Have Your Say

No matter how big a problem might seem, when you put together the vast collective knowledge of our needlework community, inevitably a solution appears. When we published Maureen Nassiri’s story of her disaster with the blue ‘water soluble’ pen in All Stitched Up! issue #235 we were amazed by all the suggestions and recommendations we received from our readers for Maureen. Here are just a few ideas to try…

‘I suggest that Maureen try Restoration Fabric Restorer, a product of the Engleside Products.

Restoration is excellent for antique linens, laces, vintage clothing, wedding gowns and more! The fabric restorer removes coffee, tea, blood and other hard to remove stains from the most delicate fabrics safely. It does not leave residue or harm fibres in any way.’

‘I tried Restoration when it was recommended to me a few years ago. I was delighted with the results on an embroidery that I thought would never be clean again. I had tried other methods to clean that particular piece but only Restoration worked. I have continued to use it and have never been disappointed with the results.’

That truly does sound like a miracle product Sandra – for those of us lucky to find somewhere to purchase some, it would be definitely worth trying. Thank you for letting us know about it.

‘I’ve got a possibility for ‘rescuing’ Maureen Nassiri’s Mountmellick embroidery. She might be able to dye the entire piece in a colour that would complement the colour of the marking pen.

It would no longer be traditional Mountmellick, but it could make the marks look intentional.

I would use the dreaded marker pen on a piece of the corner, snip off that bit for a test dye, and of course wait to see how that looks when dry before committing the entire piece.’

This is a wonderfully creative way to save a piece of embroidery which might not otherwise see the light of day. Yes, traditional Mountmellick should be white, but there are no ‘embroidery police’ to tell you off if you try something new! It could make for a unique piece which would carry a very personal story.

‘Has the product Napisan been tried for the Mountmellick embroidery yet?’

Although Maureen said she’d tried ‘everything’, she didn’t specifically say whether she had or hadn’t, Susan. Napisan is definitely one of the go-to products in Australia and generally produces good results, although there are occasions when even Napisan is defeated by a particularly recalcitrant stain.

‘100% alcohol, on a cotton bud, gently rubbed over unwanted transfer pen marks will generally remove them, even on silk.’

This might also be worth a try as it can be done a tiny bit at a time, so thank you Crystal. Probably dab a spot then leave to dry to see the final result before dabbing more.

Hopefully, Maureen, one of these ideas might be just what you need to rescue your Mountmellick. If you do find a solution that works, please let us know. And thank you to all of our readers for your great suggestions. We’re so lucky to be surrounded by helpful friends with such a wealth of knowledge and experience.