Some Questions about the Wedding Gown Storage Kit from Shannon B.

Interspersed is easier for this!

Q. Hi Debra,
It was really interesting reading your instructions on wedding gown preservation. I was unaware that #5 polypropylene 'breaths'.  
A. Actually, the material itself does not breathe, but the boxes not airtight and therefore allow enough air exchange for storage in temperate areas.  The material is 100% inert and is widely used by curators.

Q. I have a few questions.  Are the rubbermaid containers (when closed) sufficient enough to allow air into the container (when it is placed in a cedar chest).  
A. Many older cedar chests are airtight and designed to be that way.  As long as the chest is in a climate-controlled area of the home and not on an exterior wall or in direct sunlight you should be fine.  The material will provide an excellent buffer against the oils in the wood.  Do check periodically to be certain and refold to ease stress on fibers and seams.

Q. Additionally, is lavender the most common way to keep pests (i.e. moths) away? 
A. It's a very effective repellent.  Even mothballs do not kill larva, and the larva do the harm, not the adults.  As long as no moths are present at storage the lavender will do it's job well.  Some tests have shown it's close relative Lavendin to be superior to mothballs.

Q. Another question that I have is how many sheets of paper come in your packs of acid/lignin free tissue paper.  
A. There are 10 sheets per fold - so the kit has 30 full-size sheets and 10 half-size sheets for stuffing bodices, sleeves and caps.

Q. Finally, I noted that you say in the garment kit instructions that one can include invitations and other papers stored away with the dress.  Wouldn't the acid from these items effect the storage of the fabric? 
A. The archival sleeves are included for your use to isolate these items.  You can store them in the box, if there is room - or separately if not.  The large sleeves (8 X 4 X 15") will usually handle your shoes and/or lingerie and your veil or bouquet, as well as paper ephemera.  There are 5 of them in the kit, with satin ribbon ties. The Provenance Sheet has it's own transparent archival envelope for storage, and at 9 X 12" has some extra room if needed for more paper items.

Q. Thanks so much for answering these questions.  I'm excited to get the information to preserve the dress myself.  The bridal store charges a fortune to preserve the dress.
A. The sad thing is that the materials and methods they use are sometimes not archivally correct for garment storage. The stories I have heard are heart-breaking.  Opening sealed boxes to find yellowing and actually rotting fabric, rust stains from buttons and ornaments, heavy tarnish on silver elements and even finding the veil missing or that the dress is someone else's!

Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any further questions at all.  It's what I do and I love it!