...When I found it, the black, late 1910s/early 1920s hat was in very bad shape. It's surface was completely rotted, so it shed everywhere and got under my fingernails. So yucky. But the shape was lovely and iconic, and I knew I could do something with it...
Read more
... I knew it was in rough shape, but the price was within reach, the sellers friendly, and you know I love rescuing old clothes ...
Read more
... enterprising depression-era women hand-tufted cotton bedspreads on their front porches, enlisting friends and neighbors to share the labor and reap the profits ...
Read more
... It wasn't expensive, so I could do some experimenting using my fledgling sewing skills without taking too big a risk ...
Read more
... It was the collar I worried about. The stitches attaching its satin-covered boning framework were mostly gone, leaving the whole thing collapsed and disheveled. I had to do something ...
Read more
... It would need to be attractive but inconspicuous, made of period-correct materials, and not hamper the mechanism or damage the lace ...
Read more
... I tore away the shattered chiffon lining, wondering why someone would have used such sheer fabric to house drawstrings. I hesitated before snipping the original, tiny, hand stitches ...
Read more
... it shows you just how much dirt can be trapped in the fibers of a seemingly clean dress ...
Read more
... The shards had torn through the silk in several spots of nearly every section. Some were hanging from one edge. Others had completely detached. Sob ...
Read more
... First step: assess the condition, check for damage, and decide how much (time, effort, and money) to invest ...
Read more
... hadn't I read somewhere how to fix this exact problem? Ah! a challenge ...
Read more
