Cotton, crinoline or crochet: preserving, cleaning, ironing, storing and handling vintage textiles

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Antique pillowcases, gleaming white and foaming with crochet, tatting or encrusted with monograms; embroidered hand towels with scalloped edges, or a party dress with floating layers of silk chiffon. Their beauty is intrinsic, of course, but also enhanced by their aura of bygone elegance, and by appreciation for the painstaking needlework — the skill, the hours, the effort — that created them. Whether vintage fabric mavens or just recipients of family heirlooms, as owners of these treasures, the challenge is to keep them safe and sound. Linda Meyer, proprietor of Greystone Gardens on North Street in Pittsfield, has long experience in caring for vintage fabrics and fashions, which are her shop’s specialty. Greystone Gardens also has a shop in Stockbridge. “You want to keep it from deteriorating,” she said. Preservation is crucial, as is avoiding damage. “No plastic, and no wire hangers,” said Meyer, putting those commandments at the top of a list of suggestions for caring for old fabrics “You need to know the nature of your material,” she said, “because there are things that you can do to cottons that you can’t do to silk.” Besides cotton and silk, vintage fabrics are wool and linen. “Nothing should be stored in plastic,” Meyer emphasized. Acid-free paper is good for wrapping items for storage, she said, and can be found relatively inexpensively online by seeking listings for museum conservation materials. Otherwise, she said, “use anything of pure cotton, sheets or pillowcases (to wrap items), but wash them first to make sure all the bleach is out of them.” These can often be found, second-hand, at thrift shops, but labels should be checked to make sure they’re pure cotton, not part polyester. “It’s also nice if you have a cedar trunk,” said Meyer. A satisfactory substitute, she said, can be a cardboard hamper, especially if the pieces are wrapped in cotton sheets or pillowslips. “I like folding things — even dresses — better than hanging them, because there’s less pressure on them,” said Meyer. “And no wire hangers,” she stressed. “Our (cotton) whites are very clean and white,” said Meyer. But she favors judicious use of bleach rather than the often-mentioned lemon juice and salt and sun. That lemon-juice approach, she said, results in “manhandling the piece more than necessary.” For cotton, Meyer recommends two tablespoons of bleach, not Clorox, which is stronger, but weaker Brand X; two tablespoons of detergent, and two gallons of hot water. “Most people dealing with bleach use too much for old pieces,” she said. “You do not have to agitate the piece, just leave it there, sometimes as long as overnight. You must know if the fabric is cotton or silk, because silk will turn yellow, and there’s nothing you can do once that happens. You’re using a tiny amount of bleach relative to the amount of water. Too much destroys the fabric, but it’s very diluted. It’s lifting up the dirt and killing bacteria. But no scrubbing!” “You can even use bleach with color if you don’t leave it in too long. But if you have the slightest qualm, don’t do it.” “Also, with old whites and linens, I suggest you don’t take them to the cleaners, because chemicals can yellow them,” she said. “Use hot water, but you must know that the item is pure cotton.” “We have a lot of Victorian white clothing,” she said. “If you have a christening dress, for example, after it’s worn, take the dress off and immediately handwash it. You do not need to bleach it. Let it dry thoroughly, but you do not need to iron it. “To store something dirty is asking bacteria to grow,” she said. “Whether it’s a piece of clothing or a tablecloth, after you use it, wash it, then store it, and only iron it before you use it again,” she said. “A lot of museums get hysterical at the thought of ironing,” she said, “But our things are very beautifully ironed. “Make sure you have water in the iron, mist the garment, then spray starch it. If you spray starch without misting you can scorch it. For cottons, you can use a hot iron.” While cottons are better off washed at home, velvets are a different story. “Velvets, especially if they’re in good condition, do very well at the cleaners,” she said. “If they’re fragile, airing is the best thing for them.” “If you’re going to wear a velvet outfit a few times a year, after you wear it, clean and store it, but remember, no plastic.” Silk chiffon, she said, “tend to be the most fragile of all the silks. Sometimes if I get nervous about the thought of agitation at the dry cleaners, I’ll handwash them, but carefully, because silk chiffon can shrink drastically. “Woolite is very good for silks, but don’t use cold water, which will make the fabric hard. Use tepid or lukewarm water, and submerge it for only about three minutes. “And get your courage together, you can iron chiffon. Make sure water is in the iron, spray very delicately, and test how much heat you need at the very bottom of the garment, not in the middle of the front,” she said. “Try to have the iron as warm as possible without scorching. “Once you’ve finished wearing silk, wash, then store it. Ironing is to make it look as terrific as possible, so you iron it when you need it.” Shawls or quilts can require special handling. “What I like for quilts is airing,” said Meyer. “It takes away the musty smell. But keep it out of direct sunlight so the colors won’t fade.” Shawls or quilts can be either loosely folded or rolled, and wrapped in cotton sheets or pillowcases. “We have wonderful paisley shawls from the 19th century, but I’m in no rush to send them the cleaners,” she said. “I prefer airing them.” Meyer recalled visiting an estate in North Bennington where the attic was entirely lined with cedar, to preserve items in storage. “If one has really wonderful things, get as much cedar as you can afford,” she said. Camphorwood has the same preservative capability. When contemplating the purchase of antique textiles, Meyer urged testing for dry rot. “You have to touch it,” she said. “Pull it a little, and if it starts pulling apart, you do not want it. There is nothing you can do for dry rot. Dry rot is like leprosy for material.” Holes or rips in otherwise sturdy material can be mended, she said. “If you’re afraid of doing any of the above, you can bring an item by the shop. We do repairs, if we feel we can, or we can walk you through the stages. Or we can let you know whether a fabric is silk or cotton. We like to share our information. Greystone Gardens is at 436 North St., Pittsfield; the Stockbridge shop is in The Mews. But if an item is beyond repair, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worthless, she said. “Sometimes you’ll have something that because of sentimental value, or because it’s so gorgeous, that even if it isn’t in good shape, you can frame it. I know one woman who framed a lace blouse. I look upon these things as artifacts.”
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MCLA Announces Four Finalists for Next President

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts announced four finalists for the position of president, following a national search. 
 
The finalists were selected by the MCLA Presidential Search Committee and will participate in on-campus visits scheduled for the weeks of April 6 and April 13.
 
The successful candidate will replace President James Birge, who is retiring at the end of the term. 
 
The four finalists are David Jenemann, Michael J. Middleton, Sherri Givens Mylott, and Diana L. Rogers-Adkinson.
 

David Jenemann
David Jenemann is dean of the Patrick Leahy Honors College and professor of English and film and television studies at the University of Vermont, where he oversees recruitment, retention, curricular innovation, and advancement for an interdisciplinary college serving undergraduates from across the university, including UVM's campuswide Office of Fellowships, Opportunities, and Undergraduate Research. 
 
An internationally recognized scholar, he has published three books and numerous articles, with research spanning intellectual and cultural history, mass media, and the intersection of sports and society.
He holds a doctor of philosophy from the University of Minnesota and completed the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
 
 
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