On Aug 8, 2007, at 20:06, P & A Lally (Anette in Melbourne) wrote:
My big question is - if I go with silk, will I be setting up major problems for the future. The cotton lace will last well (longer than I will!) so long as it's treated carefullly but what happens over time if I mount cotton on silk?
I'm definitely not a conservation expert; hopefully, Jeri will chime in but, in the meantime...
For her wedding, some 23yrs ago, my stepdaughter had been offered (and declined; it didn't "go" with her dress) a loan of a veil which, at the time, had been in her husband's-to-be family for about a 100 yrs, and which had been used by many Roosevelt (by birth or to become by marriage) brides in the past. It was a silk net (tulle), with silk tamboured lace on it (as far as I could tell; this was before I started making lace myself, but I knew fibers even then). And it was in perfect condition, not a hole or a break in the net anywhere; my stepdaughter's mother-in-law (to be) sent the veil to me, on the assumption that I'd be a more responsible person (ha! <g>) to take care of it, so I had seen it, before packing it and sending it back.
The advantage of silk net over a cotton one (apart from the fineness and sheen) would, IMO, be that silk netting is, by nature, a bit stiffer than cotton netting. Which means that you don't have to stiffen/starch it -- a process which is likely to harm any and all fibers over a long period of time, even if you wash it out between uses. My understanding was that, barring a dreadful accident, The Veil got professionally cleaned after about every 5th bride and was stored in frequently refreshed (about once a year) acid free environment in between uses.
Mind you... it was a *short* veil -- shoulder length -- so "dreadful accidents" were less likely to happen to it, than to a floor-length one.
SO, I'd go for the silk netting; instead of endangering your cotton lace it may actually be helpful in preserving it.
BTW. Congratulations on your achievement and your persistence. Can we hope that the photos of the veil (and the bride wearing it) will be available, on the Arachne Webshots, for everyone's enjoyment, sometime in late February of next year?
-- Tamara P Duvall http://t-n-lace.net/ Lexington, Virginia, USA (Formerly of Warsaw, Poland) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
