Textiles

 Textiles are found in many collections in museums, galleries and libraries. They are valued for their historic interest, their aesthetic appeal and their cultural significance.

Because of their wide appeal, textiles—particularly historic costume—are often on permanent display in regional museums. They make striking exhibits and are very evocative of times gone by. But our great interest in them can be their greatest enemy.

Many textiles are very familiar, everyday items. For this reason, we don’t always realise just how fragile they are and so don’t always give them the care that they need. We display them, wash them, wear them, and feel them to enjoy the texture of the fabric; and in doing all of these things we expose the textiles to the risk of damage.

With a greater understanding of how to handle, display and store textiles safely, it is possible to take steps to improve the care of the textiles and to ensure ongoing access to the historic and cultural information and the aesthetic pleasure that they provide.

Generally the term textile refers to woven fabrics. In heritage collections, however, the term has a broader meaning and covers materials which are produced by other means, including:

• the interlacing of yarns, such as knitting, lace making and netting;
• other needlework techniques worked through a woven base, such as embroidery and canvas work.

Some examples of textiles that you may find in your collections are:

• carpets and rugs;
• costume, uniforms;
• ecclesiastical textiles;
• patchwork and applique;
• millinery;
• flags and banners;
• quilts;
• teddy bears;
• needlework;
• dolls, parasols and fans;
• curtains, upholstery;
• ethnographic textiles;
• samplers;
• non-woven materials such as felt; and sometimes, fur.

Textiles are vulnerable to physical damage, and to the damage caused by chemical deterioration of their components.

Physical damage is very obvious and includes problems such as:

• inappropriate repair of damage;

• insect attack;

• damage caused by washing historic textiles in modern washing machines;

• shrinkage;

• tears;

• splits in textiles where they have been folded or creased;

• worn areas; and

• damage resulting from lack of proper support while on display.

Damage due to chemical deterioration includes:

• fading and discolouration because of exposure to UV radiation and high lighting levels;

   

• weakening of fibres because of chemical reactions initiated by light and UV radiation;

• deterioration because of mould growth— mould digests the materials it grows on;

• damage from pollutants in the storage and display environment; and

• damage caused by perspiration, blood and other stains.

All the most common types of damage to textiles are caused by:

• poor handling;

• wearing historic costume;

• poor storage methods;

• inappropriate display methods;

• chemical changes in the textiles themselves;

• chemical changes caused by contact with other materials, such as perspiration and atmospheric pollutants; and

• various combinations of any and all of these.

  The following sections will outline practical steps you can take to minimise this type of damage.

Remove all jewellery such as rings, bracelets and necklaces, which could catch on the textiles and cause damage.

When you do handle textiles they should always be supported properly. Textiles which appear strong may, in fact, have areas of weakness which are not immediately visible. Regard all historic textiles as fragile.

When handling flat textiles:

• never pick them up by one corner. Always support the weight of the textile evenly;

• carry small textiles on a tray, in a box, or on a board;

• larger textiles should be rolled and carried on the roller, using the part of the roller extending beyond the textile to grip; and

• never try to move a textile by yourself if the size and weight of the textile indicates that you need two people. Carrying large textiles incorrectly can not only damage the textile, but can also put strain on the person carrying it.

When handling a costume, remember that it should never be picked up by the shoulders—always slide your arms under the costume and then lift.

Ideally, costume should be moved in boxes or on a board.

Don’t carry items on a hanger without using your arms for additional support.

Remember, accessories should always be supported evenly. For example, do not pick up a bag by its handle: use two hands to support it. Accessories should be transported on boards or in boxes. But there are exceptions to this rule. Use your commonsense to decide the most appropriate way to handle them.

It is often necessary to label individual textiles with an identification number, such as an accession number.

Wherever possible, the number should be written on cotton tape either in pencil or in permanent ink. A reliable brand of permanent ink pen to use is the Nikko Finepoint System Permanent Ink pen. These are available in a number of point sizes. The finer pens are best, such as 0.2mm.

Stitch the cotton tape to the textile with only one or two stitches at each end, using fine, white, cotton thread.

It is helpful to always stitch the number in the same place for each type of textile. This way, you will know exactly where to look for the label and you will avoid excessive handling while searching for the number. For example:

• for flat textiles, always stitch the label on the bottom left-hand corner at the back of the textile; and
• for costume, always stitch the label at the back of the collar on the inside of the garment.

It may not be possible to stitch a label to all items, for example, fans, shoes or hats. Label these items with acid-free cardboard tags with string attached.

Never place adhesive labels directly on textiles— the adhesive will stain the fibres and make them brittle.

Once the items are labelled, store them appropriately. It is very useful to label clearly the outside of all storage boxes and rollers. This allows you to see what item is in each package without having to handle the textile. A small photograph of the textile attached to the outside of the storage system makes identification easy.

Adverse storage conditions affect all items in a collection. The effects are not always dramatically obvious. Changes occur gradually over a long period of time. However, once the changes have occurred they are often irreversible, or require complex and costly treatment to deal with them.

A good storage environment prevents physical damage and helps to slow down chemical deterioration, greatly increasing the life of your textile items.

Ideal storage conditions for textiles

Textiles are considered to be sensitive materials; that is, they are extremely vulnerable to damage when stored or displayed in inappropriate environmental conditions.

Ideally, textiles should be stored in an environment where the temperature is constant and moderate: in the range 18–22oC.

Relative humidity should be constant and in the range of 45–55%. This can be very difficult in extreme climates. If it is not possible to keep the relative humidity within these limits, it is important to avoid rapid fluctuations in relative humidity.

Light should be kept to a minimum. Light is required only when the textiles have to be viewed, for example, when they are being accessioned, treated, or used for research. Information about appropriate lighting levels is given in the section Ideal Conditions for Displaying Textiles.

Protect textiles from pollutants, dust and insects.

Airborne chemicals that most commonly affect textiles include smoke, oil and acids. Smoke causes staining and discolouration, which are extremely difficult to remove. Textiles displayed in a room with a fireplace or where smoking is permitted should be housed in smoke-proof containers such as sealed frames or sealable boxes.

Acids are also given off in small quantities by pest strips and some types of plastic. Consequently, pest strips normally should not be used inside enclosed storage areas.

Practical hints for storing flat textiles

Small flat textiles can be stored flat, either in a box or on covered shelves. Dust covers should be provided for textiles on open shelves.

Always interleave textiles with acid-free tissue, if a number of them are stored one on top of the other.

Take care to not stack too many items on top of each other and place heavier items on the bottom of the stack.

If a textile needs to be folded, the fold needs to be padded—either with crumpled tissue or with a covered Dacron sausage. This is made from a tube of white or unbleached cotton filled with Dacron. Padding is an important precaution because textiles will eventually split along the line of sharp folds or creases.

Ideally, larger flat textiles should be rolled. When choosing a roller on which to store a flat textile, there are several things to consider.

The diameter of the roller should be as large as possible—to minimise the curvature of the textile when it is on the roll.

The roller should be longer than the textile’s width, so that when rolled, the ends of the roll are exposed and the edges of the textile are protected by the projecting ends of the roller.

The roller should be covered with an acid-free material such as acid-free tissue, acid-free paper or Tyvek. This protects the textile from impurities and other damaging chemicals which might be contained in the roller. The tissue also provides a soft surface on which to roll the textile.

 

It is important that the textile is clean and dry.
A dirty or damp textile is likely to deteriorate in storage; and this may go unnoticed for a long time.

When a textile is rolled, the front side of the textile should face away from the roller.

If the textile has a pile—like velvet—it should be rolled in the direction of the pile, with the pile facing out.

Fringes or tassels should be kept straight in the rolling process. You can do this by sandwiching the fringe or tassels between acid-free tissue before you start rolling.

To prepare the textile for rolling:

• lay the textile out, face-down onto a clean, flat surface. Make sure that the weave of the textile is straight, and check that the weave of the fabric is not warped;
• cover the textile with a layer of acid-free tissue paper. Check that there are no creases in the tissue: these can cause corresponding creases in the textile, and damage it;
• if the textile has areas of padded decoration or the weave is distorted in any way, it will interfere with the rolling process. A piece of Dacron polyester wadding wrapped in acid-free tissue should be placed over the acid-free tissue in the location of the decoration or distortion. The Dacron must be covered, to prevent any of its fibres transferring to the textile or catching on any surface decoration; and
• if you leave approximately 100mm of tissue protruding beyond your textile, you can use this to start the rolling procedure.

When you have finished preparing the textile:

• place the covered roller on the protruding end of the tissue and start rolling. Use a firm pressure so that, as the textile is rolled onto the roller, it remains straight and firm.
• the weave should be kept straight while the textile is being rolled;
• once the textile is fully rolled, cover it with another layer of acid-free tissue and/or Tyvek. Secure the cover by tying the ends with cotton tape. It is important to not tie the tape too tightly, because it can distort the edges of the rolled textile;
• very large textiles should also be tied with cotton tape in the centre, to prevent sagging. Again, do not tie the tape too tightly, it might damage the textile; and
• label the textile clearly to identify it in storage.

Preparing historic garments for storage

It is important to ensure that garments are as clean and dry as possible before they are packed away. If the costume is not cleaned, colourless stains may darken with age, and insects such as the clothes moth and carpet beetles will be attracted to organic stains from perspiration and food.

If the garment is strong, it is advisable to have it dry-cleaned.

There are some steps you can take to minimise the risks associated with dry-cleaning historic costume:

Always use a drycleaner who is a member of a professional drycleaner's association.

Be sure to ask for special care if the item is fragile or complex.

Prepare your garments carefully for dry-cleaning, by either covering buttons and hooks with Dacron or by removing them from the garment.

Request that the garment be cleaned on its own.

Ask the drycleaner to place the costume in a bag in the dry-cleaning machine. This gives it support and prevents it rubbing against other items if it is not on its own.

It is better to clean historic costume in fresh solvent—so ask the drycleaners when they are next changing their solvents and schedule your work for that time.

Remember, it is better to leave a garment stained than to damage it greatly during cleaning; so leave fragile items until you have had a chance to seek advice.

CAUTION:

Remember that dry-cleaning machines have a vigorous, mechanical action similar to a tumble drier, and so can damage fragile textiles and costumes. Check with a textiles conservator if you are unsure whether the items you are dry-cleaning are strong enough.

An easy, do-it-yourself padded hanger for costumes

Apart from very heavy or fragile items, many garments can be stored on padded hangers. Padded hangers are used for hanging costume such as shirts, bodices and dresses. Other items such as trousers or skirts need additional support. It is important to remember that by ensuring an even distribution of weight on the hanger, you will be giving the item maximum support while it is hanging in storage.

• Padded coat-hangers are quite simple to make— just follow these steps. You will need:
• a coat-hanger—it should be strong and made of either wood or plastic. Wire hangers are not suitable. Make sure that the size of the coat-hanger is appropriate for the garment to be hung. For example, don’t use a large coat- hanger for a child's garment. The hanger can be cut down to the appropriate size if necessary;
• fabric—all fabrics used to cover the hanger must be washed before use. White or unbleached fabrics are preferred. Unbleached calico or white/cream, stretch-cotton fabrics are ideal;
• Dacron;
• a needle; and
• thread;
• scissors.

Place layers of Dacron polyester wadding over the hanger, padding it to the same width as the shoulders of the garment. The hanger should be padded to suit the shape of the garment; for example, if the garment has sloping shoulders make the padding to match. The Dacron may need to be hand-stitched to hold it in place.

 

Once the padding is in place, cover the Dacron with fabric to provide a smooth surface on which to rest the garment. A stretch fabric is generally easier to fit and sew into place.

For additional support, for example, for a dress with a heavy skirt, sew white, cotton tapes to the inside of the waistband, then tie these over the coat-hanger to take the weight of the skirt. Sew at least four tapes onto strong areas of the waistband. If four tapes are not enough to fully support the weight of the skirt, use more. Use a fine needle for sewing and sew through all layers of the waistband.

CAUTION:

Sew tapes only to strong areas of the costume. Make sure weight is distributed evenly. Tapes stitched in inappropriate positions can damage the garment.

Finally, make covers for each garment to protect them from dust. The best materials for making covers for hanging garments are clean, washed cotton, for example, old cotton sheets or calico, and Tyvek.

CAUTION:

Do not use plastics and synthetic fabrics as covers. A garment stored in this type of cover can’t breathe and may rot. The exception to this rule is Tyvek, which is a specially made polyethylene fabric which can be used because it allows textiles to breathe.

Storing garments in costume boxes

Sometimes hanging storage is not appropriate— either because the garments are too heavy or too fragile to safely carry their own weight, or because you don’t have an appropriate storage space.

If hanging storage is not appropriate, the items should be well padded and packed in boxes.

Acid-free costume boxes can be bought from conservation suppliers; or you can make your own following the directions below.

If acid-free boxes are not available, normal boxes or drawers can be lined with Tyvek and used for storage. The Tyvek will act as a barrier between the box material and your textiles.

When packing garments in boxes, it is advisable to pad the garments. Crushed, acid-free tissue can be used along all of the folds in the garment and on the side seams, shoulders and sleeves so you will also need enough acid-free tissue paper to pad one average-size garment.

Remember, creases and folds should be well padded, to minimise stress on the fabric. With time, creases develop into splits if not padded adequately.

Take care to not put too many textiles in one box, because the weight may crease the lower textiles. Always put the heaviest costume on the bottom.

Wherever possible, keep all of the parts of one costume together.

An easy, do-it-yourself costume box

This box is made from 6mm-thick acid-free Foam Cardboard.

Cut the board into a square or rectangle. Once you have decided on the dimensions of the base, the dimensions of the box can be worked out as shown on the diagram below.

The base of the box should be a little bit larger than the costume, while the height should be sufficient to accommodate the costume and padding.

On the interior surface, draw lines in pencil: 1, 2, 3 and 4 as shown on the diagram.

The next step is to draw in additional construction lines, shown in the next diagram.

With a utility knife or Stanley knife, cut completely through the Foam Cor board on the dotted lines indicated in the diagram below.

Discard the four corner pieces.

The cut Foam Cor is now ready to be assembled into a box.

Along the dotted lines shown in the diagram below, cut through the upper two layers of the Foam Cor board, being very careful not to cut the bottom layer.

In the stippled areas indicated in the box diagram above, peel off the upper two layers, being careful not to damage the bottom layer. The cross-section of the board will look like this when you have finished:

It is worth practising this with the discarded corner pieces of Foam Cor.

Score the four edges of the base of the box with a Stanley knife between the double lines drawn in pencil on the board; cut half the thickness of the board out between these lines. The board should look like this:

 

This will allow for a smooth edge when the sides are folded up.

To assemble the box:

• fold the four walls along the scored lines;

• the wall corners should overlap as show in the diagram below;

• fold the flaps, which were left after you peeled away the top two layers of board, over the adjacent wall and stick them down with acrylic or polyvinyl acetate—PVA—adhesive. The flaps should be stuck securely; make sure that you completely cover the inside of the flap with adhesive and press it onto the wall;

 It is wise to stick each flap individually, and weight it while it dries.

The corners and edges of the box can be strengthened by covering them with cotton adhesive tape.

The lid is made in exactly the same way as the box. The lid sits over the top of the box walls, extending down 50mm. The interior dimensions of the lid should be slightly larger than the exterior dimensions of the top of the box. The lid should fit snugly, but not tightly; it should lift off easily without jerking the box.

It is best to store umbrellas and parasols slightly opened, and gently padded inside with rolled acid- free tissue or Dacron covered in calico or acid-free tissue. Where possible, they should be hung and wrapped in individual calico or cotton covers. If padded umbrellas and parasols are packed in boxes, they should be padded and wrapped individually before storage.

It is best for textiles to be fully supported and protected with mounts and frames. But there are types of textiles that are better suited to open display, for example, large flat textiles.

The following open display methods are quite easy and give your textiles adequate support while on display.

Hanging textiles using Velcro

Velcro hook and loop tape can be used very successfully to hang textiles for display. But Velcro can be used to display only some types of textiles. The textiles need to be strong and in good condition.

This method is best suited to fairly thick types of textiles such as tapestries and quilts. It is not suited to fine fabrics like sheer silks or lace.

First, machine sew the soft side of the Velcro to herringbone cotton tape; this makes the Velcro easier to hand-sew to the textile and avoids the Velcro being attached directly to items.

Position the Velcro and herringbone tape straight across the top of the textile and hand-sew it to the textile. It is important that the stitching goes through all layers of the textile. If the stitching does not go right through all layers, some layers will bear all the weight and others will eventually sag. The top edge will be damaged and distorted.

• modify a mannequin to suit a particular garment; and
• provide the correct undergarments for the period.

Tyvek is a very useful storage material for textiles. It will protect your textile from dust and water while allowing air circulation. However, it must be used the right way up. Tyvek is water- resistant from one direction but is penetrable from the other side. This is how it allows the textile to breathe. The smooth side of the Tyvek should be placed in contact with the textile at all times. Tyvek is available in white or with one coloured side. It may be easier to use coloured Tyvek to ensure that you always use it the right way up. Tyvek is available in a range of weights. The weight commonly used in conservation is Type 1443R.

Tyvek can be machine-sewn into storage bags or covers. It can also be machine-washed.

When preparing to mount or hang a textile for display, there are some important principles to remember:

The work you do should be reversible.

You should use only the minimum amount of stitching required to stabilise the textile.

Use the correct techniques and materials to ensure the long-term preservation of your textiles.

As a general rule, always use like with like. For example, a silk textile should be mounted on a silk fabric and stitched with silk thread. If you cannot use the same fibre, always use an inert synthetic fibre such as polyester. Using incompatible materials, such as using silk with cotton, accelerates the degradation of your textile.

Silk and wool are both protein fibres and are therefore compatible. Cotton, linen and other plant fibres are cellulose fibres and are compatible with each other.

Support fabrics

A support fabric is the fabric on which a textile is mounted before framing. As a general rule, always use like with like; that is, a wool fabric should be mounted on wool.

This fabric is often exposed, either forming a border around the textile or showing through areas of damage in the textile. Therefore, it is important that the support fabric is similar in colour and weave to the original textile.

If you cannot buy a fabric of the correct colour, weave and fibre type, you can have fabric dyed by textile conservators experienced in colour matching or by commercial dyers.

Threads

When selecting threads remember to always use like with like, for example, silk with silk or polyester, or cotton with cotton.

As a general rule, the finer the thread the better; but you will have to judge by the appearance of the fabric what denier of thread will be the most appropriate. For example, fine silk will require a fine silk or polyester thread. A woollen tapestry will require a coarser woollen thread.

Stitches

Before stitching your historic textiles, remember:

• to make sure that the needle passes in between the threads in the weave, not through them. If the needle passes through weakened fibres it can cause considerable damage;

• to keep the tension of the stitches fairly loose, so as not to damage the fabric; and

• do not use knots. Start your thread by leaving a tail at the back of your textile and stitch three small stitches in one position to anchor your thread.

The next section describes the main stitches used in textile conservation.

Laid and couched stitching

This is one of the main stitches used in conservation. It is used because it provides maximum support for the fabric with a minimal amount of stitching passing through the textile.

Question 1.

Textiles can be damaged by:

a)  being creased—this can lead to splitting of the textiles;

b)  light and UV radiation, causing fading and setting off chemical reactions which weaken the textiles;

c)  mould, insects and pollutants

d)  perspiration;

e)  all of the above.

Question 2.

When handling textiles:

a)  try to touch as little of them as you can— always pick them up by one part only;

b)  fold them as neatly and as small as possible to make handling easier;

c)  never pick them up by one corner and always support the weight of the textile evenly;

d)  have clean hands.

Question 3.

To label a textile:

a)  write in permanent ink on the corner of the textile, or on the collar of the costume;

b)  write in permanent ink on a sticky label and stick this to the textile;

c)  machine-sew a label to the textile;

d)  write the label onto cotton tape and attach this to the textile with one or two hand- stiches.

Question 4.

Which of the following statements are true?

a) Historic costume should not be worn if you wish to preserve it.

b) Body oils and perspiration will not damage textiles.

c) The stress and strain of wearing a garment can cause a great deal of damage.

d) Historic costume should be worn on festive occasions especially those involving food and drink.

Question 5.

Small flat textiles:

a) should be stored in Dacron sausages;

b) should be stacked one on top of the other;

c) should always be rolled;

d) can simply be stored flat, with interleaving if items are to be stacked.

Question 6.

When rolling a large textile for storage:

a)  choose a roller that is longer than the item is wide;

b)  cover the roller with acid-free material to protect the textile;

c)  select a roller with a small diameter so that it does not take up too much space;

d)  fringes and tassels should be kept straight.

Question 7.

When displaying textiles:

a) be aware that light and UV radiation are the greatest enemies of textiles;

b) use acid-free materials in the display systems;

c) ensure that your textiles are well supported;

d) protect your textiles from fluctuations in relative humidity and temperature, dust, insects and pollutants;

e) all of the above.