Sometimes finished projects need ironing. Hoop marks that would be visible when framing the piece need to be removed, or perhaps the whole thing would just look that little bit crisper and neater after a go with the iron. And most of the time, that’s not a problem. Just remember to iron from the back, and to put the stitched piece face down on a thick towel (or even several towels) to make sure it doesn’t get flattened. Take care that the iron is set to a temperature that the fabric and threads can take, and if they are different, take your cue from the most vulnerable one – linen fabric worked with silks gets ironed at silk temperature. Bearing all that in mind, what could possibly go wrong?

Well…

You might just forget that the project contains sequins.

This is what silver cup sequins are meant to look like. Pretty, aren’t they? Sparkly. Bright. Picking up the colour of the bead and reflecting it.

And this is what silver cup sequins look like when ironed, ever so carefully, from the back, cushioned and protected by several layers of towel.

And it didn’t even really need ironing *sigh*.