"DOLL RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW" > Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
Tips on Doll Costume and Textile Restoration
The following tips are generally archival and conservation-oriented, with a few exceptions. For instance, I would NEVER use any non-archival method for restoring the clothing on the 1850 papier mache doll pictured below. This doll has her all-original clothing, which has most likely never been removed. Almost any "improvement" or cleaning I could make to this doll's costume would lower its value and/or destroy its historical value as well. The only repair I intend to make to this doll is to attach the very frayed silk apron to some crepeline to prevent further deterioration (see below for more information).
Bleach: Very abrasive--will disintegrate your doll clothing slowly, so
it is not recommended for use on doll clothing or other fragile textiles.
NOT helpful for conservation of textiles or doll clothing..
Clothing repair: When you have melting silks or other fragile textiles (like the apron in the doll pictured to the left) you can try to gently repair the fabric by attaching it to crepeline (available from certain restoration suppliers; see the Links To Suppliers page). Sewing fragile silk to crepeline can be a bit like sewing with cobwebs--the trick is to make as few holes as possible with the needle in the fragile silk, and just gently attach to the crepeline. When repairing costumes, another method is to attach fragile, melting fabrics to linings if there is one. Also, try to catch threads or piping when doing these sort of repairs to avoid fabric piercing.
Tulleing For Clothing Repair: You can also use tulleing to firm up very fragile fabrics. Bridal veil tulleing doesn't unravel, and is available in many colors. Some restoration supply houses sell special netting that can also be used. If you match the color well, you can sandwich the silk or other fabric in between layers of the tulle, and you really cannot see it unless you are very close. Again, the fewer needle holes made in the fabric the better.
Another Use For Tulle: You can stitch delicate old cottons to tulle before you wash it to keep it together during the washing process.
Repairing Seams: You can use a ladder stitch to repair an open seam without even removing the garment from a doll. If done properly, you will not see the stitches.
Starch: Makes doll clothes look perky and great--like new. BUT...if you have any interest in conserving and preserving them over time, DON'T STARCH YOUR DOLL CLOTHES. Starch is a very-well loved food among insects such as silverfish.
Bluing: OK, if you have an absolutely disastrous white piece of doll clothing--dirty, dingy, stained, and you have decided to throw caution to the wind and use bleach, you can REALLY get your whites white by using hot water, plus a mild detergent, plus bleach, plus BLUING, which is an old-time treatment for yellow, dingy whites. You can get it at most supermarkets. Let sit in your mixture (do be sure to dilute your bleach and bluing) for about 15 minutes. Definitely test first on some pieces of clothing you don't care about to get your recipe "right" as you will want to mix in a bit more bluing than the bottle calls for, but not too much.
Rinse!! When you clean a doll costume, rinse and rinse and rinse. The more you rinse, the more you will remove harmful residues from the fabric. For the last rinse, use distilled water, especially if you have a well because of possible iron deposits in the water.
Washing Items Safely: When you wash objects, put them in a mesh bag--then there won't be a drag on the textiles from the heaviness of the water. You can also use a sponge to force water into the mesh to clean the object. When you are done washing the doll costume, you can press it with a towel to remove excess water. Then, dry gently on the top of a clothes dryer, and finish by finger-pressing.
Good Soap For Archival Cleaning: A good item to use to clean doll clothing is Orvis soap--you can get a gallon of this stuff (sodium lauryl sulphate) at a feed store or tack-supply house for $17 a gallon, You can also buy it from Gaylords, but it is much more expensive.
Efferdent: Some people use Efferdent to clean doll clothing. Don't--it has bleach in it.
Vacuuming Safely: You should also use protective mesh around the doll clothing if you vacuum your dolls (netting/screening).
Fabric Food: Moths, beetles and ants will eat fabric especially if hand oils or food particles are on it.
Rust/iron spots: Generally, once your fabric has a rust/iron spot, there is no safe way to remove it. Restore Products in England has a product that claims to take out rust and iron spots, but I haven't tried it yet.
Ironing: Its generally better to steam an article of doll clothing than ironing it. However, if you want to iron you can use a tacking iron (also available from Gaylords) since it has a thermostat, for ironing doll clothes gently. If you do this, use the tacking iron at the lowest temperatures that you can.
First Page > Doll Conservation and Restoration: What You Need To Know > Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Second Page > General Principles of Doll Conservation: How To Make Your Treasures Last! > Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Third Page > Tips For Successful Doll Restoration > Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Fifth Page > Special Tips for Restoration of Barbie and other Plastic Dolls >1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Sixth Page > Links to Suppliers of Conservation and Restoration Products; Links to sites About Conservation and Restoration > Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Seventh Page > Bibliography: Books on Doll Restoration and Conservation > Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Are you trying to restore a doll? Are you concerned with conservation of your collection? Don't miss our folder in the Dolls Forum devoted to doll restoration, repair and conservation! Exchange views, ask questions and LEARN! Join us HERE in the Doll Repair and Restoration Folder in the Dolls Forum!
Back to the Doll Collecting Main Page
©Denise Van Patten 2000
All Rights Reserved.
All photos ©Denise Van Patten 2000
