Restoration is a rather broad title which encompasses the following services.
Cleaning - items of embroidery and costume - veils, Christening gowns etc, can sometimes be completely transformed with gentle cleaning. After evaluating whether the item can be cleaned and whether it needs to be dry or wet cleaned I use specialist cleaning products to complete the process. Iron mould - destructive orange stains can also be treated whilst wet cleaning.
Mending - from small holes and worn patches to loose threads and large holes I can mend them all! This service can be provided on it’s own or alongside several of the others.
Mounting - if you have a piece of embroidery you would like to frame but are unsure of what to do next I offer a mounting service. The embroidery will be securely mounted using conservation grade board, ready for framing. For canvas pieces I also offer a stretching service. I can also prepare a piece with hanging loops for presentation.
Re-mounting - for work that is badly mounted I can remove the current mounting and replace using conservation grade board and more sympathetic methods.
Stabilizing and surface mounting - for very delicate or disintegrating embroideries and fabrics I can stabilize the item by netting or darning and then surface mounting on a complimentary fabric of your choosing to protect it further.
Restoration of canvas and tapestry - Quite often you will find canvas embroidery and tapestries with bare patches or holes in the canvas - these are frequently caused by age. I am trained to offer the specialist task of re-weaving the canvas and repairing the worn areas of stitching using threads matched to the already existing ones.
I am not a qualified conservator, but was trained extensively at the Royal School of needlework in the above techniques. If you have any items of embroidery or costume which need attention please contact me. I can either visit you and the item at home (depending on location) or it can be posted to me for evaluation. Prices vary depending on the nature of the work.
