Where can I have these two items of clothing repaired?
March 10, 2016 8:25 AM Subscribe
I love these two items of clothing, a vintage loosely-woven white lace vest with pearl details, and a black hooded Chambers jacket with faux leather sleeves. Unfortunately, there is a hole in the lace, and the faux-leather has begun to separate from the sweatshirt-like material underneath (see linked photos).
Where can I send or take these items to have them repaired properly?
I live in San Francisco (in the Mission, if that's helpful), and unfortunately my local alterations shop is stumped. Many thanks for your help, everyone.
I live in San Francisco (in the Mission, if that's helpful), and unfortunately my local alterations shop is stumped. Many thanks for your help, everyone.
Wow that's going to be expensive work unless you really luck out.
It looks as though you're talking about total sleeve replacement for the jacket, because it seems like the material itself isn't just separating but deteriorating to the point where lots of the surface is gone. That will be pretty straightforward - a dressmaker (or a tailor who also does dressmaking) should be able to do it for you, and can probably tip you off on where you can buy the material.
I'd start by calling around to well-recommended SF dressmakers, or if you have a connection at a local high-end vintage shop, ask them if they have someone on retainer to do repairs. (This should be the kind of place that sells only things in good condition - they will often have someone who fixes the broken zipper on the fifties couture dress, etc.)
The vest, wow, I don't even know if that's possible. I mean, it's probably literally possible but seems so out of the ordinary - maybe contact French American Reweaving in New York with photos of the damage. They usually work in wool only but they might have some thoughts.
Honestly, with the vest I'd either just create a cloth patch or get another vest and add pearls. (For the patch I would get a little medium-weight silk in a pretty color, and I would cut two pieces of the same shape and about the size of the "square" of crochet that is injured, and finish their edges in some way. Then, working carefully, I would stitch the threads of the injured area onto the back silk patch, then attach the front silk patch to the back one around the edges. That is, I would make a sort of sandwich with the injured area in the middle. I think that could actually look very nice in a seventies way, and you could stitch some additional pearls to the patch.)
posted by Frowner at 8:38 AM on March 10, 2016
It looks as though you're talking about total sleeve replacement for the jacket, because it seems like the material itself isn't just separating but deteriorating to the point where lots of the surface is gone. That will be pretty straightforward - a dressmaker (or a tailor who also does dressmaking) should be able to do it for you, and can probably tip you off on where you can buy the material.
I'd start by calling around to well-recommended SF dressmakers, or if you have a connection at a local high-end vintage shop, ask them if they have someone on retainer to do repairs. (This should be the kind of place that sells only things in good condition - they will often have someone who fixes the broken zipper on the fifties couture dress, etc.)
The vest, wow, I don't even know if that's possible. I mean, it's probably literally possible but seems so out of the ordinary - maybe contact French American Reweaving in New York with photos of the damage. They usually work in wool only but they might have some thoughts.
Honestly, with the vest I'd either just create a cloth patch or get another vest and add pearls. (For the patch I would get a little medium-weight silk in a pretty color, and I would cut two pieces of the same shape and about the size of the "square" of crochet that is injured, and finish their edges in some way. Then, working carefully, I would stitch the threads of the injured area onto the back silk patch, then attach the front silk patch to the back one around the edges. That is, I would make a sort of sandwich with the injured area in the middle. I think that could actually look very nice in a seventies way, and you could stitch some additional pearls to the patch.)
posted by Frowner at 8:38 AM on March 10, 2016
I am 99% sure the vest is crocheted. An expert crocheter could repair it if they had access to matching yarn. I would estimate it's a couple hour job. However, keep in mind that there will be a discolored area because it's just not possible to match that yarn perfectly -- even if you knew exactly what yarn was used originally, it has faded and changed from wear and time.
I can't see the pearl details in the photo but that's actually a rather simple crocheted vest that could probably be reproduced (the whole thing) more easily and with a better result than repairing the hole. I agree that Ravelry is a good place to start looking for the appropriate person and approach.
posted by telegraph at 8:46 AM on March 10, 2016
I can't see the pearl details in the photo but that's actually a rather simple crocheted vest that could probably be reproduced (the whole thing) more easily and with a better result than repairing the hole. I agree that Ravelry is a good place to start looking for the appropriate person and approach.
posted by telegraph at 8:46 AM on March 10, 2016
Response by poster: Thank you all so much - you've given me much more information than I had to go on before!
posted by Amplify at 9:01 AM on March 10, 2016
posted by Amplify at 9:01 AM on March 10, 2016
The vest is crochet. Looks like it was done in crochet cotton thread or cord that has discolored over time. It would be a nightmare to repair, especially if the beads are strung into the yarn instead of attatched later. The front part is filet style. It would take longer than a couple of hours to do, unless you had the original pattern and could find someone who knows how to repair crochet.
A quick search doesn't yield particularly promising results. If you had an afghan that needed repair it would be fairly easy. That vest would require far more work than the lace repair projects I've been able to find. Conservationist level repairs. Agree with telegraph that it would be much easier to find someone to reproduce it than to repair it.
posted by monopas at 9:03 AM on March 10, 2016
A quick search doesn't yield particularly promising results. If you had an afghan that needed repair it would be fairly easy. That vest would require far more work than the lace repair projects I've been able to find. Conservationist level repairs. Agree with telegraph that it would be much easier to find someone to reproduce it than to repair it.
posted by monopas at 9:03 AM on March 10, 2016
For the jacket -- I agree that the leather-like material will need to be fully replaced, probably on both sleeves (since it will be impossible to match just one). This will entail opening all the seams that touch the faux leather, copying and cutting the shape of the sleeve on new material, and resewing the jacket. It'll probably be time-consuming and expensive.
If you'd like a quicker fix on the jacket and you don't mind a super-distressed look, you could (option A) pull off the faux leather altogether, leaving only the sleeve lining, or (option B) tack the remaining faux leather down with glue or stitching to stabilize the edges and prevent further deterioration. Both of these are short-term fixes that will probably lead to faster overall deterioration of the jacket.
posted by ourobouros at 9:26 AM on March 10, 2016
If you'd like a quicker fix on the jacket and you don't mind a super-distressed look, you could (option A) pull off the faux leather altogether, leaving only the sleeve lining, or (option B) tack the remaining faux leather down with glue or stitching to stabilize the edges and prevent further deterioration. Both of these are short-term fixes that will probably lead to faster overall deterioration of the jacket.
posted by ourobouros at 9:26 AM on March 10, 2016
That vest is definitely crochet and not super complicated. Honestly, as someone who's barely an intermediate crocheter, I could make that vest but I couldn't fix it. Plus matching the yarn perfectly would be impossible. Do you have any friends who crochet? If I had a friend in your situation, I'd love to tackle remaking it for you.
posted by MadamM at 10:08 AM on March 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by MadamM at 10:08 AM on March 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
Repair to the jacket shouldn't be too expensive--a good tailor or alteration shop will be able to replace the sleeves. The challenge may be to find fabric that works. Local sources would be best so you can gauge the weight & surface texture. Faux leather (pleather, an awful word) is not that expensive. A call to one of these places might give you an idea of availability--tell them how you want to use it. http://www.sanfranciscofashionindustry.com/fabric-stores.html They may be able to recommend a tailor, too. (I have been to Mendel's & Britex--very different vibes.) Faux leather is easy to find online, too, but harder to determine what might work. If you go that route, search apparel weight & look for knit backing & "suitable for jackets" or similar. Suitable for dresses or leggings would be too light weight. Upholstery weight won't drape correctly--too stiff & heavy.
As for the vest--it is crocheted in a relatively simple flower square. If you know someone who crochets, show it to them for an opinion. It isn't a big loss & an experienced person could recreate the pattern. Given the age, it will be impossible to get an exact match of color. What's your style?--maybe follow the visible mending trend & go for an entirely different color thread & pattern, either with the pearls or colored beads. Search for images of visible mending on Pinterest or Google for ideas.
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 3:02 PM on March 12, 2016
As for the vest--it is crocheted in a relatively simple flower square. If you know someone who crochets, show it to them for an opinion. It isn't a big loss & an experienced person could recreate the pattern. Given the age, it will be impossible to get an exact match of color. What's your style?--maybe follow the visible mending trend & go for an entirely different color thread & pattern, either with the pearls or colored beads. Search for images of visible mending on Pinterest or Google for ideas.
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 3:02 PM on March 12, 2016
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posted by janell at 8:35 AM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]