet and allow it to dry. Follow the instructions for washing and add starch to the final rinse.  Using steel pins, pin the wet doily to an ironing board. If your doily is too large for an ironing board, place a towel over a piece of cardboard and pin the doily to the cardboard. Place pins at an angle to secure the crochet.  Pay attention to picots, open and pin each one and allow the piece to dry thoroughly before removing the pins. Take time to block a piece as this blocking will last a long, long time.

Storage



Do not fold at any time as this will damage the fibers. Lace and doilies should be stored rolled. A doily should be carefully rolled around a 'tube' of paper (such as that from gift wrap) and then covered with cotton cloth or tissue paper. You can roll and store several doilies around the same tube. Store in a clean, dry, dark place such as a drawer or linen closet. Lavender is a good moth-repellent and adds a delightful fragrance.

*Dry cleaning is also an acceptable method of cleaning handmade lace. 





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