Monday 26 March 2012

SPRING CLEANING




It's been a while since my last post. The last show,'We Happy Few' was so big (118 costumes if you remember!) that it took a week to put away. We still haven't got to the bottom of the laundry pile.  One of the major problems in returning the costumes to the rails is that the clothes are so tightly packed in, that whenever a large chunk is removed the remaining clothes breathe out and fill up the new space. This means it is very difficult to get things back on to the rails. Times like this call for drastic action. We have to clear the rail and have a bit of a cull

8 feet of rail space
The coat mountain

We actually got rid of four bin bags full of rather unpleasant coats and a couple of bags full to the charity shop. I now have my ladies 20th century coat rail beautifully arranged by decade and have unearthed some coats that I've never seen before. They all have a bit more room to breathe and I don't dislocate my shoulder every time I need to get a coat down.

I've also had a bit of time to investigate some recent donations, the most stunning of which was this Edwardian mourning mantle. Absolutely perfect condition

Detail of jet beading






It is made from black watered taffeta and machine made lace