Today's wacky fashion question:

[cupcake_goth]

Where would I take a vintage fur to be repaired and cleaned? I now have a vintage mink capelet from my grandmother, and one side has pretty much come apart. It's not that the seams have unraveled, it's that the fur tore (?) along those seams.

I would really like to get the capelet restored to a wearable condition. (Yes, I would wear it, because it's a vintage piece from my grandma, who is an amazing woman.) I just have no idea where I should take it.

EDITED: After handling it more, I don't think the capelet can be restored to a wearable condition. The pelts are tearing much too easily. I think I need to look into having the caplet used as the base materials to create something else. Whatever I end up having made from it, I need to have part of the lining used, too: the part that has my grandmother's name embroidered on it.

Comments

[spitecandy.livejournal.com]

damn. I was waiting to hear what answers folks might have. Tom has a Russian rabbit fur hat that Smudge, uh, nommed on when she was little. I was hoping we could do something.

[staxxy.livejournal.com]

there is a place that a lot of people have been taking their fur, wool, and leather pieces to be cleaned for years and years down on ummm Elliott I think it is there... it is right where Mercer spills out, in the shadow of the dairy silos.

[leenerella]

Haha! That sounds so ominous... in the shadow of the dairy silos! Dun-dun-DUUUUUUUUUN!

[ashbet]

Could they back up the pelts with a sturdy fabric, so that they'd stop pulling apart/tearing?

-- A <3

[domestinatrix.livejournal.com]

Many dry cleaners are either equipped to clean furs, or can send pieces out to someplace that is.

If you can find a reputable furrier (i'm not sure where one would be around here), they should be able to restore/reline in back into wearable condition for you. I'm no expert, but i believe that as long as the fur itself is alright, there are ways to compensate for the leather/skin side drying out.

[bebemochi.livejournal.com]

I concur, that's what I've heard. A reputable furrier can go amazing repairs as well as telling you how to preserve fur. I think it is completely commendable that you wear the fur your grandmother owned. If nothing else, you should take the capelet to someone who can tell you how to salvage the garment.

[torreybird.livejournal.com]

I am also concurring - plus advising that you call the Tandy leather store in Shoreline (on Aurora). The folks there are extremely knowledgeable and may know someone reputable to help.

[makaidiver.livejournal.com]

I have a vintage fur in very good condition that I just had cleaned and "glazed" (they tumble them with a certain kind of oil for the health of the pelt) but ANYWAY, Nordstrom still sells furs and this guy handles all the Nordstom furs. I found him via yellow pages. He picked up and dropped off to my work place. FYI in case it helps...

[brumbjorn.livejournal.com]

There is a place in Bellevue that does furs (I walk by it all the time on the way to get Thai food for lunch). It is on the second floor of the Wintergarden Building at 8th and Bellevue Way. From what I hear, they are one of the best in the area and could probably give you a good assessment of the caplet.

You should check them out if for no other reason that to check out City Flowers on the bottom floor. The Halloween decor is over the top. I cam out of there with some new kitchen towels with little skulls on them and some furry bats with wired wings you can pose that stick in the ceiling.

[erischild.livejournal.com]

I've had a few pelts that started to fall apart, and I used a gentle leather conditioner with lanolin on them and that seems to have shored them up a bit. I got the conditioner at Restoration Hardware a million years ago, (oh, here it is http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1356003&navAction=jump ) and it works well on leather coats, pelts and sheepskins.

Barring finding someone satisfactory to take care of it for you, if it were my piece I would take the lining off, treat the leather a few times to get it nice and supple, or as near as one can, and then reline it. You may have to call the bits still in the seams a loss, but you should be able to salvage most of it.
I suppose if absolute worse came to worst, you could adhere the fur to, say a measure of silk or satin and keep it in one piece that way.

I have a book on tanning that you're more than welcome to borrow for ideas if you'd like.