Before you use a Sutracraft piece for the first time, give it a careful first wash. This sets the dye and prevents any colour bleeding into your other laundry later.

1. Fill a basin or sink with cold water.
2. Add half a cup of white vinegar.
3. Soak the piece for 30 minutes.
4. Hand-rinse in cold water until the water runs clear.
5. Air-dry in shade.

Some colour will release in this first wash — that's normal, especially with indigo and madder. After the first wash, the dye is set and the piece can go in the machine like any other cotton item.

Machine wash at 40°C with similar colours. Mild detergent — no bleach, no fabric softener (softener coats the cotton fibres and slows the natural softening that happens with use).

Tumble dry on low or line-dry in shade. Avoid direct sunlight for drying — it can fade hand-dyed colours over time.

Warm iron, on the reverse side. The print stays crisper that way.

If you don't iron, the natural crinkle that develops over a few washes is part of the look.

Cool, dry, away from direct sunlight. Folded loosely is better than folded tightly — cotton breathes, and tight folds can crease over years.

If you find a loose thread, clip it with scissors. Don't pull. Hand-stitched edges occasionally have a thread that wants to come out — it's normal, not a defect.

Indigo, madder, and pomegranate dyes will release a small amount of colour in the first wash. This is part of how natural dyes settle — it's not a defect. Always wash a new piece separately the first time, with the vinegar trick described above. After that, the dye is stable.