Dear Regina, (Sending to all, because may be of interest to others.) Since your question was about a lace collection in a history museum, and not a major museum with the rarest of laces (or, so one might think), I have a different idea about how you might make it easier for future people volunteering at that museum. Will you print out a list of all the entries in the system and place that in actual reference binders? I hope so, because computers and software programs will change drastically. Someone doing research could attach a page of her findings to your inventory record of a lace. How about including a color guide section? It will mean a lot 100 years from now, provided the threads are protected from wood pulp off-gassing, fading, discoloration from plastic, etc. Thread companies we take for granted might go out of business by 2115. There are a lot of different thread manufacturers. I keep floss skeins of every DMC color, and some Anchor colors in my personal stash, because they are most universal and very old manufacturers. Skeins are useful for comparing pre- and post- wet cleaning results, and for doing minor repairs to lace and embroidery. This would be nice for any museum textile collection to have, because the colors offered for sale do change, with new being added from time-to-time. Keep labels with the skeins - including the item number, Put a date on each page you make, and if the spare floss is kept separately in an archival container, you need to hang a tiny tag on each skein, with date of purchase. You can then include the thread information in the descriptions you are entering in the computer. Example: The original DMC White (Blanc Neige) is quite different from DMC 5200 Snow White (an optical white) - both purchased for classes taught in 1996. DMC floss and color cards can be purchased. My best quality expensive one has actual threads wound on small pieces of card, and there is a printed version that would be more challenging to use. The large private needlework supplier in the U.S., Nordic Needle, is at 1-800-433-4321. _www.nordicneedle.com_ (http://www.nordicneedle.com) You need to have the actual threads, not what a computer printout or screen looks like. Textures of thread look different than paint on a wall, photos, etc. and they pick up reflected color from whatever they are closest to. I would get 2 skeins of each color that lace might be (put the spare in an approved archival container). Color-for-color the dyed results of real thread are not the same between DMC and Anchor. They use the closest color match on comparison/conversion charts. The Nordic Needle paper catalog (you can ask for one - it is free), gives an address for the Anchor colors, so it is a good place to start looking for the numbers you might want: http://www.nordicneedle.com/ctgy/anchor.html Then, the Anchor flosses can be taken to WalMart, Michael's, etc. when you go there for DMC flosses. Personally, I would make master color pages on non-wood pulp paper or card for DMC and Anchor, using actual skeins of thread. Retain the number the manufacturer has assigned. Be sure any master color page has been dated. When comparing floss to lace, an Ott-Lite with the TrueColor feature would be nice, if you can borrow one. Choose a couple colors without texture on which to lay the floss and lace under the light. Before closing: I am going through paper files and ephemera kept for 50 or more years. The standard cream-colored filing folders are terribly discolored and weak, indicating a wood pulp content in them or in the dark olive-colored hanging folders that held them. Everyone, be careful with products made for temporary purposes. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center -------------------------------------------------------- In a message dated 6/30/2015 5:40:35 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, lhal...@bytemeusa.com writes:
Regina I think your choice of words is appropriate. I would use white = bleached, cream = half bleached, ecru = 1/4 bleached, natural (or gray) = unbleached. For linen the term "gray" is often used to mean unbleached, although the color is like a dark ecru. Lorelei In a message dated 6/30/2015 10:00:11 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, rmhar...@gmail.com writes: I am about to begin to enter the information for each piece into a software program developed for museums called Past Perfect. I can still make changes in my descriptions as I am entering them, and what I need help with is deciding how to describe the color of the lace. White is of course obvious, but there are so many other shades. I know the threads we use are often named bleached or half-bleached or unbleached, but I don't think those terms would be appropriate for these finished pieces. Should I distinguish - should I say "off white", "cream", "ecru", "beige"? Then there are a few with a distinctly "peachy" quality. Regina Haring, Nanuet, NY - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
