What kind of bar soap are you using to scrub the stains with?

Wonderful story.❤

What a beautiful memory and honor to your parents and their wedding day.

I remembered after seeing you work on that dress that I have my god mother's wedding dress still , sat in a drawer upstairs. Ivory brocade, hand sewn and very simple in shape. It needs another life but some work on it first. Also have my mother in law's short silk tulle veil in the glass cabinet in living room. Have a glass dome in the garage...will find a base and show off the veil inside the dome. Promised her I would keep it, but it will go with her when that time comes. Just before COVID my aunt died and she left a letter that she wanted to be buried in a dress I had made for her! Had a silk organza coat and some champagne lace and I put together a dress in 48 hours...I dressed her in it and also did her hair and make up in the coffin. Wouldn't want to do it again however.

@@stuartpearson7088​​⁠ hi! Do you have any tips for how to clean a vintage (1962) wedding dress that’s made from silk organza? I’m trying to restore my grandmothers dress and I don’t want to ruin it by accident

Hi, is the dress completly silk organza or a combination of fabrics? I would imagine a dress from the 60's that it might be a bit more robust than earlier wedding dresses. If it is quite stained or was not cleaned at the time then the fabric will need to be washed...it sounds daunting but i think it's better to wash all of it at the same time rather than spot clean it as sometimes with a silk fabric such as chiffon in particular if you just clean one area you can be left with a water mark where it dries. if possible can you take a piece of the organza off from somewhere on the dress, such as the hem if your altering it or a seam? this way you can do a test on the silk and see how it reacts to water. with something like dupion silk or chiffon washing it removes the finish and can change the structure...but dont be daunted.....if the dress needs cleaning then its worth doing. I would try and do a test on a piece of the organza and then also iron or steam it after its dried to see how it looks. Wash the dress in the bath using a milder detergant in warm water and let it soak, you can use a slighly stronger solution on any stains usually the hem or under the arms, cuffs etc. if there is any decoration on it such as pearls, beading, applique lace i would spend the time to go over this and catch down any loose or dodgy areas with thread first so you dont lose them. wash the dress a few times and rinse in warm water a few times after....lay out some towels and gently squeeze any water out , then lay the dress on the towels and you can roll the dress in the towels to help dry it, then hang it on a padded hanger to let it dry. If there is a lot of the organza such as a train try and smooth the fabric as it dries and gently pull it into shape. a light steam or using a low heat on an iron with some fine cotton fabric between the organza and the iron so you dont burn it should work. you can buy hand held steamers that work really well in most places now or borrow one. if you need to add some stiffness back into the organza after its dried then a starch spray lightly sprayed will help.good luck. i am sure you wont ruin it if you just go carefully and take your time. just a thought, some dresses from that period have a stiffened lining that looks like a course linen...cannot remember the name. you could think about removing that if there is a lot of bulk in the dress.

Stuart, have you ever considered writing a book about your design and garment adventures and creations? Our family has a long line of creative seamstresses and refashioners, often out of necessity and then from our creative minds~ I have created and worked with countless garments for personal use for regular wardrobe and special performances as well, carrying that on with my own children and passions in arts and performance. FOr several years, I had a charitable group in which people donated their wedding gowns, we restored all of the fabric and embellishments that we could, then we transformed them into miniature heirloom burial garments for babies that die too soon. Oh, the histories of the wedding gowns and the people that wore them, and later generations who donated them, were priceless. One gown I received was from the 1940s and was designed and sold through the famous store on Wilshire Boulevard, with the attendant hand-embroidered silk tags inside. When I restored the fabric ( it had been professionally cleaned and boxed away for over fifty years) the patina in it came out as a warm delicate shell pinky-peach shade with marvelous luster. It was the most lovely slipper satin fabric that I have ever restored amongst all of the 40's gowns I have worked with. I and a friend actually felt that the women who wore it, wanted it used in a specific way and we did just that. Working with her son, was really an honor as well and he emailed me a photo of his Mom wearing the gown and dancing so beautifully with his father. Those 40s gowns had such timeless elegance! My Mom was married to my dad several months after Pearl Harbor was bombed ( My dad was actually living there at the time.) and my aunt, her sister, had her own wedding gown made by our grandma from the parachute silk of her husband to be from his military service. I would truly like to know more about your work history with costumes and gowns and would buy your book or whatever format you chose to memorialize it. In fact I need to compile my own stories in life with everything creative, as so many eras and skills fade away with modern advances.

Did you ever have experience with getting rid of the the yellow on glued applique and beading? I'm going to wear my mom's dress from 1979 and the glue on the beading has yellowed slightly. I don't want to have to take it apart!

This is true haha

Mine also!!!!, She was very luck with putting it in the sun, the sun could of turned it even more yellow instead of ivory😮

My mom's was similar too!

Because brides today want to wear Sexy! Almost nothing, it’s a real shame

Aww thank you 🥰

I'm sorry! Here it is kzfaq.info/get/bejne/arebjK2A15_bZJs.html

Thank you! 😊

My question as well.

I'd like to know also.

She used a Nellie's WOW Stick - found that in another video

Oh wow!

I have worked with restoring MANY GOWNS> DO NOT USE HOT WATER EVER! I do not know where you are at, I would like to help you out with this as so much depends upon the condition, fabrics, any embellishments, and refitting or remaking steps and so much more.

nelliesclean.com?sca_ref=4424947.sVcmbBBgmS

Hello! Yes I was able to bring it back to a white color by washing it. I'll be sure to post the updates on these dresses for you soon!

It would be only fair to behold the final result! For better or worse, as they say....................................................................

I'm sorry! I guess it was never posted, here ya go kzfaq.info/get/bejne/arebjK2A15_bZJs.html

Haha yes sometimes!