CONSULTATION | RESEARCH | CONSERVATION
Do you wonder if your grandmother’s wedding gown or veil can be cleaned, conserved, or worn?
Do you have a family heirloom that is not perfect, but you would like to stabilize and save as much as possible for future generations?
Do you have several pieces that belonged to an ancestor that you wish to combine in some special way but don’t know where to start?
My early career as a custom dressmaker exposed me to clients who wished to wear their ancestor’s gown, but needed help with cleaning, repair, and restyling. I have many years experience in handling vintage textiles and can evaluate the condition of your treasured piece. I am well versed in hand laundering, restoration of loss of fabric, and stabilization by stitch repair. I have many valuable contacts in the vintage textile field to source fabrics, trims, buttons, beads, and laces. Some clients wish to display their piece or have a reproduction made. I can provide artistic advice on display and determine whether a reproduction is feasible.
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
Mabrito Dress
This baptismal gown had been poorly repaired by an inexperienced seamstress, which resulted in the armholes being taken in so much that no baby could wear it. Additionally, the lace was badly damaged and needed repair. I repaired the damage around the armholes, stabilized the lace, and hand laundered it. Future generations can now be photographed wearing this heirloom, which was the client’s fondest wish.
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Missouri Military Academy
This sash, called a Baldric, was damaged in several places where someone machine stitched over the Goldwork to shorten the sash. Some of the script was also damaged. I researched and ordered the gold materials needed and re-embroidered the script so that it was legible. I was also able to shorten it to fit the current wearer and provided education to the curator about future repairs.
Powell Project
This was a multifaceted project! I assessed the fragility of the gown and advised that it never be worn again. The client asked that I assess whether it could be repaired enough to be mounted and displayed for a museum exhibit. I did a sample of what the repair would look like, and, upon her approval, I ordered materials to complete the repairs. Well satisfied with her museum display, she asked me to design a “copy” of the gown. I was able to source a similar lace and create a baptismal gown that could be worn by future generations.
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Powell Dress Replica:
