Zephyr Preservation Studio offers the following services for all your textile conservation and preservation needs:
Conservation Treatments
Conservation treatments for all types of textiles, including flags, banners, quilts, embroideries, samplers, costumes, shoes, carpets, upholstery and tapestries.
Dress: before treatment on the left, after treatment on the right with both bodice elements
Civil War flag conservation: top picture – working while suspended on a bridge so the middle is accessible.
Sampler: before treatment on the left, after treatment on the right
Christening gown: before treatment on the left, after treatment on the right in a shadowbox
Upholstery: before treatment on the left, after treatment on the right
Documentation
Documentation is the most important step in conservation. Knowing what the piece is made from will lead to the best treatment.
Fiber identification with a microscope
Examining a garment
Examining an embroidered piece
Cleaning
Cleaning a piece removes harmful particles that might cause further damage over time. Vacuuming with low suction is one way to clean a textile. Wet-cleaning, tide-line reduction and glue reduction are other ways to clean – it all depends on what the piece needs.
Low-suction vacuuming of a quilt
Cleaning soiling with a dry sponge
Detail of tide line: before treatment on the top, after treatment on the bottom
Stabilization
Stabilization is the technical term for repairing a fabric or object and can be done with a variety of methods: underlays and overlays are the most common.
Stabilizing ribbons on a baton
Detail of loss, stabilized with an overlay: Before treatment on the top, after treatment on the bottom
Stabilization of a tear with an underlay: before treatment on the top, after treatment on the bottom
Consolidation
Consolidation is similar to stabilization – it adds an ‘infill’ fabric to mask the loss in the original and is integrated into the piece.
Detail of loss in a rug: before treatment on the left, after treatment on the right
Detail of loss in rug at the edge: before treatment on the top, after treatment on the bottom
Detail of loss in felt: before treatment on the top, after treatment on the bottom
Mounting and Preservation Framing
Textiles can be mounted using velcro or a hanging sleeve, usually for larger pieces like quilts or tapestries. Preservation Framing can extend the life of your treasured textile by protecting it from dust and light using UV coated glazing.
Stitch-mounting a sampler prior to framing
Framing a mounted textile
Quilt with velcro-mount hanging
Exhibit Preparation
Exhibits can be extensive endeavors – call if you need some assistance for your next big show!
Costume installation – dressing a mannequin
Flat textile installation – sewing a twill tape along one edge so it can be secured to the display board with pins
Mount and Mannequin Construction
Mounting flat pieces or costume on mannequins can be time-consuming – give me a call if you need some help.
Dressing a mannequin using an Andover Form and other needed undergarments (see Resources for link to Andover Forms)
Collections Preservation
Surveys, Environmental Monitoring, Pest Management and Disaster Preparedness assistance are available.
Reproductions
Reproductions can be very helpful in prolonging the life of the original piece. The reproduction can be used for display or educational programs.
Reproduction: original flag on display in an older photograph on the left; reproduction on the right
Reproduction shirt made so that it could be displayed in a room with a non-ideal environment. Original on the left; reproduction on the right
Educational Lecturer
Educational lectures for the care and handling of textiles are available.
Lecture for care and handling
Workshops
Workshops for all things textiles – in-person, hands-on, or on-line.
Showing how to roll a textile on a tube
Discussing vacuuming textiles