Best way to preserve garments for a decent price

[auralia]

I have two baptism gowns ( one 120 years old one 30 (mine and my husbands great grandmothers) that I need to store properly. I know nothing about this kind of thing the box kits I find online with just a simple acid free box just the box is 70$ and then a pack of acid free paper is 20$ can it really be 90$ to get a box to put the things in? Anyone who knows a better/cheaper way I would appreciate it!

 

[akcire]

I have two baptism gowns ( one 120 years old one 30 (mine and my husbands great grandmothers) that I need to store properly. I know nothing about this kind of thing the box kits I find online with just a simple acid free box just the box is 70$ and then a pack of acid free paper is 20$ can it really be 90$ to get a box to put the things in? Anyone who knows a better/cheaper way I would appreciate it!

My advise is free, so you can do as you wish. My drycleaner told me to find a clean large box and acid free tissue paper. Then to make certain there are not folds that do not have some material such as quilt batting. Essentially he was telling me not to do hard flat folds, but leave the garment little wiggle room with the quilt batting. I found some large boxes from a department store, and bought some acid free tissue and some quilt batting. I did my best.

Additionally this is also how the "quilt expert" (some international designation I can't remember) that we hired to appraise my grandmother-in-laws quilt which were made in the 1830's-1930's told us to store any of the quilts that we could not lie flat--as on a bed.

Since you have children's garments you should be able to find a very large flat box that will store the garments once they are clean.

That's all I got, once again I am not an expert and my free advise may not be the best.

 

[englishteacha]

Another person whose advice is free...so take it or leave it!

I handwashed my wedding gown, rinsed it thoroughly, dried it completely on a drying rack, and then gently folded it, with unbleached muslin in all the folds. It lives in a canvas bag. I couldn't justify the hundreds of dollars to have it cleaned and "preserved," so I did lots of research and found that putting it in canvas or an acid free box, using muslin or acid free paper, was the best bet for a do-it-yourselfer. I think as long as the items are clean and in an acid free storage container, you'll be fine. Don't put them in plastic!

 

[Eeyore98]

Acid-free is best, having something to cushion the folds is best. I don't think you need to spend a lot of money. In fact, my mom had her wedding dress professionally preserved in 1979...we took it back out in 2003 when I wanted to wear it, and it was falling apart.

 

[Natalie's Mommy]

my wedding dress is hanging in the closet at my parents room. for the baptism gown it,s loosly folded and stored in a shoe box in a dresser drawer.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I had my wedding dress dry cleaned then I put it in a space bag and that was 14 years ago and it looks fine.

 

[NotUrsula]

What makes hanging a problem with garments is that the weight of the fabric causes the horizontal seams to give over time. Flat storage is much, much better.

Your best low-cost bet is to buy a few yards of unbleached cotton muslin, and wash it without fabric softener. Then roll the gowns each loosely inside of a large piece that has extra muslin fabric bunched under it so that the folds of the dress are not flat, including stuffing some muslin inside each dress, then put that whole thing inside a muslin bag that closes like a pillowcase, with buttons or hooks that are on the outer surface only. Then put that bag inside a second muslin bag, and enclose a couple of small muslin bags that contain a mixture of dried rosemary and lavender inside the outer storage bag; that will keep bugs out. Then put the whole thing inside a plastic storage box with a tight-sealing lid to protect from moisture, and then store it in a dry place that doesn't get too hot, which lets out most attics and garage eaves.

 

[auralia]

Might sound stupid but where do you get muslin bags.? Just sew some with fabric from Jo Ann's?

 

[momxx5]

Have you thought of putting them into shadow boxes and display/hang in your home? Items like that, along with photos are beautiful when displayed.

The baptism gown all 5 of my kids wore was worn by DH and his 2 siblings....thus over 50yrs old.
I have it in a shadow bow, with Irish lace bib that was gifted by FIL for my first born, that added to the tradition. I have it hung in the upstairs hallway away from any direct sunlight. I have a grouping of photos, each one of my children on their Baptism day. I do get lots of compliments about it.

 

[NotUrsula]

Might sound stupid but where do you get muslin bags.? Just sew some with fabric from Jo Ann's?

Yep. You don't actually need to make bags if you don't want; you can just buy extra and carefully fold the garment inside several layers of the muslin before putting it in the box. (This was the way that it was normally done back in the 17th century; garments were stored in wooden trunks, wrapped carefully in layers of muslin.) Remember to wash it first to remove the sizing (and NO fabric softener). You CAN also buy bags ready-made, but there goes your cost-savings.

Little bags for the herbs: http://www.amazon.com/Cotton-Drawstring-Muslin-Bags-2-75/dp/B001G8H4EA

Big bags for the dresses: http://www.foster-stephens.com/store/index.asp?DEPARTMENT_ID=72