2023
An Introduction to Textile Conservation
A day to identify tangible and intangible skills that will be useful in your career.
3 November 2023
Textile conservation can be a diverse career needing a broad array of skills and knowledge. This event was designed as a taster to the type of work available in the field. The day began with an introduction by Leah Warriner-Wood, lecturer from the University of Lincoln, and a representative from the Landi Company.
Following this there was four main speakers; Heather Porter ACR who is an upholstery conservator; textile conservators Claire Golbourn ACR of the National Trust and Deborah Phipps of Norfolk Museums Service; and Alison Lister, the Owner/Director of Textile Conservation Limited in Bristol. Between them they have had experience working freelance, in museums, and for Historic Royal Palaces and the National Trust.
The speakers discussed their own paths into textile conservation as well as touching on skills they consider to be important, and their own experiences of supporting emerging professionals.
An in-person event held at University of Lincoln
An Introduction to the Importance of Mounting and Display for Emerging Professionals
22 September 2023
An Introduction to the Importance of Mounting and Display for Emerging Professionals at the Victoria & Albert Museum.
An introduction to the significance of mounting and display in a museum setting. Frances Hartog, senior conservator leads the morning with a tour of the galleries including the Medieval & Renaissance Galleries. These house a wide range of objects such as tapestries, ecclesiastical vestments, early items of clothing and very fragile textile fragments. For some objects, the mounts can be an integral part of the conservation. Moving to the Middle Eastern and Indian gallery more traditional methods are for used mounting and display which offer the opportunity to discuss attachment methods. Frances illustrated the practicalities of display. In addition, it was discussed how conservators collaborate with designers and curators, listening to their needs, while being an advocate for the object.
An in-person event held at the Victoria & Albert Museum, South Kensington, London
Acquiring an Industrial Textile Archive
The challenges and opportunities the Whitworth faces in acquiring and ensuring access to a textile printing archive
18 October 2023
In 2022, the Whitworth accepted the offer of the design archives of A. Brunnschweiler and Co/ ABC Wax. One of the last archives of its kind in the UK, these comprise about 350 archival boxes, mostly of pattern books, fabric samples, hanging samples, 35mm slides, filing cabinets of sample cards, printing blocks, around 200 A4 ringbinders and large paper designs. All representing the output of the major textile printworks in the North-West such as Calico Printers’ Association (CPA), Newton Bank, (F.W. Ashton), Broad Oak (F.W. Grafton), Church Bank (Frederick Steiner), Dinting Vale (Edmund Potter), Love Clough Printing Company, Rhodes (Salis Schwabe), Strines Printing Company, and Blue Printers (formerly of Wigan). These firms were the backbone of English export textile printing. The ABC Wax archive therefore reveals the history of British textiles made for export to African, Middle Eastern and Asian markets. It shows developments in the design processes and the technologies used, changing fashions in design, telling stories of decolonisation and economics, illustrating how the hub of manufacture shifted away from the UK during the twentieth century.
This acquisition – still in its infancy – will be a major and on-going project for the Whitworth and will involve considerable consultation. Further consultation regarding the practicalities of accessible storage and display will follow. A workshop is being planned.
This lecture introduced the archive and the issues the gallery faces conceptually and practically to acquire the archive and to ensure its accessibility.
This talk took place over Zoom.
Visit to Gainsborough Mill
An in-person visit to Gainsborough’s Mill, Sudbury, Suffolk.
3 July 2023
Delegates were given an exclusive 'behind the scenes' opportunity to visit the Mill, guided by knowledgeable staff to see all stages of their production, including spinning, dyeing, and weaving.
About Gainsborough
Sudbury in Suffolk, England, had been a centre of silk weaving since the arrival of Huguenot weavers in the 19th Century, and it was here that Reginald Warner established the Gainsborough Silk Weaving Co. Ltd in 1903, immediately earning a reputation for high quality Damasks, tapestries and velvets.
Gainsborough was conceived in part as a specialist in historical reproductions, drawing on many of the designs Warner bought from European mills, overlaid with an English interpretation, and to this day demand remains strong for our extensive archive of historical designs and weave effects dating back as far as the 15th Century.
Fashion Designers like Giles Deacon and Christopher Kane have employed Gainsborough fabrics in recent couture collections, and St Paul’s Cathedral’s priestly vestments hail from our mill; the bespoke interiors of Bentley automobiles and Globe-Trotter suitcases have received the Gainsborough touch, as have yachts and private planes, and many restored VW camper vans, which bear a checked motif that we weave in several colours for this one purpose.
An in-person event held at Gainsborough Mill
Textiles, Book & Paper: A Patchwork of Shared Skills - Victoria Haddock
An Introduction to the history of the dressmaking paper patterns
31 May 2023
Sewing patterns have been the first step in making clothes in the home for centuries. This joint Textile, Book & Paper provided an illustrated account of the history of the paper pattern industry and the companies that produced patterns.
This talk took place over Zoom.
Textiles, Book & Paper: A Patchwork of Shared Skills - Karen Limper-Herz
The Icon Book and Paper and Textiles Groups continue our series of joint events, with an introduction to embroidered bookbindings
17 May 2023
Embroidered bindings are a curiosity in the history of bookbinding. It was especially during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I that embroidery came into fashion in England. While they largely remained a 16th- and 17th-century English phenomenon, textile bindings were also produced in other European countries. A number of embroidered bindings survive today and they are studied both as bookbindings and as pieces of embroidery, but many more were lost to insects and wear and tear over the centuries.
This talk looked at the place embroidered bindings occupy in the history of bookbinding today and will discuss the purposes for which they were made, the materials and techniques employed to create them, common designs used, and the people who worked the embroidery.
This talk took place over Zoom.
Textile Group: AGM 2023 & Graduate Research Exchange
23 May 2023
Showcasing graduate research in textile conservation
The Icon Textile Group AGM was held online on May 23rd 2023, with a Graduate Research Exchange taking place during the meeting.
The session aims to provide a platform for graduates to share their valuable research, and to connect students and graduates from various institutions with the wider community of people interested in the conservation of textiles.
Presentation Abstracts
'Unravelling the material history of a 19th Century painted banner by means of macro-X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) scanning'
Henri Cosemans
University of Antwerp, 2022
In the past decade, MA-XRF was established as a valuable tool for the non-invasive technical study of paintings. So far, the potential for textile objects has not been explored. We focus on the investigation of an early 19th century painted textile banner belonging to the royal Saint George's archers Guild of Rijkevorsel, Belgium and demonstrate how the ensuing insights steered our knowledge of its material history. Historical guild books suggested that the banner was purchased in 1807, meaning that the banner under investigation was manufactured in or before 1807.
During technical research, several factors surfaced that rendered this assumed date doubtful. The banner appeared an assembly of several parts that were produced separately. The original central medallion was cut out of the banner and replaced with the current depiction of Saint George.
One hypothesis is that the banner was previously religious banner, recycled and adapted into a guild banner. These finding questions whether the passage found in the archives refers to this specific banner, or rather to an entirely different, now missing object? MA-XRF imaging supplied additional information on the composition of the banner.
Relative dating based on historical research pertaining to the use of different pigments allows us to propose dates for the different parts of the banner.
'An Investigation into the Variable Sublimation Rates of Cyclododecane and Menthol as Volatile Binding Media in Textile Conservation'
Tabitha Gibbs
University of Glasgow, 2023
My presentation focuses on my upcoming MPhil dissertation research. I will be sharing my planned investigation into the use of volatile binding media (VBMs) in textile conservation, including experimental testing of the usable dwell time, and sublimation rates, of two VBMs, cyclododecane (CDD) and menthol. While VBMs are regularly used by textile conservators, most frequently as a temporary protective barrier, there is still limited research on the interaction between CDD and objects’ surfaces and little guidance as to how long CDD is effective as a barrier, or the time it takes to fully sublime. The research has two elements. Firstly, I will carry out an international survey to establish how VBMs are currently used by textile conservators. Secondly, I will perform experimental testing by applying CDD, menthol and mixtures of the two to textile substrates to document how sublimation rates vary under different conditions. By including mixtures of CDD and menthol, this study hopes to propose a method of combining the advantageous properties of both substances.
My research will assist textile conservators in making informed decisions around the appropriateness of CDD or menthol as easily accessible temporary barrier layers or consolidants for treatment. It will allow them to estimate sublimation periods more accurately to tailor the use of VBMs to the requirements of specific objects.
‘Through the eyes of a textile conservator – Using an educational video to explain the technique and condition of archaeological tablet woven bands'
Mirjam Kaufmann
Abegg-Stiftung, 2021
650 years after Siegfried von Westerburg (Archbishop of Cologne from 1274-1297) was buried in the Bonner Münster, his grave was opened during excavations in 1947, and several textile fragments were found. Shortly after the excavation, the textile fragments were restored in the Textilmuseum Krefeld. The textiles were examined in the textile conservation studio of the Abegg-Stiftung from November 2020 to October 2022. For the first time since they were found in 1947, all fragments were given full technical examination and were being mounted for the exhibition in the LVR LandesMuseum Bonn.
My master's thesis “Die Borten aus dem Grab von Siegfried von Westerburg (†1297) im Bonner Münster. Untersuchung, Dokumentation und Erarbeitung eines Vermittlungsbeitrags“ focused on part of the textile fragments –17 tablet woven bands and 2 samit woven bands – which I examined and documented.
After giving an introduction to the main findings of the technical examination of the tablet woven bands the presentation will focus on the second part of the thesis: Based on the results from the examination, an educational video was created to be played in the exhibition space. The video is based on pattern drawings and the reweaving of a tablet woven band, to allow better understanding of the technique and condition of the tablet woven bands by the public.
Digitial Poster Abstracts
'Getting the hang(er out) of it: conservation of a fire damaged christening robe'
Gracile Roxas
University of Glasgow, 2023
You can also download this poster in pdf format below:
Gracile Roxas Poster.pdf
This poster presents the conservation treatment of a late 19th to early 20th century christening robe, made of undyed cotton and decorated with lace and whitework embroidery, and the test results that guided the procedure. Caught in a house fire in 2018, the robe suffered discolouration and brittleness from thermal oxidation, structural damage, and accumulation of soot and other foreign particles. It also had a deformed plastic hanger that melted, resolidified and stuck to the fabric. Extensive testing involved identification of the plastic, and determining its melting parameters and solubility in a range of solvents. The hanger was separated from the fabric mechanically while applying heat, making it possible to wet clean and introduce stitched support to the yoke and sleeves. The treatment resulted in significant reduction of discolouration and soiling, stabilisation of damaged and weak areas, re-establishment of the robe’s three-dimensional shape and improvement of its overall appearance.
'Conservation issue of heavily over dried silk fabric on the example of spatial object from Muzeum Narodowe Ziemi Przemyskiej. Sunshade; inventory number MPH-253'
Magdalena Żmuda
Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, 2022
You can also download this poster in pdf format below:
Magdalena Żmuda Poster.pdf
The aim of the practical part of Master Thesis was conservation and restauration of lady’s sunshade from the beginning of the 20th century from Muzeum Narodowe Ziemi Przemyskiej.
The object is best described as moving and spatial form characteristic to this kind of items. Due to used materials in the object and their state of preservation, plan of conservation work was required for individual elements. Sunshade structure is divided into two parts – steel frame with cover made from silk black and cream-colored fabrics, decorated with cotton guipure lace and wooden handle decorated with brass and plastic elements.
To determine creation date of object, specialist tests were conducted – SEM-EDS test on silk fabrics and FTIR-ART test on the plastic part. All elements of the sunshade were cleaned by individually selected methods. The most damaged textile elements were cleaned using agar gel (some mixed with sodium bicarbonate) and then bonded by textile lining method.
The conservation work on the sunshade was straitened due to specificity and form of this object thus part of conservation treatment needed to be performed on open frame. As a result of conducted conservation and restoration work, sunshade regained opening capability thus fashion accessory function was restored.
This talk took place over Zoom.
Textiles, Book & Paper: A Patchwork of Shared Skills - Emily O’Reilly ACR and Rosamund Weatherall ACR
24 May 2023
Revealed and reinstated: paper conservation meets textile conservation in the treatment of the Naples Bed Hangings
The Naples Bed Hangings are 19th century printed paper curtains repurposed as bed hangings. The conservation of the curtains was first proposed in 2019 and began in August 2021 when they were taken down, packed up and delivered to freelance paper conservator Emily O'Reilly in South Wales. Extremely fragile, the curtains had been treated in the past as if they were textile curtains. Treatment began by removing repairs and reinforcements revealing a past life and reasons for the rare survival of these paper curtains. Extensive treatment firstly involved repairing of the fractured paper and stabilising it. The second stage involved a trip to the Textile Conservation Centre at Blickling, where linings and stabilising net were applied and sewn in position, and the hanging system improved.
This talk described how paper and textile conservators worked together to enable the curtains to be safely reinstated, improving the condition and the appearance and using innovative digitally printed linings.
This talk took place over Zoom.
In Conversation with Janie Lightfoot ACR
Wednesday 19 April 2023
Janie Lightfoot first established her textile studio in 1977, at a time when there were few textile conservation courses available. This meant that she had to be resourceful in gaining relevant experience and she did this by attending a variety of lectures and workshops run by different institutions at home and abroad, including those organised by Icon.
Janie has now been running her textile conservation and restoration studio based in Northwest London for over 40 years and, as an accredited conservator, has worked extensively in the public and private sector, both nationally and internationally, including recent projects in Albania and India. Janie also acts as a consultant for several major institutions; she is an associate lecturer at University of the Arts London and a frequent speaker at conservation and textile conferences. Her passion for textiles and collecting is what has driven the studio to where it is today.
We heard directly from Janie about the breadth of her experience, her thoughts on developing skills, the recent opening of her Africa gallery, and what plans she has for the future.
This talk took place over Zoom.
Identifying loops and other ingredients in evidence for early modern knitting
20 February 2023
What's in a name? Dr Jane Malcom-Davies discusses a search for terminology for textile analysis
Knitted artefacts are important in expanding our understanding of the craft of knitting at a specific point in time, including the materials, tools and skills that would be needed. A lack of agreed terminology has led to incomplete or inaccurate cataloguing in museum collections which renders relevant items invisible. This in turn hampers the opportunity for scientific discussion of the extant evidence of knitting, as not all knitted artefacts have been correctly identified. Published descriptions of knitted artefacts are likewise unreliable in part because of incomplete data but also because of the tendency for observers to mix deductions as to methods of construction with reportage of the essential characteristics. A protocol for the evidence-based recording of extant items is recommended with the aim of providing reliable descriptive detail for those who cannot view the items for themselves and to offer a sound foundation upon which later observers can build further insights. This talk also suggested a vocabulary based on English terminology used in textile analysis, craftwork, and in the mechanised knitting industry today.
This talk took place over Zoom.
Travelling Textiles
26 January 2023
This talk explored how the V&A has developed their toolkit for travelling costume and textiles.
Lara Flecker and Elizabeth-Anne Haldane discussed the techniques developed by the V&A to facilitate the safe travel of costume and textiles.
The V&A has extensive experience of preparing costumes and textiles for display and travel and regularly has several exhibitions out on multi-venue tours at any given time. Most costumes are sent ready dressed on mannequins. Initially, simple fabric-covered torsos were used but modifications to the design and fixings of fibreglass mannequins to ensure their structural stability has facilitated more complex dressed mannequins to be sent out on tour.
Conservators have worked closely with V&A Technical Services to facilitate the safe travel and installation of objects through the refinement of packing processes and standardized systems that are easy to follow. Costume mounting itself is an essential part of packing systems, the bespoke padding and underpinnings providing crucial support for traveling garments with a system of protective padded covers and bags used to restrict movement in transit.
Clear documentation has been crucial to this process, objects sent on loan will have a condition statement, object packing note (for internal soft packing), crate packing note and installation/de-installation note, and reference images. This level of detail has allowed for a relatively smooth transition to the world of ‘virtual couriers’ hastened by the Covid-19 pandemic. Although the number of in-person couriers sent out with exhibitions and loans has been drastically reduced it has not been dispensed with entirely, and a risk-based approach is taken to determine when and where they are needed.
This talk took place over Zoom.
2022
An afternoon with Heritage Trimmings
Wednesday 14 December 2022
This afternoon online talk allowed members a behind-the-scenes look at how Heritage Trimmings operate and the passementerie they produce. The history of the company was accompanied by case studies of various historic house projects and a look inside the factory.
Heritage Trimmings was founded in 1991 initially to make the gold, silver, and silk passementerie for the restoration of The King’s Apartments at Hampton Court Palace. Everything that Heritage Trimmings designs and makes is produced in their historic factory based in the East Midlands city of Derby. Under 2 hours by train from London visitors are welcome to see their beautiful passementerie being made, or to discuss their projects with the design team. From simple excellence to sumptuous opulence, Heritage Trimmings offers it all, and it is all designed and made in Great Britain.
This talk took place over Zoom.
What can archaeological finds and the close inspection of artefacts, specifically textiles, reveal about the past?
Monday 14th November 2022
A talk from former National Trust curator Anna Forrest on the exciting underfloor discoveries made in Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk, and then Helena Loermans spoke on what was revealed from textile close weave analysis.
This talk was in two halves; first we heard from former National Trust curator Anna Forrest about the underfloor discoveries made during the reroofing project at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk, finds ranging from fragments of late 16thc books to high status Elizabethan textiles, and then we learnt from Helena Loermans how close weave analysis can add to our understanding of how textiles were made, and their origins.
This talk took place over Zoom.
Back to Basics - Care of Historic Carpets, Rugs and Woven Textile Floor Coverings
27-28 July 2022
An approach to the structure, care and maintenance of historic carpets.
This in-person two-day course aimed to provide an insight into how machine and hand-woven carpets are made, their basic structure and how these impact on their care and maintenance. There was a tour of the Museum coupled with sessions including the examination of carpet samples, discussions on the behaviour of carpets in use, on the impact of display on deterioration, on handling and rolling, dry and wet cleaning choices and choice of equipment. There was also an opportunity to discuss basic repairs and participants were encouraged to share their own experience.
An in-person event held at Museum of Carpet, Stour Vale Mill, Green St, Kidderminster DY10 1AZ.
AGM 2022 & Talk: “On a roll: Working with Large Painted Textiles”
24 June 2022
The 2022 Icon Textile Group AGM was live streamed. Open to all Icon Textile Group members, this free event took place via Zoom.
The AGM was followed by “On a roll: Working with Large Painted Textiles”, with Jenny van Enckevort ACR and Kloe Rumsey. This interesting talk approached the challenges of working with large painted textiles.
The AGM & Talk took place over zoom
Textiles, Book & Paper: A Patchwork of Shared Skills
28 April 2022
This was the first in a series of joint events organised by the Textiles and Book & Paper Groups, exploring what we can learn from each other’s disciplines and the different ways we conserve our shared materials.
Chaired by Alice Evans, organiser of the Bodleian’s Textiles in Libraries project, this zoom evening event provided an opportunity for cross disciplinary discussion about different treatment approaches, materials, and techniques. A panel of accredited textile, artefact, book and paper conservators each delivered case studies of multi-media objects that could come under the remit of several conservation specialisms. We heard how each approached their project, the challenges and the solutions found. The panel discussed what they learnt and answered questions from the audience.
This talk took place over Zoom.
Textiles and the stories they tell
14 March 2022
Cloth is a language through which a people can tell stories about themselves, their community, and their place in the universe. This is particularly true of what we choose to wear.
This presentation with Howard Sutcliffe (principal conservator and owner of River Region Costume and Textile Conservation, a private practice with studios in Arley, Alabama and Nashville, Tennessee) focused on a number of recent costume projects that have come through the studio that have notable and sometimes unsettling histories, and how the process of conservation, along with scientific analysis has helped to clarify and consolidate that knowledge. Case histories included a shoe belonging to Lya Schwartz, a performer with the Ringling and Barnum & Bailey Circus, a bullet hole ridden coat from the Battle of Shiloh and hurricane damaged shirts from the Pulse nightclub memorial.
This talk took place over Zoom.
2021
Identity and politics in the needlework of Mary Queen of Scots
8 November 2021
Speakers:
‣ Emma Slocombe, Senior National Curator, Dress Textiles, National Trust
‣ Liz Rose, Textile Conservator, British Library
In this inspiring online talk, National Trust's Senior Dress and Textiles Curator, Emma Slocombe focused on the needlework panels worked by Mary between 1569-1587. Mary produced a vast number of needlework panels using contemporary published illustrations as source material and thirty-seven mounted examples, which comprise what is known as the ‘Marian Hanging’. These needlework panels were part of the British Library's major exhibition, ‘Elizabeth & Mary: Royal Cousins, Rival Queens’ which ran until 20th February 2022. The talk continued with a brief behind-the-scenes presentation on the exhibition by British Library’s Textile Conservator, Liz Rose.
This talk took place over Zoom.
Private Practice: In Conversation with Sarah Glenn ACR and Zenzie Tinker ACR
29 September 2021
An insightful conversation about the ups and downs of working in private practice
This event was a chance to gain an insight into what it’s like to run a conservation business, from the highs to the lows, the achievements and challenges. Sarah is a freelance textile conservator based in London while Zenzie works with her team in Brighton. During this hour long webinar they discussed and compared experiences of working in the private sector, offering hints and tips along the way.
This talk took place over Zoom.
The Challenges of Starting in Conservation: Skills to help students and emerging professionals (Session 1)
18 March 2021
This accessible two-part series for all students and emerging professionals aimed to help provide some advice and support on the challenges both old and new when starting a career in conservation. The goal of these webinars was to prepare students transitioning into employment in an ever-changing field, which is even more prevalent during these turbulent times. We hope these presentations encourage those who are new to conservation and help equip them with the tools and contacts needed to grow successfully in the field.
Speakers:
Marina Herriges. "Get noticed! Marketing yourself in conservation" Gabriela Lucio de Sousa. "The kimonos of Maria Augusta Rui Barbosa: a case of Guerrilla Preservation"
Caroline Vogt. "The Abegg-Stiffung in Riggisberg, Switzerland: A place for future and emerging professionals in textile conservation"
This talk took place over Zoom.
The Challenges of Starting in Conservation: Skills to help students and emerging professionals (Session 2)
25 March 2021
This accessible two-part series for all students and emerging professionals aimed to help provide some advice and support on the challenges both old and new when starting a career in conservation. The goal of these webinars was to prepare students transitioning into employment in an ever-changing field, which is even more prevalent during these turbulent times. We hope these presentations encourage those who are new to conservation and help equip them with the tools and contacts needed to grow successfully in the field.
Speakers:
Arielle Juler. "Freelancing in Crisis: a year of Self-Employment during Covid"
Juliee Bon, ACR. "Moving on up! Applying for jobs and internships"
Patrick Whife. "Planning your professional journey. From emerging professional to accredited conservator"
This talk took place over Zoom.
Fibres back to basics with Christopher Foster
18 October 2021
Join PhD Chemistry student and V&A collaborator Chris Foster for a Fibres Back to Basics lecture. This talk primarily focused on cotton and wool, their composition, physical properties, aging, degradation and fibres-water interaction when cleaned. This presentation highlighted the complexity of fibres and the impact that their environment has on their behaviour. It discussed previous work done in this field, the differing opinions that are ongoing and the presenter's own research.
This talk took place over Zoom.
On site carpet cleaning methodologies with Ksynia Marko & Glyn Charnock
Tuesday 23 February 2021
An evening with Ksynia Marko ACR and Glyn Charnock NCCA to explore cleaning methods for historic carpets.
Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1969. The Grade 1 listed, 17th C house, is noted for its Jacobean architecture and fine Georgian interior and holds some important historic carpets. Their use, display, condition, size and weight, coupled with location, access and visitor numbers, all affect routine cleaning and care, common issues experienced in many historic properties, and which raises significant questions for those responsible for maintaining as high a level of presentation as possible whilst ensuring the longevity of the collection. This case study illustrated the necessary planning and successful approach undertaken on site for the ‘deep’ cleaning of two, mid-nineteenth century, ‘English Savonnerie’ style carpets.
This talk took place over Zoom.
2017-2020
In Conversation with Sheila Landi
15 December 2020
Continuing our online conversations series, participants were invited to join the Icon Textile Group for an evening with Sheila Landi. Sheila Landi trained in Fine Art at Kingston and the Royal Academy Schools before joining the Textile Section of the Conservation Department at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1963, becoming Head of Section in 1972. Due to conservation as a discipline still being in its infancy at this stage, Sheila played a key role in its development within the museum and in the establishment of the profession in a wider sense. She has had many articles published and has also written "The Textile Conservator's Manual" which is now in its second edition with further revisions in the paperback version. On her retirement from the V&A in 1989 Sheila continued to work in private practice establishing The Textile Conservation Consultancy, which became the Landi Company in 2008. In discussion with Ann French ACR, Sheila answered questions and shared some of her 57 years’ experience in the industry.
This talk took place over Zoom.
Face Masks: Sew-Along Webinar Workshop
17 July 2020
Heather Porter, Senior Conservator (Upholstery) at the National Trust, spent some of her furlough time busily making face coverings for those in need. We are grateful to Heather for taking the time to share her new-found skillset with members of the Icon Textile Group through a series of Zoom workshops and with the PDF pattern available on here.
This talk took place over Zoom.
One Day Workshop: Costume Mounting with FOSSHAPE™
Monday 5 August 2019
This practical workshop will explore and demonstrate new approaches to costume mounting using Fosshape™. The attendees will cover a variety of manipulation methods and construction techniques for this infinitely useful material, including basic pattern cutting and finishing options. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss any mounting problems or upcoming projects and how Fosshape™ might work for their particular display requirements. The workshop is designed for museum professionals who often find themselves faced with the challenges of creating mounts for costume and 3D textiles.
Attendees are required to have a basic level of sewing. All materials will be provided on the day and attendees will receive a Fosshape™ sample pack to take away with them, along with any mounts made on the day. Please bring your own sewing equipment if preferable.
The course will be led by Rachael Lee and Lilia Prier Tisdall. Rachael and Lilia work as Textile Conservation Display Specialists at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Between them they have 15 years of costume mounting experience including work on exhibitions such as Hollywood Costume, Alexander McQueen, Frida Kahlo and Christian Dior. They are passionate about Fosshape™ and the myriad opportunities it provides for bespoke mounts, problem-solving and economies of time and budget.
Hidden Costume Treasures - Conserving the Westminster Abbey Royal Funeral Effigies by Zenzie Tinker ACR
Tuesday 30 April 2019
This talk will form an introduction to an Icon Textile Group guided visit to the display later on in the year where members of the ZTC team will talk through the challenges of specific objects in front of the effigies.
Over the last three years Zenzie Tinker Conservation have undertaken the conservation of twelve of the costumed funeral effigies that recently went back on display in the new Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries at Westminster Abbey. The project involved more than 350 items of effigy costume as well as the wigs and effigies themselves. Zenzie will talk through the complexities of managing this project and reveal some of the hidden layers that her team had the privilege of conserving.
Understanding Tapestry: Two Day Workshop led by Caron Penney, Atelier WEFTFACED
April 2019
This workshop is designed specifically for textile conservators wishing to understand more about the craft of tapestry weaving and to gain a deeper insight into both contemporary and historical weaving techniques.
The class begins with the basics - warping a frame, learning plain weave and shaping skills. More involved techniques include making a slit and sewing it up, dovetailing, single and double interlock.
On the second day the class will learn about the differences between hatching verses hachures. This will begin with a short presentation. The class will use hatching as it is used in contemporary practice, also exploring blending. Hachures will be used as they have been traditionally from the back of the tapestry, starting in a block format and then progressing into using them for shading. At the end of the workshop time will be given to a discussion regarding the differences between the techniques and the pros and cons. Each student will have a completed tapestry sample by the end of the workshop. If time allows more investigation into any of the outlined techniques can be explored or creating a shape such as a circle.
There will be a tour of the studio to see tapestries being woven on the loom.
ABOUT THE TUTOR: Caron Penney, a Master Tapestry Weaver and Director of WEFTFACED (a tapestry studio in the South of England). Caron studied at Middlesex University on a BA (Hons) Degree in Constructed Textiles in 1993 and studied for her PGCE in 2001 at Portsmouth University. She has been teaching for 18 years and was until recently been the Studio Director of the renowned West Dean Tapestry Studio, where she had worked since 1993. Caron led the historic project to recreate the ‘Hunt of the Unicorn’ tapestries for Stirling Castle.
Completed Conservation of Royal East India Volunteers Colours Visit
Monday 25 March 2019
Two degraded silk colours belonging to the East India Company’s corps of Royal East India Volunteers are ready to exhibit after conservation. The flags and other objects from the India Office Records and Visual Arts Collections will be on display for a limited period. Book your tickets and come behind the scenes to talk to Liz Rose, the Library’s textile conservator, curators, and photographers who have made this transformation possible.
ALICE & CO and Icon Pattern Cutting Workshop
November 2018
Workshop leaders: Alice Prier + Lilia Prier Tisdall
This 2-day workshop will cover all the basics of pattern cutting including the concept of a block, how it fits the body, and how a block is manipulated to create different styles and shapes. The class will involve each participant drafting their own perfectly-fitting block during Day 1, which they can then take home with them to use for their own dressmaking. The second day will look at block manipulations with a focus on historical pattern cutting and costume mounting. Participants will be invited to request any specific periods or styles they would like to look at.
Over the course of the weekend the following topics will be covered:
- Take accurate body measurements
- Draft a dress block and sleeve block
- Learn how to use your block for separates
- Add seam allowances and other markings
- Make a calico toile
- Do any small fit adjustments needed to ensure a perfect fit
- Pivoting darts
- Creating panels
- Slash and spread
- Changing necklines and adding collars
- Adding ease and volume
These techniques form the basis of all pattern cutting and once you’ve grasped them you can make a pattern for anything from a bikini to an overcoat! You will learn how to adapt your block to create a variety of tops, skirts and dresses, looking specifically on different historical shapes, how to read and re-create them.
Forum - Nature of Textiles
The day will include an opportunity to see the newly redisplayed Museum of London 'Pleasure Gardens' exhibit. Presentation topics and speakers:
- The ‘Wonder of Birds’ Carries On - Deborah Phipps
- Distorted Iridescence: Investigating the Microstructural Changes in Jewel Beetle Elytra on Textiles - Lauren Osmond
- A Natural Legacy: Conserving Orra White Hitchcock’s Classroom Charts - Camille Myers Breeze
- Ruffled Feathers: Conservation of Taxidermy Bird Specimens - Chelsea McKibbin
- Making Friends with Fur - Rachel Rhodes
- Inspired by Nature: Fabrics of the Future - Sarah Glenn and Roisin Morris
- Conservation of Tahitian Tiputa from HMS Galatea, Economic Botany Collection at Kew - Misa Tamura
- Natural Dyes in Textile Conservation - Cecilia Aguirre
- Understanding Historic Glass Fibre Dresses and Their Needs in Conservation - Charlotte Holzer
- Wet Cleaning Knotted Carpets – Summary of Fellowship Investigations - Frances Hartog
- The Dry Cleaning of Fashion Collections with Supercritical C0 2 Technology: A Green Way to Clean? - Emmanuelle Garcin
- Metal Threads and Adhesive: The Conservation Treatment of an Embroidered Coat of Arms from a Queen Anne Throne Canopy - Viola Nicastro
Icon Textile Group visit to Knole
Saturday 28 April 2018
Join Heather Porter, Senior Upholstery Conservator at Knole for a behind-the-scenes tour of the new conservation studios and facilities, followed by an informal tour around the house showrooms to highlight ongoing projects in the conservation of the house and its interiors. Attendees will then be free to explore the rest of the house and gardens for the remainder of the day. Please note that due to ongoing refurbishment works, only half of the house is open to the public at this time.
Upholstery Course at Knole House
26-27 March 2018
As an introduction to upholstery conservation, the course will enable students to gain greater knowledge of the history of upholstered furniture with relation to the frame and textiles, and discuss the upholstery materials, tools and techniques used to create them. The methods available to examine existing upholstery, and to understand the physical evidence of original and later phases of work using tack holes and fragments on the frame will be discussed.
Practical sessions will introduce participants to the simple upholstery skills necessary to attach and remove textiles from the frame using standard fixed attachments. Pros and cons of these traditional fixings will be discussed and provide a framework for discussion about how they can be replaced with less damaging alternative conservation techniques. Textile conservation and treatment of other original upholstery materials will be shown alongside modern approaches used for the recreation and application of missing historically accurate upholstery.
The course, led by Heather Porter will be held at Knole House in Kent, this two-day workshop is open to both Textile and Furniture conservators with the aim of fostering an informative exchange of skills and experience at this area of interface between the two specialisms. There will also be an opportunity to explore Knole House. The workshop programme includes an opportunity to see the new conservation facilities, and showrooms at Knole.
Ticket prices are offered at a subsidised rate, include morning and afternoon refreshments, buffet lunch, and a shuttle taxi service to and from Sevenoaks station at specified times.
FOSSHAPE™ Workshop
Monday 12 February 2018
This practical workshop will explore and demonstrate new approaches to costume mounting using Fosshape™. The attendees will cover a variety of manipulation methods and construction techniques for this infinitely useful material, including basic pattern cutting and finishing options. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss any mounting problems or upcoming projects and how Fosshape™ might work for their particular display requirements. The workshop is designed for museum professionals who often find themselves faced with the challenges of creating mounts for costume and 3D textiles.
Attendees are required to have a basic level of sewing. All materials will be provided on the day and attendees will receive a Fosshape™ sample pack to take away with them, along with any mounts made on the day. Please bring your own sewing equipment if preferable.
The course will be led by Rachael Lee and Lilia Prier Tisdall. Rachael and Lilia work as Textile Conservation Display Specialists at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Between them they have 15 years of costume mounting experience including work on exhibitions such as Hollywood Costume, Alexander McQueen, Undressed and Revolutions. They are passionate about Fosshape™ and the myriad opportunities it provides for bespoke mounts, problem-solving and economies of time and budget.
Westminster Abbey Effigies Conservation Tour
30 November 2017
Zenzie Tinker Conservation have been conserving and remounting the layers of clothing from the Westminster Abbey Royal Funeral effigies in preparation for the 2018 opening of the new Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries. There is the opportunity for a small group of textile conservators to visit the conservation facility at Westminster Abbey and see the current re-dressing of some of the effigies and discuss the work with the team. The group will also be able to view the rare ‘pair of straight bodies’ from the original Elizabeth I effigy believed to date from 1603.
Alexander Technique Workshop
2 November 2017
The Alexander Technique teaches people how to improve the way they move in order to lower tension, improve alignment of the body and avoid damaging patterns of movement. The Technique is commonly used to reduce pain in the neck, back and shoulders, to help deal with stress and to improve ability in sport and performance.
This workshop will explore the principles of the Technique with a focus on practical exercises to help attendees understand their particular patterns of movement and learn to move in a more relaxed and aligned manner. Topics will include spinal alignment, breathing, and releasing tension with "constructive rest."
These lessons will be applied to practical conservation work, which is often done with the hands and arms and can contribute to back and shoulder tension. All participants will receive one-to-one guidance from the teachers and have an opportunity to discuss their particular concerns. Workshop participants should bring a few paperback books of different thicknesses to create an adjustable headrest, and a yoga mat.
Victoria Walsh is an Alexander Technique teacher based in London who runs a private practice and works with musicians at the Royal Academy of Music and horse riders in multiple locations around London. Assisting Victoria will be Kate Fun, also teaching the Alexander Technique in London and working as a vocal performer and teacher.
A tour of the BL conservation studio, led by Textile Conservator Liz Rose, will take place at 1.30pm, prior to the workshop.
Approaching it Differently: Upholstery Conservation – A joint Textiles Group & Furniture Group Workshop
September 2017
As an introduction to upholstery conservation, the course will enable students to gain greater knowledge of the history of upholstered furniture with relation to the frame and textiles, and discuss the upholstery materials, tools and techniques used to create them. The methods available to examine existing upholstery, and to understand the physical evidence of original and later phases of work using tack holes and fragments on the frame will be discussed.
Practical sessions will introduce participants to the simple upholstery skills necessary to attach and remove textiles from the frame using standard fixed attachments. Pros and cons of these traditional fixings will be discussed and provide a framework for discussion about how they can be replaced with less damaging alternative conservation techniques. Textile conservation and treatment of other original upholstery materials will be shown alongside modern approaches used for the recreation and application of missing historically accurate upholstery.
The course, led by Heather Porter will be held at Knole House in Kent, this two-day workshop is open to both Textile and Furniture conservators with the aim of fostering an informative exchange of skills and experience at this area of interface between the two specialisms. There will also be an opportunity to explore Knole House. The workshop programme includes an opportunity to see the new conservation facilities, and showrooms at Knole.
May Berkouwer Textile Conservation 10th Anniversary Open Day & Silk Weaving in Sudbury
Friday 30 June 2017
May Berkouwer Textile Conservation is celebrating 10 years practice at their Sudbury studio.
We invite Icon Textile Group members to visit us on our Open Day and take advantage of the current Exhibition “Silk: From Spitalfields to Sudbury” at Gainsborough’s House. There is also the chance to explore Sudbury which with it three working silk mills can be considered the silk capital of the UK.