Floral Skirt

Accession Number: TR8618-8c


Label: Quash, 12/12/86, Conley


This large skirt is made of a synthetic knit fabric of pale yellow with stripes of a darker yellow edged in black. It is also dyed with an all over floral pattern in reds, oranges, pinks, and green. At the waist, the skirt is gathered and secured with a length of rope. At the hem, there is a line of gold and black rick-rack above a 5 ½” ruffle of pleated green tulle.

When deconstructed, the skirt yielded 11 ½ yards of floral fabric, pieced together from nine panels. The seams between these panels were not removed. There was also 11 ½ yards of black and gold rick-rack and a strip of green tulle, approximately 6 ½ inches by 29 ¾ yards, which had been used for the ruffle. Although portions of the tulle and rick-rack were removed from the floral panel, most was left attached.

Using the proportions of an existing camping tent, a pattern was drafted for a child-sized version. Sections of skirt with tulle and trim still attached were used to form the sides and front flaps of the tent while sections with tulle and trim removed were used for the floor and back wall. To provide stability, a 4mm silk ribbon was sewn into most seams. Rick-rack loops were attached to provide contact points for the pre-existing tent stakes. Appropriately sized tent poles were crafted from wooden dowels.

The accession number has been embroidered to a front flap.

Turkish Embroidered Textile

Accession Number: TR.8616-70


Label 1: Turkey, 12/12/86, Conley

Label 2: Turkey, Conley, 11/4/86


This is a hand woven linen textile, approximately 28 ½” x 16”. The long sides of the textile are the selvage edges. The shorter sides have been hand hemmed. Each end is embroidered with stylized pink, black, and metallic gold flowers in silk floss and thin strips of metal. The leaves and stems of the plants are embroidered in green and metallic gold and there is an embroidered border in black, metallic gold, blue, pink, and yellow.

This item was not deconstructed.

The textile was folded in half and the sides hand sewn together. Triangle shaped flaps were folded up and hand sewn to form the bottom of the wastepaper basket. An interior frame was constructed using wooden dowels. The fabric was stretched over it and attached with stitches along the rim.

The accession number has been embroidered on one side of the wastepaper basket.

Black Lace Dress

Accession Number: TR.1362.13


Label 1: McComb

Label 2: Black Rayon, Lace c.1955, De Accession 8-18-81


This is a full-length, sleeveless, black lace dress. It is comprised of three pieces of floral-patterned lace: one for the chest and back, with a seam in the back; one for the waist, with a seam in the front; and one large piece of lace for the skirt. The neckline of the dress is square in the front, and has a V in the back. There is a border of floral lace trim at the neckline and at the top of the arm holes. The lining is made of black rayon and net and attached to the lace at the shoulders, the front neckline, the center of the back neckline, and the front of the chest. The dress closes under the left arm with three snaps on the lining and seven snaps on the lace. Although the hem of the lining was hand rolled, all seam allowances were left raw.

This dress has only been partially deconstructed. The lower lace panel of the dress was removed and the seam taken out, yielding an 8’ x 38” piece of lace.

At Pasadena Architectural Salvage, an antique screen door, with a damaged screen, was obtained. First, the wood molding that secured the damaged screen was removed, followed by the damaged screen itself. The lace was cut slightly larger than the opening in the door. It was stretched over the opening and then secured with a thin piece of rubber tubing know as spline. This tubing was placed over the edge of the lace screen and then pressed into a groove in the door frame using the round edge of a spline tool. Excess lace was then trimmed and the wood molding was nailed back into place.

The accession number has been embroidered in the lower right corner of the screen.

Cap (possibly a Kufi)

Accession Number: TR8616-2


Label 1: Conley, 12/86

Label 2: Conley, 11/4/86


This is an adult sized, multi-colored, crocheted skull cap. It has a black, donut-shaped, yarn knob on top.

When deconstructed, it was revealed that the spiral of the hat was crocheted around a core of multiple strands of cotton twine which had been glued together to form a thicker cord.

A barbell shaped pattern was developed. Using this, two pieces were cut from the hat and sewn together. Before being sewn shut, the hackysack was partially filled with dried beans. With a diameter of 2.5 inches and a weight of 70 grams, this hackysack conforms to the the Official Rules of Footbag Sports as dictated by the International Footbag Players' Association, Inc. (IFPA).

The accession number has been embroidered on one side of the ball.