Question: Can you tell me what's in THE WHITE RABBIT's Linen Cupboard?

Answer: THE WHITE RABBIT offers vintage Linens, from Tea Towels to Tablecloths, and from Quilts to Pillowcases, generally covering the period from the mid-1800's through the 1960's.

Question: How should I store Fine Linens and Lace?

Answer: Most important: Handle with care!

Always make sure the item is clean before putting it away. Whenever possible try to avoid folding and sharp creases, as the fibers can be broken by being stored in a folded condition. (Large Victorian households like my Great-Grandmother's had Linen storage closets/cupboards with slots to hold wooden rods, over which the larger table pieces were hung.)

If you have room, hang linens up over a softly curved hanger. (Padded hangers originally made for fur stoles can occasionally be found at estate, rummage or garage sales & flea markets. These work well for large tablecloths & quilts.) You can make a hanger from approx. 2" diameter x 24" long wooden closet rod, with cord nailed or screwed into each end of the rod, and the two pieces of cord attached at the top to a shower hook. Lay archival (acid-free) tissue* over the wooden dowel, before hanging the item on it.

For smaller pieces, lay them on archival tissue, and then roll--not too tightly--and place on a shelf or in a drawer. This works for larger pieces, too, if you don't have hanging room. Keep your preferred pest-preventative in the drawer(s) or closet, but not in direct contact with the fabric. For freshness, it's nice to use a preferred scent such as lavender or citrus in a sachet--but again, not touching the textile.

NEVER--repeat NEVER--store any textile in plastic, since it tends to trap moisture and odors. Old--CLEAN--cotton sheets & pillowcases make great dust covers.

*There are many sources available for archival storage materials. We recommend Lacis, at 2982 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA 94705 1-510-843-7178, as an amazing source for materials, information and supplies relating to Lace and Textiles. Go to www.lacis.com.
(For the Acid-Free Tissue Paper, click on: Mail Order > Lacis Retail Mail Order > Conservation > Storage Boxes & Covers > Acid-Free Tissue)

Question: What's the best way to clean Vintage Linens & Lace?

Answer: Would you believe, find a REALLY GOOD French Laundry?!

This may seem like a really flip response to a serious question, but the truth of the matter is that, today, most of us just don't have the facilities to launder fine Vintage Textiles and to handle them properly to preserve their appearance and condition.

If you'd like to try my Grandmother Charlotte's recipe for cleaning lace, here goes: You'll need a glass jar, size appropriate to the size of the lace being washed. It should have a glass lid, not metal--the kind with a rubber gasket and a metal outer clasp is best. Fill the jar about three-quarters full with distilled water (to keep minerals in the water from staining the fibers.) Add strained fresh lemon juice, put the lace gently into the jar, close and secure the lid, and agitate the jar until it's apparent that the material is soaked through. Leave the jar in a sunny spot outdoors. Every hour or so, agitate the jar again. You may want to go through several rinses, with fresh water and lemon juice. This method will usually soften a lot of the brownish aging that occurs in old lace, but don't expect it to remove spots. Remove gently from the jar, so as not to let the weight of water pull on the material. Rinse gently, again with distilled water, and lay out on clean, WHITE bath towels. Roll between towels to remove as much of the water as possible, then lay out on another, completely dry white bath towel to finish drying. If you can, put the towel--carrying the weight of the material--outside in the sun and air to dry.