Useful and beautiful things ... hand made in Aotearoa
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Useful and beautiful things ... hand made in Aotearoa
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Fabrics and Care

HOW TO CARE FOR SEW CATHY SEW PRODUCTS

All Sew Cathy Sew products are shipped to you with care instructions - there will be a sewn-in care label attached to the product (where required by New Zealand law) and/or there will be a sheet of care instructions included with the item(s) you have purchased. 

If there is a sewn-in care label attached to the product, please follow the instructions on the care label.

If there is no sewn-in label, or you have cut the label off the product after purchase, or have mislaid the printed sheet of care instructions for the product, please refer to the product/fabric care instructions below.

For environmental reasons (to save water, detergent and power) and to get the longest possible use out of all Sew Cathy Sew products, I recommend that you:

  • only wash an item when it's really necessary
  • at the lowest temperature
  • in a full load
  • with the smallest amount of eco-friendly detergent that gets the item clean.

Face masks:

A reusable fabric face mask must be washed at the end of each day you have worn it, or sooner if it becomes damp. After washing, always wait until your mask is completely dry before wearing it again. 

  • Hand wash in a basin of hot tap water with soap or detergent (this is the way I wash my masks - I use soapy water, leave it to soak for 10 minutes, then rub the fabric together, rinse and squeeze it as dry as possible), or machine wash in a delicates bag at 40-60 degrees
  • Wash colours separately
  • Line dry in shade (masks dry quickly draped over a towel rail) 
  • Warm iron on cotton setting (not usually needed)
  • Do not bleach
  • Do not dry clean.

Merino Baby Beanies and Wraps:

  • Hand wash or gentle lukewarm machine wash on wool cycle
  • Use wool detergent
  • Wash colours separately
  • Line dry in shade
  • Warm iron on wool setting
  • Do not bleach
  • Do not dry clean.

Baby Play & Splat Mats:

The laminated cotton side of the Baby Play & Splat Mats can be wiped clean with a damp cloth after each use.   

When necessary, hand wash the mat, or machine wash it on a gentle cycle. Make sure that there are no sharp items in the wash that could scratch the laminated cotton. You can iron the plain cotton side but DO NOT iron the laminated cotton side - it will melt, and you will be sad!

  • Gentle machine wash cold
  • Line dry in shade
  • Warm iron on cotton side only
  • Do not iron laminate
  • Do not bleach
  • Do not dry clean.

Reusable Bowl Covers:  

  • Machine wash cold in a delicates bag
  • Drip dry in shade
  • Do not bleach
  • Do not iron
  • Do not dry clean.

Linen Aprons:

  • Hand wash or gentle machine wash warm
  • Wash colours separately
  • Line dry in shade
  • Warm/hot iron
  • Do not bleach
  • Do not dry clean.

Silk Scarves:

If you look after them well, silk scarves should not need to be cleaned often - but they are delicate and do need special care. The manufacturers of silk always recommend dry cleaning. I have successfully hand washed my own silk scarves. However, your decision to hand wash your silk scarf is AT YOUR OWN RISK - I cannot take any responsibility for how any individual silk fabric used in my silk scarves may behave when hand washed. For this reason, I do not pre-wash any silk fabrics before sewing with them.

  • Dryclean, or
  • Hand wash at your own risk using silk detergent
  • Drip dry in shade
  • Warm iron
  • Do not bleach
  • Do not tumble dry.

Dog Bandanas:

  • Cold hand or machine wash with like colours
  • Line dry in shade
  • Warm iron
  • Do not bleach
  • Do not dry clean.

Cat Collar Covers:

  • Cold hand or machine wash with like colours
  • Line dry in shade
  • Warm iron
  • Do not bleach
  • Do not dry clean.

FABRICS USED BY SEW CATHY SEW 

100% Cotton:

Cotton fabric is made from natural fibres derived from the cotton plant. Cotton is one of the most commonly used fabrics for clothing, kitchen and table linen and accessories.

I carefully select high quality 100% cotton fabrics from a variety of sources in New Zealand, and occasionally also from overseas, to make the following products:

  • Face masks - for the outer layer of each mask, I use the Kiwiana range of fabrics from Nutex in Auckland, as well as other suitable densely woven printed cotton fabrics, and for the inner layer I use 500 thread count cotton sheeting, which is very densely woven and feels soft on the skin
  • Bunting - for personalised name bunting, I use the Kiwiana range of fabrics from Nutex in Auckland
  • Baby Play & Splat Mats (play side) - for this unique reversible product, I also use the Kiwiana range of fabrics from Nutex
  • Reusable Bowl Covers (printed outer layer)  
  • Woof Bandanas reversible dog bandanas 
  • Clown Cats cat collar covers 

    Spunbonded non-woven interfacing:

    I use spunbonded non-woven interfacing as the middle layer in face masks. The light to medium weight interfacing I use is easily available, soft and designed to be used in the construction of clothing, i.e. it is washable.

    Non-woven fabrics, as their name suggests, are not made by weaving or knitting strands of thread together (as most other types of fabric are made), but by some other process of combining fibres tightly together. Non-woven fabrics are almost always synthetic, often containing polyester or polypropylene.

    Because of the way they are made, spunbonded non-woven fabrics are much better than woven fabrics at blocking small particles. Health authorities including the World Health Organization and the New Zealand Ministry of Health recommend that reusable face masks contain at least three layers, including a non-woven layer.

    100% Cotton Laminate:

    Laminated cotton is 100% cotton fabric that has had a thin layer of polyurethane or polyethylene film heat sealed onto the patterned side of the fabric. This makes it waterproof and easy to wipe clean, while still remaining soft and flexible to touch.

    Laminated cotton (unlike oilcloth) is considered safe to use in products intended for use by babies and children, and/or in contact with food, as it does not contain BPA (bisphenol A), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), phthalates or lead.

    I use high quality 100% cotton laminate fabrics to make the following product:

    •  Baby Play & Splat Mats (waterproof splat side) - for this unique reversible product, I use the playful Kiwiana range of 100% cotton laminate fabrics from Nutex, a company based in Auckland, New Zealand.

    100% Merino

    Merino fabric is made of the natural wool fibres from merino sheep. Merino is very soft, breathable and moisture-wicking. It is a perfect fabric for clothing for everyone, including babies and people with sensitive skin.    

    I carefully select high quality 100% merino fabrics to make the following products:

    • Merino Baby Beanies and Wraps - I source premium merino fabrics from the exclusive range at The Fabric Store, a New Zealand company - the merino I use is their super-soft, ethically produced, 18.9 micron single jersey knit merino.

    100% Polyester PUL:

    Polyester PUL is 100% polyester knit fabric that has had a thin layer of polyurethane laminate (PUL) bonded to it. This makes the fabric waterproof, breathable and easy to clean, while remaining flexible. PUL is commonly used for reusable nappy covers, rainwear and other products where its waterproof breathable properties may be useful.

    PUL is food safe, as it does not contain BPA (bisphenol A), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), phthalates or lead. 

    I use polyester PUL fabric to make the following product:

    • Reusable Bowl Covers (plain lining/inner layer) - I source PUL from GreenBeans, a New Zealand company. 

    100% Linen:

    Linen fabric is made from the natural fibres of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, soft, absorbent and comfortable to wear. It has some distinctive characteristics.  Linen tends to wrinkle easily - you can either embrace the wrinkles, or choose to iron it (on the wrong side/inside) to achieve a crisp finish. Linen fabric also tends to have irregular threads or knots called 'slubs' - these are part of the beauty of the fabric, and are not a defect.  

    I carefully select high quality 100% linen fabrics to make the following product:

    • Linen Aprons - I source linen fabrics from the exclusive range at The Fabric Store, a New Zealand company.

    100% Silk:

    Silk fabric is made from a natural fibre, derived from the cocoons of mulberry silkworm larvae. Silk is one of the strongest natural fibres, yet is very light and warm. 

    I carefully select high quality 100% silk fabrics to make the following product:

    • Silk Scarves - I source silk fabrics from The Fabric Store, a New Zealand company.