by Sharon Balcezak
I like to do FSL designs. Usually they are done on WSS and rinsed in water to remove the WSS. Then they need to be dried. This can be difficult with a large or delicate design.
What I do is lay the design to be rinsed on top of a stove splatter screen. (it is round and has a handle and is made of screen–like on a window–$5-$6 at Walmart for a set with 2 sizes)
I tear off the excess WSS and lay the embroidery flat on the screen. Then I hold the handle and put it under the faucet with running water. You can use hot water without burning your fingers. But….the best part is that the pieces stay flat and don’t get misshapen from handling, so they dry just like they were stitched.
After I am done rinsing, I balance the screen over the sink to drip. When it is done dripping, I balance it over a couple of coffee mugs to dry–lets air circulate and they dry faster than if they were laying on a towel.
[Editor's note: Some folks have asked to see a picture of a splatter screen - so here you go:
huggers,
rob]
great thinking will have to try it i have the screen pieces u are talking about. thanks for sharing
This one I absolutely will try!!! Sounds like a good solution.
Oh, great idea Sharon, many thanks for that!
Totally brilliant
What a great idea! I’m off to Wal-Mart today, I think I’ll buy a couple of these and give it a try. Thank you Sharon.
That is an excellent idea! I’ve ruined a couple of delicate FSL’s myself and your hint will definitely fix that problem the next time. Thanks.
VERY good idea. Perfect solution! Thank you!
This sounds so cool. I can’t wait to try. I am going shopping now!!!
thanks
Terrific idea. Thank you.
Wonderful idea! I will definately try this. Thanks.
Great idea! thanks
This idea sounds great and will be trying it soon.
Thank YOU Eva Mueller
That sounds so much easier than what I usually do! But has anyone really had pipes clogged up with WSS? If it’s water sol. why doesn’t it just move on! We have a septic system & would hate to not only mess up the pipes, but the whole system!
This is a great idea!!! I will be doing some FSL for my DIL this week. I will have to try it. Theres nothing like a disapointment when seeing your FSL mishapened after all your hard work. Thanks for the tip!!!
Linda King
Great tip!!!!! I have not done much FSL, but I always have a problem rinsing it out enough, and afterwards having it lie flat. I have to try this one!
What a great tip – I just made a lot of fsl bookmarks for Christmas gifts at church. This sure would have made the process cleaner and faster!! Will keep in mind for the future. Thanks!
Excellent idea!
Great idea. I have seen these screens at the Dollar Stores for a dollar.
This goes in my “Why didn’t I think of that” catagory. I do a lot of FSL and have struggled getting it clean and dry. What a great idea! Thanks so much.
Arlene
Thank you over and over again. This is the first tip in a very long time that I will most definitely do. The unsqued design will be great. But you know the BEST? I’ll finally get some use out of those splatters screens! Betty
I think this is wonderful idea. I have some cookie cooling squares and I will try that. I am sure this would work also. Thanks.
Thank you for sharing this great idea. It is a “Gee, why didn’t I think of this. I have been drying them on an old washcloth. Sometimes they stick to the nap. This is much better!
This is a great use for the spatter lid. I no longer cook but love to sew FSL!!! Thanks for the idea.
This is a great tip! Thanks for sharing.
I haven’t attempted any FSL designs yet but have been collecting them and when I get ready to make my first FSL ornaments and bookmarks, I am certainly going to dig out those splatter screens that I’ve held on to for so many years…even though I don’t fry foods anymore!! Waste not…Want not!!!!
Great idea – thanks, I’ve always blocked my FSL with small pins onto a medium sized piece of 2″ coarse styrofoam. it also allows for circulation and drainage too.
That is a great idea I hate it when they curl.
I love your idea and will be useing it in the new year. I want to try to make some of the boxes i have collected. With thanks.
This tip is just what I needed, I just finished my first FSL project and have been trying to get it rinsed out. I have been trying to blot them with a towel, but they still feel sticky, I’m going back and using my cake cooling rack. THANKS.
I love the idea of rinsing the FSL on the screen.
I have not made any yet, the idea of drying them over mugs is good too. I am wondering about laying them on a rack like you would put cookies on to cool.
drying on a cookie cooling rack, maybe, i have never done any yet, the idea of rinsing on the screen gave me the idea
Great Idea. Thankyou.
As for septic tanks, which I also have. How about holding
the splatter screen over a tall bucket and discarding this water
outside ?
I do not know where my splatter screen is, so I also will be going out to purchase one also.
I do have a large, never used yet, bird feeder tray with 4 legs and a
mesh top which I can transfer the rinsed designs to after they have set awhile and moving won’t disturb, but are not dry yet.
I have something like this
Is anyone using weights on top of the fsl while it is drying
to prevent curling ?
I made many, many FSL ornaments this Christmas, and just laid out many of them at one time and put a small electric fan on them. This worked real well with the large amount I did.
I don’t know, but my cookies racks would leave impressions on the lace when rinsing. (too big of holes) Maybe for drying. Be aware of items that have already been used for cooking. The oil and ingredients will be much too willing to adhere to your lace product.
Excellent idea! I’ll head to walmart to get this!
I tried it and IT WORKS!!!!! Thank you, thank you
An update to my previous comment.
I purchased a brand new splatter from Walmart for use only with FSL.
I also had a brand new open bird feeder with 4 legs intended to sit
on the ground, with a mesh screen to hold the seed. So I was
able to use the splatter to rinse the FSL and keep it flat and
undisturbed while rinsing. Then I was able to either transfer immediately to the open bird feeder, or slighly later if the FSL
was very delicate, and then rinse some more FSL.
The open bird feeder was able to sit on my table and was
very strong so I was able to cover the FSL with was paper
and then I weighted it down with various things. This time I used
square or rectangler plastic kitchen storage containers that
were filled with dry goods stuff from the kitchen.
One was filled with dried apricots and the other with natural almonds. The weight was perfect. There was no worry of getting the lace rusty or dirty from the weight. The rectangle shape was large enough to cover 2 FSL ornaments.
This worked for me because I could keep using the splatter
screen for rinsing and the open bird feeder is quite large and
can hold alot of FSL at one time, plus accept alot of weight.
The idea of using a splatter screen suggested by Sharon, has
really helped with my FSL this year. Thankyou for the wonderful idea.
Thank you! Great idea, I do a lot of FSL and am excited to run to Wal-mart today to pick-up some splatter screens.
The splatter screen is excellent idea for small project. I use a window screen when I do larger project. I have also used my dehydrator racks screen(the one used for fruit lather)and run the dehydrator for a few minutes. Also, to dry them in hurry I put the window screen over my sweater drying rack that I use in my dryer and dry them for a few minutes. In summer I like to rinse outside with the spray setting on the garden hose. This works great.
Thank you so much for such a simple yet incredibly helpful idea. This will definitely be part of my FSL routine from now on.
I seen there at our Daves super market for only 1.00 each and I’m going to run down and grab me a couple in the morning but I love this ideal and I’m going to grab 2 because I think it you put it inbetween 2 of them it will really lay down nice and flat thanks for the ideal I LOVE IT …
Lois In Akron,Ohio
Thank you Sharon for your excellent tip. Will it be possible to have a photo of the stove splatter screen? I live in France and would like to buy one.
Cheers.
[editor's note: I just uploaded one to the article for you! rob]
Jerry B… I also have a septic system and what I do is cut the wss as close to the design as possible so not much stabilizer is there to rinse out. Then I put the scrap into a jar with water and store in the refrigerator for use as liquid stabilizer. The liquid works nice to spread thinly on organza or similar fabric and do designs that are similar to FSL or even FSL for a glimmery interior.