Hand embroidery
Zardozi · aari · sequin work
Do
- Dry clean only, and tell the cleaner it is metal-thread work before you leave it.
- Store flat or rolled, never on a wire hanger — the weight of zardozi pulls a shoulder out of shape in a season.
- Keep a muslin or cotton sheet between the embroidery and anything it is folded against.
- Air it for a few hours after wearing, before it goes back in the wardrobe.
Never
- Never wash at home. Water tarnishes metal thread and will not come out of it again.
- No steam or iron directly on the work; press from the reverse, through cloth, on the lowest setting.
- Keep perfume and hairspray off it — both corrode the metal. Dress last.
- Do not store in plastic. It traps moisture against the thread.