Cleaning thread crochet item

[kittymama3]

I have a flat angel crocheted with white thread (sort of like this one Christmas angel) that was my grandmother's.  It is developing some orangish discolorations in spots.  It's been stored in a plastic storage bin with other Christmas decorations.  Is there any way to clean it?  I would assume it was stiffened with some kind of starch.  It is very, very stiff, but the finish is clean so I don't think it was treated with glue (which I've read some people have been known to do)

[Granny Square]

I've heard that things stiffened with sugar water (50/50 solution of water to sugar, bring to a boil, let cool) can turn yellow, or attract bugs.  I've only ever done this on 1 item, nearly 40 years a go, and it was a metallic-y gold thread Christmas bell.  It's never attracted bugs that I can tell, and there's no adverse appearance (but it's already yellow/gold). It's still nice and stiff (way stiffer than 50/50 white glue and water I've used for other things).  

Sugar water, glue or stiff starch will wash out by hand soaking.  I would never use chlorine bleach on an old thread item, I understand it can damage old cotton fiber.  I would soak it in a solution of oxy-clean type stuff or borax (same stuff really) after getting the starch out.  Leaving it out in the sun after washing can help as well, but sunshine seems to be hard to come by right now!

Good luck!

[kittymama3]

Thank you so much for the advice.  I soaked it in Oxiclean today and after a few hours the stains came out.  Hooray!  Now...to stiffen it again?

[Granny Square]

Either a 50/50 solution of white glue/water, or the sugar water thing I mentioned above.  First though, if you don't already have some, get some rust resistant straight pins (Walmart has them, or the fabric store).  Regular pins will rust and stain your thread item in a shockingly short amount of time.  Soak the angel in the solution of your choice, squeeze out the excess, pin out over  something like a folded flat old newspaper (thick enough to hold pins) or magazine with a layer or 2 of plastic wrap between the angel and the under surface to keep the angel clean, especially if you are using printed matter below it.. A folded sheet from the linen closet would work as a base, too.  Stretch the thread out a little to open up the lace, and keep the loops/shape as even as you can.  Note, if you have a piece of flat Styrofoam lying around, you could use toothpicks instead of the special pins.

I've used spray stuff once ('Stiffy something'), it was messy and inferior to either of the above methods for something you want to be stiff.  I use spray starch and water for doilies, but I just want them to hold their shape without being stiff.  

[ReniC]

Similar to white glue, I use Plaid-Royal Coat-Decoupage Finish diluted with a little bit of distilled water.

I then cover a small cork bulletin board (from Wal-Mart) with Saran type wrap and use quilter's straight pins (non-rusting) to shape and block until completely dry. If I'm in a hurry to finish, I use a blow dryer on medium to speed things along.

For doilies, I use good old fashioned, heavy duty spray starch, then block with the straight pins.

[Avon Lady]

I cover a 12" X 12" ceiling tile (available at a home decor place, like Menard's Lowe's, etc.) with waxed paper.  Then I pin  the angels,(or whatever) with rust-resistant straight pins.  Then I mix up some white glue and water (about 50/50-to a thin brushable consistency), and "paint" it on over the object to be starched, with a small inexpensive brush.  Leave pinned until dry.  Remove pins and VOILA!

[bgs]

I use a pizza box ( like the ones the not frozen pizzas come in at Walmart, Aldi, HyVee , etc) with saran wrap pinned to it.  I had problems with wax paper sticking to my thread ornaments but I use Elmers school glue undiluted so they come out very stiff.  I have diluted out Tacky glue to use.  Definately use rust proof or resistant pins.