Textile preservation and laundering

[Lady Fleur]

I thought we needed a thread for caring for our gowns.. and what not to do!!
http://www.victorianamagazine.com/April2007/page11-12.html

[Fannie Kikinshoot]

Okay, ya'll are going to think I've flipped my wig here, but I'm serious. While Velvet Glove and I were in St. Louis for the NRA Show, I mentioned that I need to get the B&W dress cleaned and she told me how she cleans ALL her dresses. Are you sitting down? No, really, are you sitting down? She strings them up between two trees in her yard and hoses them down with the water hose. SERIOUSLY!! That is how she cleans all of her gowns, including velvet! She had the two dresses pictured below with her in St. Louis and she says she has hosed both of them on more than one occasion with no problems. Both dresses have velvet in them.
She said, "A water spot is just that, a spot where water got on the fabric, but if all the fabric is wet, then it will all still be the same color." She lets them hang to dry and then irons as needed. After the dry cleaners ruining dresses, I've been scared to take them back, and I think I'm going to try this. But, Velvet swears buy it.

[Lady Dallas]

OH Gosh!!! That sound you just heard was my jaw dropping over those two lovely gowns.I am in total awe.


And hosing them down??? It would scare me half to death to hose down one of thoses but if it works, just might have to try it.....:faint

[Ida Hands]

Hosing them down. Hmmmm...what an interesting prospect. Must be magic trees. Thanks for the information, Miss Fannie. I would never, in a million years, have thought of hosing down velvet, silk, etc. Fascinating what you can learn on The Alley! Fantastic photos.

[Nellie Blue]

And she wears gorgeous gowns thru the mud at some of the shoots!!! WOW!

[Lazy K]

Well, I'm almost that bad. I fill my washing machine with cold water and mild laundry detergent and let my dress soak. I then put the machine on the shortest rinse cycle and then hang to dry.

Or I just soak them in the tub.

Frances Grimble's book "After a Fashion" is an excellent source for taking care of and repairing vintage clothing

[Lady Leigh]

A couple of my customers swear that the at home type dry cleaner sheets works really well for them! I have tried them on our personal dry clean only clothes, and I, too, feel they work great .... maybe that's an option?

I simply don't know if I have the nerve to hose down my clothes, but ..... If the pictures seen above are any indication that it works, then maybe that's worth a try, too!

[Allie Mo]

:ty Lady Fluer and Fannie!

Wow!

VG's method would save some serious change. I remember that she wrote in the OV she hand dyed that purple dress. So, it was fully preshrunk.

However, I'm scared. :eek: I have many cotton/acetate bengalines and I worry that they would shrink as they were not preshrunk. I don't think that would be a good fabric to try this on.

If any of try this, please list your fabrics and results. Also, whether the fabric was preshrunk.

:ty again,

PS I know you know this...please test that method with some remnants first.

[Lady Fleur]

You can always remove any part .. like feathers or trim that might be dammaged to wash... too much adgitation on a wet silk will cause pilling..

Hey serge pieces of your dress fabric and send thru the chosen method of washing... TEST..

[Lazy K]

I also put ALL my fabric through a short wash cycle on delicate setting and then air dry them outside on a lawn chair. Then I steam iron the fabric before cutting.

In the book "Authenic Victorian Dressmaking Techniques" (which I highly reccommend) that say you should "sponge" all fabric (ie dampen) lay the fabric flat (hanging will pull it out of shape) and then steam iron it. Throwing it in the washes saves a lot of "sponging"