Care & cleaning tips

 All our garments are made of high quality machine washable fabrics. Thinking of families as a whole, we design our collections which the intention of meeting both children's need of comfort and mothers' busy schedules with frequent lack of time for household chores.

 Made to last and to be passed down from generation to generation, no specific care is required : following just a few basic principles will be more than enough! The most important is to let your little ones wear their outfits with love and joy!

charlotte sy dimby smocked dresses for children care and cleaning tips - how to iron a smocked dress

Here are our general guidelines as well as a few of our secrets to help you gain time and efficiency.

Cleaning advice

All our garments can be machine washed.
We recommend the use of a delicate, 30 degree cycle .
For smocked dresses, we suggest turning the dresses inside out to best protect the fabric. This will also prevent them from wrinkling too much!

For white clothing, avoid mixing with other colours. Preferably wash with similar shades.

Charlotte sy Dimby handmade white smocked dress - cleaning tips
Once the item is cleaned please leave to hang dry and avoid tumble drying. Do not bleach.

Ironing tips
Depending on the fabric type and weight, our smocked and embroidered dresses may require a little ironing once out of the wash.
By following the steps below, your dress will look perfect within minutes.
1. Never iron the smocks panel. Handmade using traditional techniques, the pleats will stay put and do not require any care.
handmade smocks Charlotte sy Dimby childrenswear
2. Begin by the collar. Unfold it and press it flat upon board. Use the tip of the iron to go all around the collar.
3. Then take care of the sleeves. Here is our little secret to give them a nice and puffy shape in no time!
Unbutton the the top of the dress to have easy access to the sleeve itself.
Hold the iron straight in front of the sleeve inside and aim the steamer towards it. Blowing air into it will make it puff it like a balloon right away and give it a pretty shape!
handmade smocks puffed sleeves Charlotte sy Dimby
4. Give a quick ironing to the dress lining (and tulle for Netti dresses). Lay the fabric nice as flat as you can to ensure more ease and avoid creating wrinkles.
handmade Netti smocked dress lining with tulle Charlotte sy Dimby
5. To get a crisp finish, iron the skirt. Begin by separating the pleats.
Using the pointy end of the iron to have access to the fabric in between the pleats, go right up to the top of the skirt just below the smocks panel.
This will make an upside V shape due to the pleat stitch.
Work each pleat one a time turning the skirt upon the ironing board to go all the way around.
Charlotte sy Dimby handmade smocked dress
5. Remove the dress from the board and brush the pleats to arrange them as they are supposed to appear.

 

Extra buttons

If ever you happen to lose a button, two extra ones are sewn into the left side lining of the dress. Called "boutons de courtoisie" in French, these additional buttons are a symbol of high quality well-made garments. 

 

Butterfly bow

With each dress order you will receive the link to our butterfly bow tutorial teaching you how to perfectly tie the sash at the back of your child's dress.

Please find access to the video below

The art of the butterfly bow 

charlotte sy dimby the secret of the butterfly bow

If you have any question or inquiry regarding the care and cleaning of your outfits please do not hesitate to reach out by email at info@charlottesydimby.com or by DM on Instagram.