Featured Beaded hand-made French purse w/beautiful pattern Any info? Thanks

Northern Lights Lodge · Sep 1, 2021

antique85 said: ↑

Ownedbybear: I am following your excellent advice and wrapping items in soft cloths or pillowcases. What type of container/box do you suggest I put these wrapped items in? I was thinking of a brown cardboard box? Thank you again for your excellent advice.
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I think the cardboard box may be too acidic. You could invest in acid free archival -OR I make fabric bags to hold things... or yes, plain fabric yardage.

I also have several dresses or larger pieces of lace that I've made "rollers" for storage. After finding a suitable cardboard - sturdy tube... I put batting over it and then cover it with well washed white fabric... roll the item on it - preferably with no folds... and then roll it again in white fabric. I usually have some ribbon ties on it to hold the wrap in place.

Cheerio
Leslie

Ownedbybear · Sep 2, 2021

I think if the thing is wrapped, the box ought to be ok, but archive boxes would be grand.

Bookahtoo · Sep 2, 2021

I know I posted much earlier in this thread, but I want to clarify something.

When I said that I put beaded purses in plastic so that if beads fell off they would be saved, I was talking about purses for sale in my store.

I place them in one of my archival bags that I buy for my ephemera, and they are in there for a limited amount of time, as they are for sale, and are gone before too long.

antique85 · Sep 2, 2021

Northern Lights Lodge said: ↑

LOL! Thank you for the compliment! I guess I never thought much about it before contemplating those photos. Yes, I was the "full time" beader, veil repairer... we had several seamstresses. However, our jobs didn't cross over much. One of the seamstresses would go upstairs to do the fitting on the bride or whomever; and the dress would come back downstairs "pinned" to fit properly (if it was too big). If it was too small that was another kettle of fish. I was there in the 90's and those dresses were big puffballs of tulle, appliques, lace, pearls and sequins!

If the dress had to be taken in - some shops would just fold the sides together and sew over the beads, sequins and all - making for a very lumpy bumpy unprofessional looking side seam....and of course, adding perhaps a 1/2" to an 1" to the bride's waist measurement... which of course, the bride wouldn't like! In addition to sewing over all those sequins and pearls; was really difficult on sewing machines...they'd get stuck and you'd break needles right and left.... really the wrong way to take in the seams!

My job would be to even up the pins - so we were putting the seam in properly and evenly - and then carefully unbead all the lace that needed to be removed (and secure all the loose ends so more beads wouldn't fall off) and then clip all the threads attaching the lace to the dress (at the seam or hem) and pin it out of the way. Then it would go back to the seamstress who would sew the side seams or the hem with the sewing machine and then it would come back to me.

At that point; I'd have to carefully clip the lace design to fit nicely together at the seam. Perhaps only overlapping a small bit of the lace (instead of the 3 -6" that may now be extra)... and then of course, re-attach the beads in the appropriate design to match however the lace was decorated. Yes, this would all be hand work! And most of the dresses that came in - were ALL beaded AFTER the lace was attached to the dress. It was a very rare expensive dress indeed, that the lace was beaded FIRST and THEN attached to the dress.

IF the dress was too small - we'd have to find matching fabric (a REAL job as white isn't always white!) and make gores and gussets for the sides. Then I'd have to "invent" lace trim to fill the new side seam gusset/gores. Sometimes appropriate lace that was cut off another dress would be appropriate, sometimes we could order from the manufacturer, sometimes we'd just have to wing it!

Our goal was to have the bride try it on... and be DELIGHTED that it fit...and then say; "But what did you DO to it? I can't see that you DID anything!"

So yes, I guess I know about loose threads! Every seamstresses NIGHTMARE is to watch a bride try on a gown and AUTOMATICALLY (every bride seems to do it) is run their hands down the front or sides of the dress to "smooth it".... AGGGH! Knocking off beads in the process! LOL! Let's say it kept me employed for 13 years!

Oh, let me tell ya, I've got stories!
Leslie
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Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. It is very interesting and uplifting to read--made me smile . It made me think of the tv show "Yes to the Dress." I DO think you have a lot of interesting stories...I hope you consider writing them down....

Northern Lights Lodge · Sep 2, 2021

@antique85 - Well now YOU made ME smile! I've watched a few epis of yes to the dress... but saw it first hand and don't need to relive it! Bridezilla is worse!

I have written down a few of my stories - mostly growing up ones... but there are a couple specific horror stories I could jot down in re: to working bridal.

Some funny ones too!
Cheerio I'm off for a walk while the weather is pleasant!
Leslie

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Featured Beaded hand-made French purse w/beautiful pattern Any info? Thanks

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Featured Beaded hand-made French purse w/beautiful pattern Any info? Thanks

Northern Lights Lodge Well-Known Member

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antique85 Well-Known Member

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