Sorry about stringing you along there yesterday! The fact is, I wasn’t sure how this tale would end. Would Orvus be the hero of the piece, saving the fair embroidery so that we could all live happily ever after? Or would this be one of the stories with the unsatisfactory ending – realism, in a harsh and unforgiving world?

It’s difficult to say. I think we could call it a story of compromise. The Orvus didn’t work completely, but it worked enough to be satisfactory.

The look of the pall has changed drastically. The original dark gold gave it a contrast I really liked. But … this doesn’t look too bad, and I think I can live with it! The washed out colors give the piece a more delicate look.

There is some slight ghosting of the pink, but it’s not really noticeable unless you’re intently looking for it.

The silk, of course, has as beautiful a sheen as ever, so that’s good.

I think if I had had more time and could have soaked the piece for a good 24 hours or so, I would have been more satisfied with the results – at least with knowing I had done everything possible to return the linen to a perfect pristine white around the edges of the embroidery. But as usual, time is not on my side. I had to be satisfied with a two hour bath.

The green in the basting threads did not run, by the way! The green markings, for those who asked, are just green sewing thread that I used for basting.

A few follow up notes, some of which I’ll elaborate on later:

When working with silk threads (unless the manufacturer guarantees color-fastness, which is a rare thing), it’s always best to assume that you’re working on a piece that isn’t meant for washing or even dampening. With that in mind, it’s important to keep the work clean, clean, clean as you go. Wash your hands before you stitch, remove your piece from the hoop after each stitching session and wrap it up to protect it from dust and dirt, and if you’re working on a frame, use another piece of fabric to cover the piece where your hands might rest on it while working.

On this particular piece, because it is a pall, it has to be washable. Palls get washed. I knew that. My mistake for not testing the threads before I started out!

And as for Orvus… well, I’ll talk more about it tomorrow, show you what it is, and show you the difference between a vintage linen towel before Orvus and after.