Caring for the weave

Dry clean is safest, particularly for zari and tissue. If you wash at home, use cold water and a mild soap, never detergent, and never wring the cloth — press the water out between your palms.

Wash a naturally dyed piece separately the first two or three times. Indigo especially will give up some colour, and is meant to.

Dry flat or on a wide rail, in shade. Direct sun will fade a natural dye faster than anything else.

Fold in muslin, not plastic — the cloth needs air. Refold along different lines once a year so the creases never settle into the same threads. Keep zari away from damp.

Trim the wick to about 5 mm before every burn. Let the first burn run until the melt pool reaches the edge — an hour or two — or the candle will tunnel for the rest of its life. Never burn for more than four hours at a stretch.