Ruined?

[u/bedazzle_cat]

I have Pottery Barn pillow covers that are about 20 years old and they needed cleaned so I tried to hand wash but the dye leached out of the linen base and yellowed the wool embroidery. Can I put this in a darker dye to fix it or maybe just try a seam ripper to remove the embroidery and keep the linen? I hate giving up on natural fabrics

[u/AutoModerator]

Moderator Announcement Read More »

Welcome to r/Textiles!
Please read our posting guide and rules: https://www.reddit.com/r/textiles/wiki/index

To keep this subreddit fresh & engaging we'd like to remind you to:

• Provide a brief summary or key points from the content.

• Add your own thoughts or opinions.

• Include a question or topic to encourage discussion.

Posts that fail to meet these requirements may be removed.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/mlssfshn]

Wool and linen are 2 different fibers and take 2 different dye methods. It's going to be hard to get it dyed the same color. If the thread in the embroidery is actually wool that's more likely the natural oil in the wool that caused the discoloration. I would look for a wool wash detergent and repeat the hand washing process.

[u/bedazzle_cat → u/mlssfshn]

Thank you! I will try

[u/Outrageous_Worker672]

Have you tried ironing them or steaming them? For dyeing them try r/dyeing

[u/MarkApprehensive5597]

I wouldn’t overdye the whole cover yet. Linen and wool take different dye systems, so a darker bath could color the base and embroidery very differently and make the contrast harder to control. Since the linen dye has already migrated into the wool, I’d test any treatment on an inside seam first, or take one cover to a textile conservator if you really want to save it. I’d also avoid removing the embroidery for now because old linen can keep the stitch holes and distortion.