FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a VAT receipt?

Nettle + Silk is not currently VAT-registered and so I do not charge and collect VAT on sales.

I'm in the USA. Will I be charged a tariff?

Nope. I ship with Royal Mail, 'international tracked' and they are currently collecting tarrifs at the point of label sale, so it's already paid for with your ship fee.

One exception to that would be if you need 1 or 2 day delivery, which is possible with UPS or FedEx but they are not collecting tariffs ahead of delivery, so in that case you would need to take care of that with the courier company before delivery.

Can I get my order in metres?

Absolutely! My site is all set to imperial measurements because I created it in the USA and changing to metric is a massive job. Also sometimes my customers in the UK do think and work in inches and yards. I am more than happy to convert to metric if you would prefer. Please feel free to ask.

How soon will my order ship?

My usual schedule is that order ship within 5 business days. Sometimes that may vary a little, depending on what I have in stock, if I need to make more to fill the order, if I need to order more stock with which to work, or if it is extremely busy. Please feel free to reach out any time to confirm your ship date or to ask that it be expedited. I will always do whatever I can to get your order out as soon as possible.

How soon will my order arrive?

Orders for the UK usually arrive in 1-2 business days. Next day shipping is also available. Please ask if you need that option - happy to add it!

Orders to the east coast of the USA are currently arriving in about 5 days after they ship.

Orders to the central part of the USA and west coast are arriving within about 7-10 days, depending on location.

Orders to the rest of the world are arriving in about a week to two weeks, depending on location. If you'd like a more accurate estimate, please reach out with your address and I will check for you.

For any order you will receive a tracking number with the email letting you know it's shipped. You can click through to see where it is after it has shipped.

Please note that I am sadly unable to control the movement of my work once the post office has it, so these are my best estimates, based on experience, but it is possible that times may vary if circumstance beyond my control intervene.

Is your upcycled silk sari ribbon really made from used saris?

It sure is. This ribbon arrives in boxes smelling like a thrift shop and sometimes has small stains or burn marks, which I edit out before dyeing whenever possible. There's no doubt in my mind that these ribbons have already had a full life as clothing before they are given a new lease of life in my studio.

I want to use your ribbon for my bridal bouquet. How much should I buy?

To wrap just the stems, with no streamers, one yard is sufficient
To wrap the stems and have medium-length streamers, 3 yards is best
To wrap the stems and have dramatic, editorial-style streamers, I recommend 5 yards

Are your products colourfast? Can I wash them?

Yep! My ribbons, table runners and napkins are dyed with plant and mineral-based colour. The colour is permanent, though some may fade a little if exposed to constant direct sunlight. If you’d like to wash them I recommend a gentle wash in PH-neutral soap. You can also iron them on a warm setting or use a hair straightener to flatten them.

Exposure to drastic changes in PH - like flower food - or heat can change the colour, however.

Please do not have them dry cleaned! Dry cleaning is not actually dry; it uses a chemical solvent (often toxic and harmful to you and the environment) in place of water. In all likelihood it will alter the colour of your silk or cotton.

I want to use your ribbon to wrap my invitations. How much do I need?

Decide whether you want to wrap once around the centre, or both ways like a parcel and whether you would like to tie a knot, or a bow.

For once around the middle, measure across the invitation suite and double it, then add three inches for a knot or five for a bow.

For both ways, like a parcel, measure both dimensions, add them and double it, then add three inches for a knot or five for a bow.

It’s also sometimes useful (and less maths!) to use a piece of string or cotton thread and tie it, then measure that and multiply by the number of invitations and/or suites you’ll need.

If you get stuck or need any help at all, don’t hesitate to ask!

I am creating a large project and want the colours of the ribbon to all be the same. Can you do that?

Sure! I recommend letting me know beforehand so that I can craft a batch large enough for your project in one go. Colours vary a little bit between batches because I work with natural dyes only and it's in the nature of these colours to vary a little (due to slight variations in water quality, dye stuffs and even the weather). I also recommend that you purchase a little more than you think you'll need, in case of fluff ups or mistakes in estimations, which do happen quite often.

I want to buy a table runner. How do I figure out how much I need?

Most tabletops are about 76cm (30”) off the floor. If you would like a runner that hangs off the end of the table at both ends, runs the length of the table and pools a little on the floor, take the table length add two times the height of the table and at least 1m or yard for the pooling - more if you'd like a really luxe, dramatic look.

If you have any questions at all, let me know! Always happy to help ♡

Do you do wholesale deals?

Yep! Please check out my wholesale page here and reach out if you have a special request

Will you contribute to my styled shoot?

At some points in the year and depending on the shoot, this is sometimes possible. Please feel free to inquire, bearing in mind these requirements on my end:

That you will not use any other company’s ribbon (or if borrowing table runners and/or napkins, any other company’s linens) in the shoot.
That anything lent for the shoot will be returned in good condition within 2 weeks of the shoot date.
That I will receive high res images of the full shoot, including at least 3 flat-lays or close up product images of my products.
That I will receive credit and links to my social media (IG, Pinterest and website) every time images from the shoot are shared on social media or websites