Featured Questions About Chantilly Lace Dress

It does look like rayon, now that you mention it, but I decided to snip a little from the seam allowance with my pinking shears and do a burn test. It didn't completely burn and leave soft gray ash like rayon is supposed to, but neither did it leave a black soft bead or open lace-like ash, or smell quite like burning hair or feathers like silk is supposed to. In fact, it was kind of difficult to get it to burn at all. Here's a photo of the "ash," maybe it's a blend, but I don't know what exactly.

 

I asked my husband to look at the ash and smell it (his sense of smell is much better than mine), and he says the ash smells like burned feathers (he grew up on a farm and remembers the smell of a singed chicken after plucking the feathers). So I think the material is most likely weighted silk. According to Wikipedia, "Weighted silk is silk which has been treated to restore or increase the weight lost during the process of degumming. This processing started in the 19th century with vegetable-based solutions such as tannins or sugar. Chemical solutions based upon salts of lead or tin were then used, as well as silicate, phosphate of soda, and astringent extracts.[1] These increased the weight considerably but led to accusations of adulteration as the properties of the silk were impaired." I guess that explains why it was so difficult to burn the sample.

 

Hi @Joan! OHHHHH ! YES! LOVE IT! I'm on another mission at the moment; but rest assured, I'll be back asap!
Leslie

 

What, no one has mentioned a pretty face, and a pony tail, hanging down?

I played in a 50's band in high school. Not a great band, but we had a good singer, and we had some memorable gigs, including at the mansion for the Underwood's (of deviled ham fame).

 

Looking forward to your comments.

 

Oh, I was going to say, it looks like silk when you showed the picture of the label, thanks!

 

Hi everyone,
I'm back. First, what an awesome gown! A charming "fairy" dress! What a find! I absolutely love it! Next, you all have done a fabulous job with your info... I don't have much to add!! LOL... my job here is "done"!

I will add these couple of tidbits re: fabric.
It rather backs up your burn test results Joan.
I agree with the date - late 20's early 30's. Including the lace.

As for the type of lace: Machine made "Chantilly" is as fine of call as any. It is one of those designs that, whomever designed it...chose elements they wanted and the machine made it. Therefore they could draw on any style lace or element they wanted to construct the design they wanted ...and ultimately probably called it what they wanted also. In other words, the design isn't "true" to handmade Chantilly elements; but when it crosses over to machine made... those terms are very subjective. If you wish to call it "machine made Chantilly" - I truly doubt that anyone would correct you on it. I can't think of a better term... go for it!

Another possibility in your listing - is to mention that it may be possible to "deconstruct" it and make a new pattern from the pieces. Granted; not a job for most seamstresses...BUT...it is an exceptionally charming dress! In the big picture; it doesn't look like a complicated pattern.

The slip seems fairly straightforward; and the upper body and sleeves of the dress look simple. It is the skirt layers (2? maybe 3 or 4) that really make the dress. I suspect those were actually made in more than one piece for each layer to be as fluted as it appears. An absolutely charming dress!

Back to my drooling about it! It looks like you did a good job stabilizing it... it must have been a task! No, not Granny-like at all! I can see it fitting right in at Downton Abbey!

Nice job Joan!
Cheerio,
Leslie

 

Thank you so much Leslie for all the excellent information and also your idea that a buyer might want to deconstruct it for a new pattern. The skirt has two gored flounces that make it look fluted as you said. Stabilizing/repairing it was a time-consuming task, and I didn't realize how frustrating it would be hand sewing with invisible thread!!! The dress isn't worth the time I put into it (when I started, I didn't think it would take as long as it did), but it's been a good learning experience.

 

Hi @Joan
I can't tell you how many hours I've spent on trying to repair "lost" and "damaged" textiles (or other antiquities)....inevitably, you at the least, learn something... LOL...even if it is NOT to do that again!

I'm glad you liked the suggestion. It seems that the right person could really do something special with it. I suspect that there are NOT many like it our there anymore. Truly a treasure!

Cheerio,
Leslie

 

You're right Leslie, I did learn that I won't take on a project like this again. And thank you to everyone who contributed to this forum. I really appreciate all of you.