As the days get shorter, and the nights get cooler, it's a good time to think about whether there are any handmade items that need a bit of care before they return to your wardrobe rotation. (Ideally, this might have happened earlier in the spring/summer, and if so, GREAT JOB!) Especially if you have garments that are heavier and benefit from being dried flat, wash them now to reduce drying time!

Here are some recommendations for thoughtful care of natural fibers:

• Inspect for damage--mending any small holes or snags while they are small is the key to longer life for your handmade wardrobe, and it's better to do this before increasing the weight of the item by saturating it with water.
• Before washing, remove any pills, debris, or hair with a Gleener, Lilly Brush, or other garment care tool.
• Know your care requirements. Maybe you washed and blocked your swatch, and know what to expect 😉! In general, superwash wools and plant fibers can be machine washed on a delicate/hand wash cycle. Non-superwash animal fibers should be hand washed. Some indie dyers specify that handwashing is preferred, even for superwash yarn bases--this has to do with preserving the most vibrant color for the longest period of time.
• If you are machine washing, mesh garment bags can offer some extra protection. Use the gentle or hand wash cycle. You can use Eucalan or a small amount of your regular laundry detergent. Consider adding a color catcher to trap any loose dye. And wash only with items of similar weight, and make sure any buttons or zippers are closed. If there is velcro on anything in the load, definitely use a mesh garment bag.
• If you are handwashing, dissolve some Eucalan or other wool wash in cool water, then submerge your item completely. If washing more than one item in a basin, add a color catcher. Soak for 20 minutes (or until you remember that you were soaking something). To remove, support the wet item to avoid stretching it when the fibers are at their heaviest. Gently squeeze out as much water as possible; do not wring the fabric. 
• Some superwash wools need a bit of time in the dryer to snap back into shape. For the best information, I recommend machine drying your swatch to see how it performs. If machine drying, I strongly recommend low temperatures and careful consideration of what other items will also be in the dryer--machine drying an item by itself is likely to lead to wrinkles, but you don't want to include hi-lint items or anything too heavy or likely to snag your handmade item. Two other options that can serve you well are to dry flat until the item is only a little damp (or, if you are being extra cautious, completely dry), then finish with a few minutes in the machine OR dry until only just damp, and lay flat to finish.
• If laying flat to dry, first roll the item in a towel (or series of towels) to gently absorb as much excess moisture as you can. Depending on the item, you may just smooth and shape it, or you may need to pin it into place. Lace, in particular, benefits from being pinned out to open it up. If you are pinning an item, blocking mats (also sold as garage or excercise room flooring or children's puzzle mats) work well; a bed, towel covered carpeted floor, or old yoga mat are other options. The first time you wash and block an item typically involves the most  pinning to size; subsequently, you can often just reshape by hand.

Get ready! The time to show off your handmade wardrobe is nearly here!