So you’ve inherited Grandma’s wedding dress or bridal quilt? Lovely! But do be aware that textile heirlooms and keepsakes need special care if they are to survive for future generations.
Take the advice of Shirley Niemeyer, Extension Housing & Environment Specialist at the University of Nebraska, and Patricia Cox Crews of the International Quilt Study Center, in Care and Conservation of Heirloom Textiles. They say that controlling your storage environment — light, temperature, humidity, insects — is the most important way that you can ensure the long term preservation of fabric heirlooms.
Those plastic under-bed storage totes might look like a good idea, but they can trap moisture that will encourage mildew growth and insects. It’s best to use archival quality (acid-free) tissue paper and cardboard boxes for storage, or clean unbleached cotton muslin. Ordinary paper, cardboard, paper, metal and wood can give off volatile acids that break down and damage the fabric.
Textiles that are strong enough to support their own weight, such as most quilts and woven coverlets, can be displayed by attaching a fabric sleeve to the top of the back side. Washed, unbleached muslin is ideal for fabric sleeves. Allow some ease to accommodate the wooden slat or rod used as the hanging device. Hook and loop tape can also be used to hang a textile. Attach the hook portion of the tape to a wooden slat fastened to the wall. Attach the loop portion to the fabric sleeve.
No textile should be on permanent display, however, so do take them down periodically to give the fibres a rest!
Damaged or weak areas can be strengthened by providing support for thin areas and stress points. A lightweight sheer fabric such as polyester organza can be loosely stitched over the area to add stability. Use a lightweight thread of the same fiber as the textile item.
As for cleaning, don’t assume that dry-cleaning is necessarily the safest way to go. The chemicals used in dry-cleaning can damage a fragile vintage fabric.
Niemeyer and Cox Crews suggest a gentle vacuum cleaning at low suction, with the vents fully open and a piece of nylon stocking or sheer tulle stretched over the nozzle to prevent the fabric from accidentally being sucked in and damaged.
Cleaning with water is a bit of a complicated prospect, and how you go about it will depend on the fabric of your heirloom: while cotton may benefit from a very gentle washing, wool and silk become weakened when they are wet.
“There is always some risk associated with a decision to wet clean or dry clean textiles, especially colored ones,” the University of Nebraska experts tell us. “Color loss, bleeding, shrinkage and distortion can result. However, the correct choice of cleaning procedure can protect the fabric by removing materials (foods, grease, etc.) that attract insect pests, helping to rid fabrics of insects, improving the appearance, and neutralizing the piece.”
Related posts:
- Plastic Pails for a Penny-Pincher Empty plastic pails are very likely to be “free for the picking-up” from your local bakery....
- Fabric Origami Has your under-bed storage space been taken over by all those fabric scraps and remnants you’ve...
- Slip on a Laptop Sleeve Protect your laptop with a funky fabric sleeve, padded inside with two slices of special foam...
{ 0 comments… add one now }