Textiles/Clothing/Accessories

1860's figural 14k gold hat pin made in the form of a General's presentation sword quillon

One of the things that I like about history is that it puts the ridiculousness of the modern world in perspective.  I’ve been reading The Grapes of Wrath lately (I don’t know how it took me this long either…) and wow, Steinbeck is almost prophetic in his discussions about unions and economy and our fate after being disconnected from the land.  When I feel like the world can’t possibly go on in this crazy fashion for long without imploding, it comforts me to read about things like McCarthyism and Hoovervilles and hatpins.

That’s right, hatpins.  You think the world is crazy now?  In 1908, legislation was actually passed at the state level – in multiple states! – regarding the length of women’s hatpins.  (You could have a hatpin that exceeded the legal permissible length; you just needed to apply for a permit first.)  Why the sudden concern with the lowly, unobtrusive hatpin?  Because those crazy suffragettes might use them as a weapon!  I’m completely serious – I couldn’t make this stuff up.

It’s kind of hard to imagine the kind of woman who would wear a “Puss in Boots” hatpin using it to put someone’s eye out.  I think you’d probably want to be much warier of someone with a griffin or a bear.  (And, of course, a woman who could afford the Tiffany examples pictured above could pay someone else to poke your eyes out….)  Regardless, hatpins offer a variety of beautiful display opportunities today, and they’re popular with collectors.  Because women at virtually all levels of society wore them, you can find them at virtually all price points (although it’s likely that as hats declined in fashion that many hatpins were either cut down or reworked into other pieces of jewelry for every-day wear) and in a range from simple to elaborate.  So keep an eye out (wrong expression maybe…) because valuable ones frequently end up unidentified and mixed in with miscellaneous boxes of jewelry!

-By Hollie Davis, Senior Editor, p4A.com

19th century finely-painted and gilt silk and ivory Neoclassical folding fan

18th and 19th Century Decorative Fans

Fans have been used since ancient times for cooling and more recently as an accessory for flirtation and fashion. Out of style by early in the 19th century, they reappeared as a fashion must have after their use at a ball hosted by Charles X at the Tuileries. Decorative fans come in two types-folding or leaf type, and rigid type, called Brise.

Folding fans of the 18th & 19th Century

Folding fans are constructed in one of two ways. The uprights, (called sticks, ribs or blades) are sandwiched between two layers of some pleated material (called a leaf, or mount) or the sticks are glued to the back of the mount.

Brise Fans

A Brise style fan is one in which there is no mount. Instead, the sticks are wide enough to overlap when the fan is opened. The sticks are bound together with ribbons of silk or satin. Feather Brise fans became popular late in the 19th Century.

Parts of a Fan

Leaf (or Mount) These can be made of a variety of materials, from inexpensive to elegant. In the 18th & 19th Century fans leaves were paper, vellum, or fabric. During the 18th century particularly, the finest vellum was made from unborn kid, and called, for reasons that nobody today knows, “chicken skin.” Fabrics used for mounts included silk, silk faille, lace, and silk gauze. Mounts were decorated with painted pastoral, historical of mythological scenes, or decorated in flower or geometric patterns with applied sequins, tiny bits of silk, or ivory.

Stick, (Rib, or Blade) Sticks were fashioned of wood, ivory. Wood sticks were sometimes veneered with mother-of-pearl or tortoise-shell, or in the case of Chinese fans, coated with lacquer and gilt. They could be plain and smooth, or intricately carved and pierced. Sticks for Brise fans were woven together with silk or satin ribbons. These ribbons are plain or embroidered.

Outer Guards are the shaped pieces that protect the fan when it is closed. Thees are thicker and wider than the other sticks.

Rivets or Pins are the pivoting fasteners that hold the sticks together at the bottom of the fan, and sometimes included a carrying loop or silken tassel.

-Reference note by p4A Contributing Editor Susan Cramer.

Reference & Further Recommended Reading:

A 19th century American pieced and appliqued quilt, red and white Touching Stars

Handmade Heirlooms Can Last for Generations; Tips for the preservation and care of beautiful and fragile handcrafted works of the quilt makers’ art.

History in Fabric

Quilts are like a fabric scrapbook of family history handed down from generation to generation.  With the proper care and storage, these beautiful hand-worked heirlooms can last for years.

Quilt Analysis

To determine the proper care and storage regimen for your quilt, first make a thorough examination of the quilt.  Note any spots or stains. These should be dealt with before storing, as even the tiniest food stain will attract hungry insects.  Inspection should include determining the fabric content of the quilt top, backing, and applied decorations.  Crazy quilts, in particular, are apt to contain wool and wool fibers.  Check for damaged or missing stitches, which should be repaired by an expert before storing.

Quilts & Lighting

All fabrics, and especially quilts, must be kept out of direct sunlight, which can not only fade colors (blue is particularly prone to fading), but weaken the fibers and cause deterioration.  Not only should quilts be out of the sun, direct fluorescent light can be harmful as well.  Quilts are most safely stored in low-light or even dark areas and out of the path of reflected light.

Quilts & Climate Control

Quilts do best in a constant temperature of between 55 to 65 degrees, which means they need to be kept out of the basement and attic as well as your married daughter’s childhood bedroom that you never use because it’s too hot in the summer.  It’s also important to control humidity, which should be a constant 50 percent.  High humidity causes mold and mildew that stain fabric.  Humidity that is too low causes dry rot.

Quilts & Pests

Your quilts make a cozy haven for mice, squirrels and other small mammals, so it is important that the area be secured against such invasions and inspected with some frequency.  Insect pests prefer dark and undisturbed locations such as the back of a closet in an infrequently used room.  Check for signs of insect life before storing your quilts.  Moth crystals are effective, but should never come in direct contact with the quilt as long term exposure to chemicals can damage the fibers.

How to Clean Your Quilts

Quilts of recent vintage and high cotton content can be cleaned in a washing machine.  Inspect the quilt carefully fist, making sure there are no tears, broken stitches, or shredded areas which will all be made worse from machine washing.  Use a large or commercial washer on its most delicate cycle for its shortest duration along with a small amount of a mild (formulated for babies) detergent.  Wash in cold water, and rinse until the rinse water is clear enough to drink.

You can air dry your quilt outside. Place the quilt on your lawn atop a clean white sheet.  Put another sheet on top to prevent stains from blowing grass and leaves, family pets, wildlife, and passing birds.  Sturdy, recent vintage quilts can be dried in the sun when covered with a sheet, but avoid direct, mid-day, midsummer sun.

If a quilt is older consider vacuuming it if you have a vacuum with gentle suction.  Vacuum your quilt through a fiberglass screen (available at hardware stores) making sure that the rough edges of the screening material do not tear the quilt.  If your quilt is very old, very delicate, very precious, or very valuable, check with a Conservator or other expert before using any cleaning method.

How to Store Your Quilts

Quilts are best stored flat and unstacked.  If you don’t have the space, they can be rolled and folded with the following precautions. If you’re storing them in a cedar or blanket chest, avoid contact with the wood.  Quilts should be carefully wrapped in acid free tissue, white cotton sheets, or washed, unbleached muslin.  Roll or fold your quilts in the aforementioned materials carefully padding any folds with extra tissue or fabric.  Never store your quilts in plastic bags or storage bins, and be certain to refold them periodically or the fibers will weaken along the fold lines.

-Article by p4A contributing editor Susan Cramer.