cleaning and sewing women's dresses

[civilwarbailiwick]

Two quickies about women's clothing:

1. What is the best way to clean dresses after an event? I have a great cotton day dress that was wrecked after an event this weekend.

2. Where are the best places to shop for authentic period reproduction fabric. I'm located in PA but have the world at my finger-tips with the internet.

Thanks
Kate

[chatrbug]

Im also in PA... but I use the internet. Check out thesewingacademy.org for help with your fabric.

as for cleaning... i use oxiclean on my cotton dresses to get the mud that loves to stain!

[toccoa42]

2. Where are the best places to shop for authentic period reproduction fabric.

http://www.reproductionfabrics.com/

[ElizabethClark]

Cleaning depends on what got it filthy. :) If it's just sweat, and I'm using a full round of clean period undies, then it may just need a good airing, or cool water wash at worst. But getting out soot (which has oils and resins in it) or mud, or horse dung, or grass stains, or jelly smears--those all depend on the stain and the dress fiber, and whether or not I pre-shrunk it before cutting.

[celtfiddler]

If it's a matter of smell, I usually use baking soda in the wash machine which will usually help deodorize exceptionally stinky stuff

If it's a matter of stains, it depends on what it is, the two best stain removers I know of are Dawn dish detergent and zout

[Carolann Schmitt]

If you like to fondle your fabric before purchasing it, one of the best bricks-and-mortar stores for period fabric in the mid-Atlantic is Needle and Thread, 2215 Fairfield Road, Gettysburg 717-334-4011 (closed Sunday and Tuesday).

Regards,
Carolann

[Sarah Jane Meister]

One of my dresses got quite muddy on the hem last weekend. I soaked the lower part of the skirt in oxiclean in the bathtub and then washed/rinsed and let air dry. That way I didn't have to take off my newly applied trim to wash the whole dress in the machine!

[xamier]

Hello:
Cotton dress, remove collar and into the washing machine, cold water and hang to dry. (Only when very dirty, otherwise air, brush, and a clean collar.)

Wool or silk: air and brush, change collar. Dry cleaners once a year or for accidents.