You find a beautiful hand stitched dresser scarf at a shop, and you can't believe how cheap the price is.............

 

then you realize it has heavy stains................

but that's okay.........because you remembered reading on my previous posts

that these stains can be removed............

just by mixing baking soda and hydrogen peroxide together into a runny paste..............

moisten the linen with water,

 

rub the paste mixture gently onto the stain............

let it sit over night..............

gently wash the linen........

and the stain is gone!

 

But that is not the only problem with it...............

there is a big hole in it.............

or in this case,

wax dropped onto it and a hole in it where someone unsuccessfully tried to remove the wax.

Not a problem I say...........buy it, take it home, because this too can be repaired and the linen can once again look beautiful and be used in your home.

 

Here is what you can do..............

First, find fabric that matches the stitched piece in color and in texture.

then, pin this piece on the wrong side of the linen, over the hole. Pencil mark a square big enough around the hole.

Baste a running stitch along the pencil outline of the square.

Now turn over the stitched piece to the right side and carefully

cut away the wax............

 

or trim the loose ends of the hole.........

making sure not to cut the patch material underneath.

 

Now turn under a small edge of the hole and work the blind stitch.......just like an applique around the entire hole, using very small stitches.

Now you have a clean patch over this area.

Turn the stitched piece over to the wrong side again..........remove the basting stitches along the square and

cut the excess fabric  away and leave just enough around the stitching of the hole repair.

With tiny stitches, work a closed buttonhole stitch over the raw edges.

This keeps the patch from fraying and balling up with use and washing over the years.

 

Now, turn it over to find that  you have an almost un noticeable patch on this linen

 

and it can now be used

and displayed for many more years in your home.

 I hope you found this tutorial easy to follow and I hope that when you find lost and forgotten beautiful hand stitched pieces that need some care,

you will take them home to enjoy then like they were meant to be!