Does anyone have a special way of or process of washing out your FSL. Sometimes despite several water changes it is still sticky.

I soak mine in a bowl of warm water. I usually want some body in the lace designs I stitch out.
If I want less body I will soak it as above but I will do several changes of water, like Shirlene, as hot as I can put my hands in.

Some ladies here, put the FSL into slow cookers overnight to get soft lace.

I have a very large, very heavy, Websters Dictionary, I use this as a weight on top of my lace pieces while they are drying. (In between layers of a towel of course) wouldn't want to damage my Dictionary.

I do love to paint my lace ornaments and bowls with Modge Podge so I don't have to clean them, just brush the dust off. Yaye!
hugs n roses, Meganne

I can tell you how NOT to do it. When I spent the better part of an afternoon sewing out a rather complex (so what if it was my first ) FSL design, I took it to the sink where the instructions I had said to rinse in warm water. So I proceeded to turn on the warm water. FULL blast and then, being very particular about removing all of the residue, I used the sprayer. It started looking a bit suspect after a few minutes, so I was going to place it between my towels to "gently" press the remaining water out. I had YARDS and YARDS and YARDS of thread. NO design. Just thread. Still makes me laugh!

3 comments

by meganne 15 Nov 2009

Doesn't sound to me like it was your washing technique, more like a very badly digitised design.

I recently stitched out a design that was made up of lots of little circles instead of a base of criss-crossed stitches and I had to be extremely careful when I washed it as it showed signs that it was starting to fall apart because being just little circles, without a base, it had no foundation to hold the little circles together. If you still have the design I would love to check it out for you.
Hugs n roses, Meganne

by dkatzmann 15 Nov 2009

I usually use a layer of netting sandwiched between 2 layers of WSS. I haven't had any problems with the FSL falling apart. It does give a different look to the lace. A slight shimmer, but it does hold the lace.

by jrob 15 Nov 2009

Thanks Meg, but that was about 7 or 8 years ago and I deleted it. It probably was NOT FSL and just lace and I was too dumb to know the difference back then.

I like to soak my FSL in a bowl of very warm water after I have trimmed away as much of the WSS as I can. For ornaments I only leave it in for about 30 to 60 seconds. The lace will be sticky so I put it on freezer paper to dry. It is not sticky when completely dry. For lace that you wear I would soak it longer and change the water often. Then use any of the other suggestions that have already been mentioned to finish drying. I have never used the hair dryer..I'll have to give that one a try. I have heard that you should never pour the WSS soak water down your sink as it might eventually clog your pipes. I don't know if that is true but I throw the water outside anyway. What do other people do with the water?

thanks for asking and thanks for responding.

Lisa, I rinse in the warmest water my hands can tolerate - slightly rubbing or squeezing between my thumb and finger - I want as much of the WSS out of my LACE as possible - I don't like the stiffness in mine, unless it needs some for stablilty. I lay it flat between toweling and blot dry - then lay flat on a surface and use a hair dryer to blow it almost completely dry - then air dry flat. I have tried several methods over the years and this one seems to work for me - you will find one - that meets your needs and your desired results, as well. Have fun and happy stitching. *4U

1 comment

by annatjievdw 14 Nov 2009

You seem to be the 1 who has done the most FSL over years. If it can unravel as jrob said how do you fix it to clothes that have to be washed. And with us (the older generation) you prefer the washing machine. I mean it is a lot of work to see it dissolve before your eyes. Haven't tried FSL up to now and want to give it a go.

Thanks for the question and the answers.

I use the same method as McSarge, definitely warm running water, the wss dissolves very nicely that way. And the towels, and lay flat to dry. Hugs, Marji

I do lots of FSL designs and I have found that I trim away as much of the WSS and then hold it in my hand under running warm water then under cooler water. Pat dry between a towel and then let it air dry. You want some of the 'stickyness' to keep the piece somewhat stiff and hold its shape, otherwise it could be limp dependidng on the way it was digitized. I have not no problems with this method.