 FEATURED BOOKS  Vintage Clothing Price Guide |
Most closets contain an antique item of clothing or two, or at least one heirloom vintage linen. Some of us have become addicted to collecting these wonderful irreplaceable items. The questions of where to find them and how to care for them are not always easy to answer. We begin with things handed down from earlier generations: Great-grandma's antique wedding dress, Aunt Lizzie's treasured quilt, Mom's tailored suit from the 1940's, a vintage kimono from Dad's overseas tour. Several years ago I was given an antique quilt top that my great grandmother had begun for my father when he was 8. Amazingly, the fabric had not deteriorated over 7 decades of travel with a military family, through every imaginable climate. The best way to preserve a quilt top is to quilt it! Since these vintage linens are so rare, and my extended family is so large, I decided to divide the quilt top into smaller sections and created a wall hanging for each great-grandchild. Along with a small placard explaining the origin of the quilt, I gave instructions on how to best care for it. Vintage textiles are often yellowed with age and may need hand washing in Woolite or other gentle detergent. They should be stored protected from dust, but will crack eventually if left folded for decades. They should be examined and refolded differently every year or two if not displayed. Your local cleaner may have nitrogen packaging options, for both display and storage for heirloom fabrics. This keeps antique fabrics from deteriorating due to oxygen exposure.  Save Your Antique Photos As Tapestry! Actual Pattern Shown |
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