How Practical Are They?!

I have a pet peeve, and that is cushion covers that are dry clean only. I have bought many over the years which all look lovely in the rooms, but soon get grubby or something gets spilt on them.

At first I dutifully marched to my dry cleaners, paid a fortune and waited a few days for them to be ready. During this time my settee looked bare and you could always guarantee that would be the time of a surprise visitor!

Later I decided to 'chance' it and pop the said dirty cushion covers into the wash. This gave various 'interesting' results! Firstly the fabric could shrivel and shrink up to nicely fit a dolls house! They might bleed into other colours (never a good look!). They could wash beautifully but then prove to be un-ironable whilst displaying an exceptional talent for creasing!!

Having brought up a family of dirty boys and the odd cat or too, I soon realised that dry clean only cushion covers were not for me!

This is why I took the stand that whatever I made could be washable and ironable and always look good. I only use fabrics that wash well and wash well together. All the fabrics I choose are always pre-tested for shrinkage and colour run. There's the added advantage of being able to add your favourite fabric conditioner, which means the clean cover not only makes the room nice but makes it smell nice as well!

Too keep my colours bright and fresh, I sometimes add a colour catcher to the wash. They can be tumble dried or line dried and then ironed, with or without starch.

Whatever method you choose to use, you can always be sure that they will always look their best whenever that visitor arrives!