Hello everyone!

    My mother, when going through my grandmother's belongings over the
summer, relegated many of the "historic-looking things" to me to sort through
since she figured that I would appreciate them and know what to do with them.
In all cases I appreciate them, but she was only partly right about knowing
what to do with them! So I am turning to the accumulated wisdom of the List
for help.

    Among the artifacts of which I am now custodian are several dolls and
doll-clothes which date from either the 1910-1920 era or the 1880s-90s
depending on whether they belonged to my grandmother or great-grandmother. I
have two questions:

1) I have been reading with great interest on the list about harmful cedar
off-gassing since cedar has been used for generations to store linens. I've
also heard mixed reviews about whether cedar off-gassing is destructive. Is
cedar harmful for all materials, or just some? I have an antique cedar chest
in which I would like to be able to store these things -- is there some way
that I can protect them from the off-gassing within the chest?

2) The doll-clothes are in pretty good condition (better than the dolls)
however the fabric feels fragile. They have clearly been kept in relative
disarray for many years since they are all wrinkled beyond belief. How can I
press them without subjecting them to damaging stress or heat?

    Thanks for you help.

Cheers!
Kristen
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