Hello, I just thought I might chip in here, food for thought. I know all of the conservation rules, and I also know so many exceptions -- makes you wonder. Anyway, a couple of months ago we christened my new granddaughter, who was the fourth child to wear the gown my husband was christened in. He is 67 years old. The overdress is machine lace, still in good condition with no tears, although there is a stain from his orange juice coming back up. The underdress is silk, also still in very good condition after all of this time -- no tears or breaks in the fabric. This despite being kept in the worst of conditions (a wooden drawer in a very dirty coal mining district), so go figure.
I know the old silk (the really old stuff) contained heavy metals which hastened the break down of the fabric. Don't know why this lasted so long, but I also have a sheet from the 16th century (a laying-out sheet) which is also in just as good or better condition, kept under the same circumstances. Just another 2 cents worth -- I usually go the route Clay recommends, but I'm not sure it really matters as much as we think. Regards, Carolyn PS I think silk is just as much as cotton or linen. The difference is it is a protein fiber, while cotton and linen is cellulose. Think of how durable wool is, and that is a protein fiber. Carolyn Hastings Stow, MA USA > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > Clay Blackwell > Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2004 6:13 PM > To: Jean Nathan; Lace > Subject: RE: [lace] Christening gown fabrics > > Hello Lynn - and Jean ! > > I am having the most delightful summer working one or two days a week with > fabrics in a quilt shop, and my experience (lifelong - not just this > summer) with fabrics has taught me this... > > Silks, as stunning and elegant as they are, do not stand the test of time > very well. They are, after all, a truly organic substance which does not > withstand the stresses of folding, extreme heat, extreme cold, extreme > dryness, extreme damp, organic invasions (molds & mildew)... in other > words, they really are "high maintenance" if they are to be preserved to > any degree at all. Cotton and linen, OTH, are sturdy. While they are > natural fibers, they are *fibers*, and as such are much sturdier than > silk. > Linen is almost never spun finely enough to use as a fabric for a > Christening gown. But the lawns and batistes that you can get from > high-quality fine cottons are absolutely stunning (and also more expensive > than you'd expect - but WORTH it!!) > > So my suggestion is to find a shop with high quality fabrics which are > marketed to the Heirloom Sewers in our midst. As you are in Oz, I > recommend you go to a shop that sells magazines and get the latest issue > of > "Smocking and Embroidery", which is produced in Australia and the > companies > which advertise in that magazine are going to be right up your alley - and > on your continent!! > > No connection to any of these resources, but just lending a (hopefully) > helping hand!! > > Clay > > Clay Blackwell > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
