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Fabric Care

Fabric properties and wash care

All of our products are handcrafted using the finest natural fibers. The subtle variations in color, texture and finish are the signature of the human hand. Creating each product is a lengthy process rooted in the crafts-based traditions of hand spinning, dying, weaving, wood block printing and embroidery, each with its own regional specialty and character. We use both vegetable dyes and commercial dyes. Caring for your Seamstress products is generally trouble free. Most of Seamstress clothing is 100% pure cotton. Handwoven cotton fabric has the added value of allowing more air penetration and is therefore cooler, softer, more absorbent and breathes better than highly uniform, compacted machine made cotton fabric. This added breathability means you will stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Handwoven cotton fabric also has a textural beauty and visible character which is not present in machine made fabric. Khadi fabric is cotton that has been both handspun and handwoven. Cotton is a very strong fiber, even when wet, so it holds up very well to repeated laundering. We offer the following information and care suggestions which will help you extend the life of your Seamstress products even further. 

Shrinkage

During the dyeing and printing processes, the yarn and then the fabric is repeatedly washed. This helps to ensure full dye penetration, removes any residual surface dye and also reduces shrinkage in the final tailored product. Depending on how you care for the product, additional shrinkage ranges from 5-7% for printed fabrics and 7-10% for woven products.

Laundering

Please refer to the specific care instructions on the garment. Because cotton is so strong when wet, caring for cotton is very simple and the more you wash it, the softer and more absorbent it becomes. The following tips will help you extend the life of the product.

Machine wash cold on gentle cycle.

Wash items with like colors and turn your clothes inside out, especially dark colors.

Some colours may require to be washed separately the first few times.

All products which have a piping of a contrasting colour should only be Dry Washed. (Piping is a strip of folded/ rolled fabric used to define the edges or style lines).   

Keep your zippers and hooks closed to avoid snagging other items in the wash.

If you choose to use bleach, use non-chlorine bleach which is less harsh on your fabrics.

Tumble dry low heat. Remove items promptly from dryer, preferably when still damp.

Ironing

Press with a warm to hot iron while damp. If the item has dried, use a spray bottle to dampen the fabric.