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Posted by Kate XXXXXX on April 17, 2009, 4:29 pm
A friend sent these items to me. I sent the following description and
request to the V&A, but I know there are several with experience in this
field in the newsgroup, so am repeating it here to get as much advice as
possible.
I have been sent some cotton and linen Victorian underwear to view,
clean, and take patterns from with a view to reproducing similar
garments for re-enactment. Unfortunately the garments are all somewhat
dulled, having been stored after starching. There are brown marks and
stains on some of the items. I would like to clean them, prepare them
for photographing and taking patterns, with close views of the stitching
and decoration.
All the garments are white. All the broiderie anglese decoration is
hand worked, as are most hems and all buttonholes. Some seams appear to
be machine stitched. There are laundry/name marks on some items, and at
least one date. They appear to date from the late 1860's onwards.
I do not think that any of the garments are of a particularly rare type.
Most show some signes of wear. Some items have holes or small tears.
None of the broidery anglese appears to be damaged, on a fairly
superficial examination.
What I have appears to be:
One Nightdress (sheeting weight linen or cotton)
Seams machine stitched but hand felled. Tucks machine stitched. Machine
stitching is chainstitch... Hems hand sewn. All embroidery and
decoration hand sewn. All hand sewn construction details in tiny stitches.
Small tear under placket decoration. mended rather crudely.
Two small bird stains.
Monogram on right front beside placket, in white: Laundrey mark at hem:
A Liverdedge 1881
One shirt or blouse (heavy cotton)
Wholly hand stitched.
Good condition - no visible damage, but stained
Hand written name appears to be M Liversedge.
Below the name is 'No 11'
One corset cover (Cotton and crochet lace)
Machine stitched tucks and construction details: lockstitch machine...
This clearly shows that the tension was not properly adjusted in some
instances! Hand worked buttonholes. Would fit 22"-23" waist.
No laundry mark.
One pair ladies open drawers (linen), with a very open seat (several
inches between the two halves at the back, buttons at the front).
Originally machine stitched seams with hand felling, machine stitched
tucks, coarse embroidery at the hems hand stitched. Considerable
evidence of repair at several times. Some repairs hand sewn, some
machine sewn. Machine stitching is lock stitch. Buttonholes hand sewn.
Some areas darned.
Badly stained.
The name has been partially obscured by a later repair. Appears to be
Mrs Mozzell.
One pair ladies open drawers (sheeting weight cotton)
The fabric appears to have been pieced at the crotch, joining selveges
with a fine whip stitch.evidence of wear (some small holes, plus some
repairs) at the crotch. Main and original construction appears to be
hadn stitched. The fabric appears to have been carefullt joined at the
hems to hand stitched broidery anglese with machine stitched tucks,
which has a machine stitched hem. This embroidered and tucked piece is
a much finer weave than the main part of the drawers. There is a 1"
tuck made by hand stitching above the embrodered section, which appears
to have been attached with a hand stitched tuck to disguise the join.
There is one very bad stain at the waist, which contains some black or
dark green encrustation, possibly bird lime.
The name on these is Mrs Mozzell, under which is written '1.19.'
One chemise (linen)
This appears to have been pieces in the same way as the drawers above,
and then all construction (felled seams) sewn by hand. The binding on
the inside of the neck an armholes appears to be machine sewn with a
lock stitch. There is a hand embroidered band of featherstitch round
the neck and arms, which have also been given a lace edge, hand applied.
The lace would appear to be fine crochety or tatting.
This garment does not appear to have been repaired at any time, but
shows considerable wear, being very thin and with sizeable holes formed.
The lower hem is also very worn.
One chemise (cotton)
Wholly hand stitched. Some small signs of wear. One (rather crude)hand
made repair to broidery anglese trim. Fine hand stitched tucks and
white feather stitched mbroidery decoration.button placket front (one
button missing).Hand stitched broidery anglese is finer than the body
fabric. Hand stitched felled seams and hand stitched hems.
Laundrey mark: Mozzell.
Two chemises (cotton)
Fine plain cotton tape frilled trim applied by hand, hand worked feather
stitch embroidery. Raglan sleeves. Wholly machines stitched seams
(felled) and hem. Button placket. Machine stitched tucks on front
insert/yoke section.
Small signs of wear, a few small stains or brown marks.
Name on both: JL Mozzell 1886
One chemise (cotton)
This appears to have started out the same as the two above, but a
repair/alteration made to the front, where a deeper opening has been
bound with cotton tape. A buttonhole has been made through the name.
Name and date as above. This one has more discolouration, but otherwise
down't appear any more worn.
Two Chemises (cotton)
As above, but with hand stitched narrow broidery anglese trim in place
of the plain frill. Also labeled JL Mozzell 1886
All these garments were found in the bottom of the linen cupboard on the
landing of the house when my friends took it over from his parents. They
had bought it from a speculative builder who bought the house and
grounds some time in the 1960's, when the previous elderly lady owner
died. The builder did nothing with the house, (he just built several
bungalows on various parts of the grounds, and sold them separately),
which was only partially cleared before my friend's parents took it over
in the early 1970's. These garments, along with several pieces of
furniture, ended up in the stables for many years. I am not sure when
they were replaced in the linen cupboard, where my friends found them
when clearing out after his parents moved into one of the bungalows
built on the house's former gardens.
I believe that there were also several pieces of household linen found
with the clothing. I am not certain what those are, but as they are of
no particular interest to me, my friends did not send them to me with
the garments. I have the garments on long term loan, but will need to
return them eventually. I would like to return them in as good a
condition as possible, cleaned and conserved and packed for preservation.
I can take photographs of the whole garments and any details of stains,
damage, etc. that may help you to offer as comprehensive advice as you
can. As I live in Kent, it would not be difficult to bring the garments
to you, if this would facilitate advice being offered. At present,
because of the stains on some of the garments, I am tempted to fling
them in the washing machine on the boil wash! I do realize that this
may not be wise. Any help or advice you can offer would be gratefully
received.
--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!
--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!
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Posted by itsbugart on April 17, 2009, 5:26 pm
wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> can. =A0As I live in Kent, it would not be difficult to bring the garment=
s
show/hide quoted text
> to you, if this would facilitate advice being offered.
Hee hee hee. As I live in Sweden, this could be a problem! :-) It's a
shame, too, since this is the textile region of Sweden and we have a
wonderful Textile Museum.
show/hide quoted text
> because of the stains on some of the garments, I am tempted to fling
> them in the washing machine on the boil wash! =A0I do realize that this
> may not be wise. =A0Any help or advice you can offer would be gratefully
> received.
Hand wash!!! I am a trained Archivist, rather than a Textile
Conservator, but we deal with many of the same issues. Items that
appear to be in good condition actually can be very fragile. When I
washed some doll-clothes that belonged to my grandmother's favorite
doll (and were probably sewn by her mother), I used "green
soap" (gr=F6ns=E5pa) and lukewarm water in the bathroom sink. I laid them
flat on a towel to dry and have them stored gently rolled in acid-free
tissue paper.
Hope this helps a bit! Is there any chance that the patterns (or
diagrams at least) will be available online at some point?
Erin
arkiv2001@gmail.com
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Posted by Kate XXXXXX on April 17, 2009, 5:45 pm
itsbugart wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> wrote:
>
>> can. As I live in Kent, it would not be difficult to bring the garments
>> to you, if this would facilitate advice being offered.
>
> Hee hee hee. As I live in Sweden, this could be a problem! :-) It's a
> shame, too, since this is the textile region of Sweden and we have a
> wonderful Textile Museum.
>
>> because of the stains on some of the garments, I am tempted to fling
>> them in the washing machine on the boil wash! I do realize that this
>> may not be wise. Any help or advice you can offer would be gratefully
>> received.
>
> Hand wash!!! I am a trained Archivist, rather than a Textile
> Conservator, but we deal with many of the same issues. Items that
> appear to be in good condition actually can be very fragile. When I
> washed some doll-clothes that belonged to my grandmother's favorite
> doll (and were probably sewn by her mother), I used "green
> soap" (grönsåpa) and lukewarm water in the bathroom sink. I laid them
> flat on a towel to dry and have them stored gently rolled in acid-free
> tissue paper.
Thanks. I'm starting to think that soaking them over night in plain
cool water would be a good place to start, followed by some sort of
detergent later of needed.
I shall look up green soap and see what it might be here in the UK...
Hm! Only references I can find are to do with tattooing!
I'm about 70 minutes by train and tube from the V&A. ;)
show/hide quoted text
>
> Hope this helps a bit! Is there any chance that the patterns (or
> diagrams at least) will be available online at some point?
Very possibly. Certainly I'll make the research available at some
point, though I may have to find a way of charging for it (depends on
how much it costs me to do, in terms of time). Downloadable e-book
might be possible...
--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!
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Posted by Lizzy Taylor on April 17, 2009, 6:05 pm
Kate XXXXXX wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> itsbugart wrote:
>> Hand wash!!! I am a trained Archivist, rather than a Textile
>> Conservator, but we deal with many of the same issues. Items that
>> appear to be in good condition actually can be very fragile. When I
>> washed some doll-clothes that belonged to my grandmother's favorite
>> doll (and were probably sewn by her mother), I used "green
>> soap" (grönsåpa) and lukewarm water in the bathroom sink. I laid them
>> flat on a towel to dry and have them stored gently rolled in acid-free
>> tissue paper.
>
> Thanks. I'm starting to think that soaking them over night in plain
> cool water would be a good place to start, followed by some sort of
> detergent later of needed.
>
> I shall look up green soap and see what it might be here in the UK...
> Hm! Only references I can find are to do with tattooing!
When I think of green soap it is that hard block type stuff that always
sat by the kitchen sink for handwashing after being in the garden etc.
However searching on "grönsåpa" has lead me to this ingredients list:
show/hide quoted text
>Produkt: Grumme Grönsåpa
>INCI namn: Aqua
> Potassium Tallate
> Potassium Carbonate
> Sodium Sulfate
> Parfum
> Color
http://www.grumme.nu/stad/popups/inci_sapa.html
So it seems to be liquid soft-soap, which is often available from garden
centres as an aphid contoller!
HTH
Lizzy
Lizzy
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Posted by Pogonip on April 17, 2009, 6:27 pm
Kate XXXXXX wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> itsbugart wrote:
>> wrote:
>>> can. As I live in Kent, it would not be difficult to bring the garments
>>> to you, if this would facilitate advice being offered.
>> Hee hee hee. As I live in Sweden, this could be a problem! :-) It's a
>> shame, too, since this is the textile region of Sweden and we have a
>> wonderful Textile Museum.
>>> because of the stains on some of the garments, I am tempted to fling
>>> them in the washing machine on the boil wash! I do realize that this
>>> may not be wise. Any help or advice you can offer would be gratefully
>>> received.
>> Hand wash!!! I am a trained Archivist, rather than a Textile
>> Conservator, but we deal with many of the same issues. Items that
>> appear to be in good condition actually can be very fragile. When I
>> washed some doll-clothes that belonged to my grandmother's favorite
>> doll (and were probably sewn by her mother), I used "green
>> soap" (grönsåpa) and lukewarm water in the bathroom sink. I laid them
>> flat on a towel to dry and have them stored gently rolled in acid-free
>> tissue paper.
>
> Thanks. I'm starting to think that soaking them over night in plain
> cool water would be a good place to start, followed by some sort of
> detergent later of needed.
>
> I shall look up green soap and see what it might be here in the UK...
> Hm! Only references I can find are to do with tattooing!
>
> I'm about 70 minutes by train and tube from the V&A. ;)
>> Hope this helps a bit! Is there any chance that the patterns (or
>> diagrams at least) will be available online at some point?
>
> Very possibly. Certainly I'll make the research available at some
> point, though I may have to find a way of charging for it (depends on
> how much it costs me to do, in terms of time). Downloadable e-book
> might be possible...
>
>
>
I have used a product called Biz on some rather old white clothing. Not
as old as yours, I don't think. Probably 1920s. Soaking and very
gentle handling. No wringing. Dry flat or even in the dryer on no-heat
air dry, rather than hanging.
--
Joanne
stitches @ singerlady.reno.nv.us.earth.milky-way.com
http://members.tripod.com/~bernardschopen/
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