Preserving your gown

Quality garments that are made of natural materials will last hundreds of years if stored clean.

No shortcuts! A garment must be free of all dirt and chemicals, including soap, bleach, bluing, dust, fabric softener and starch. Never try to store a garment without cleaning it and drying it well. Mildew is a real heartbreaker, too! Any particles of dirt can work their way into the fibers and cause holes.

A garment may be cleaned with any good, mild soap. Martha Pullen recommends BIZ. (I recall reading in Sew Beautiful magazine, Winter 1991 that Woolite will spot silk batiste. Silk looses most of its strength when wet, so some say..., so if this makes you nervous, seriously consider dry cleaning any silk garments at a very reputable service that deals with antique garments, especially garments made with your particular fibers.) "Orvus" is available, though this isn't something I've tried yet, either. Martha Beth Lewis suggests it, so it must be great! (Link used with permission.) What really matters is that you rinse, rinse, rinse.

Store heirloom garments out of sunlight, either in a drawer or a chest, wrapped in acid free tissue paper, or hang on a padded hanger. This works if the shoulder seams are strong enough to support the weight. Margaret Boyles suggests a muslin cover. Excellent idea! Never use plastic. All natural fibers need to "breathe". It's really best to lay any garment flat, but if it has to be folded, take it out every so often and refold on different lines.

Be sure to air your textiles. Say once a year. Fresh, circulating air keeps mold and mildew away. So will cooler temperatures.

Sunlight will fade colors, (ever leave hubby's shirts on the clothes line for several days? Hey, it was raining.) Don't leave them out in the sun. I think, if you prefer to display them, go for it! Why not enjoy their beauty? Just take care to keep them away from windows and direct sun, and wash them periodically, as they will get dusty.

Don't iron before storing. Do iron before storing. I've heard that ironing takes time off the life of the garment. Creases will destroy a favorite textile. It largely depends on how you plan to store it. Folded in a box? (Then I would iron it.) Hanging on a padded hanger? Then I would not bother. I'd save all that work for the time just before it is worn!

Laces are another concern. Some (most, actually) have a little bit of nylon running through them for "strength". Well, that strength is gone when you iron! It can melt, and the lace will fall apart. So, again, wait until baby is ready to wear the garment before getting out all of the wrinkles. (And just a side line...when making a garment, please keep in mind that some fibers need cooler temperatures when being ironed, like silk, than others, like cotton and linen. So, when thinking of putting that lovely silk ribbon on that beautiful linen or voile dress, remember that you will fry that ribbon to a crisp when pressing the fabric if you aren't exceptionally careful!! sigh)

Others before me have recommended contacting museums or textile guild members to see what they can tell you. They are very well versed in special problems relating to climate, etc. in your area and are usually anxious to help and share the information. Please consider sharing that information with us!

If you prefer to display antique garments, putting them in shadow boxes may be an option. Ask a professional. I have my husband's christening gown under glass, but we did this ourselves and I'm more than just a little nervous about chemicals that may be...where? anywhere? Margaret Boyles has suggestions in the Summer 1998 issue of Sew Beautiful magazine.

And may I encourage everyone to please mark any garment you make, or take the time to jot down any information that is known about your heirlooms and keep them together, possibly in a journal. It is a terrible shame that so much information is lost about the history of these lovely garments. If you know nothing about a special find, keep track of where it was purchased, when, for whom, how it was used, from that time on. You won't be sorry, and posterity will thank you.

And I did...from Rebecca. I received this report September 26, 2001. Thank you so much for sharing!!!

Rebecca

Thank you, Rebecca.

Q & A

1) Should I wash it in hot, warm, or cold water?

Hot water is for stains, so they say, and warm or cold, doesn't matter... :) It's not like anyone played football in it yet.

2) It sounds like it is OK to machine wash? If so, should I do one or two extra rinse cycles, or more?

The only trouble with machine washing is that the spin cycles wrinkle the fabric and fray the ribbon. Unavoidable if you ask me. Sure, throw it in there. Regular rinse should be fine...the extra rinses are for the die hards that do it by hand...lots of soap like they're in a hospital or something.

3) I plan to air dry, since my dryer sometimes leaves little brown marks on white things (very, very aggravating and we can't figure out the cause)- do you suggest hanging or lying flat for air drying?

No suggestion either way...I hang them on the line in the sun for whiteness. Flat means something underneath is going to get wet...I hate dripping furniture. (My dryer left little rust spots...too many zippers etc going through the dryer chipped off the finish. After getting a new dryer and whining about it, my neighbor said she bought a can of spray that put a finish back on. Sure wish I'd complained sooner. Don't have any idea what it was, though...)

4) I don't plan to iron it until just before the service in July, since it will have to be packed and unpacked several times before then. You'll recall it has satin ribbon and beading on the cuffs, bodice, and hem, as well as on the bonnet. Is there any special precaution I should take when ironing the ribbon and beading (I read the warnings about silk and lace and it has me worried!)? Should I spritz the linen with water, use a steam setting, or use a dry iron? I also recall reading somewhere that to iron embroidery, I should lay it front side down on a towel and iron it from the back to avoid flattening the embroidery. Does that sound right to you?

The ribbon is polyester...so try to avoid ironing it with a real hot iron...which is what linen needs. (It's a very very tough fiber and so is the cloth. You almost can't hurt it!) Spritz if it's convenient...I have extremely hard water and never put any in my iron. I miss it. But you need some kind of dampness!! A dry iron will just waste your time.

When you iron HAND embroidery, lay it face down on a towel if you absolutely have to. The Embroiderers' Guild says never iron hand work. Your crest is just chain stitch, so pressing isn't going to flatten any "dimensional" stitching. It's pretty flat, no? Don't worry about it.

5) Should I avoid using starch?

Starch is OK for wearing, but you should really wash it out before storing. No chemicals in the fabric means it will last a longer time. Truly.

Storing and Preserving our Heirlooms