Textile conservation is a solitary profession, characterized by hours of concentration, patience, eye-hand coordination, good light, keen eyes, and particular tools……it is in many ways…inherently, socially distancing. Much of the handwork to repair damaged textiles requires many hours of fine stitching, navigating the creases and crinkles, lines and contours, valleys and vales, clusters and constellations […]
With thy needle and thread
By Kaitlyn Munro In my recent dive into historical sewing instruction manuals, I was emotionally struck by a passage in The Ladies’ Hand-book of Plain Needlework written by H.G. Clarke in 1842. It puts best into words every feeling that I have about sewing and the importance of conserving even the most unlikely of everyday household […]
Slow Down and Listen to the Stitching
by Julia M Brennan and Anna Tendler Mulaney In these hurried days leading up to the holidays, we invite you to slow down and engage in a little stitching meditation. Listen. Pictured above is a late 19th c Meiji period Japanese uchikake, a ceremonial robe custom made for a bride. It is decorated with symbols from the […]
From the Ashes of War: Conservation of Morimoto’s Khmer Textile Collection
By Emilee Koss (All photos, unless otherwise noted, Copyright Cheryl Nemazie Photography. All rights reserved.*) I came to Julia Brennan and Caring for Textiles for a specific purpose: to learn collection care and conservation for textiles in a tropical climate. This summer’s internship has supported a dream come true: to return to Cambodia, with conservation […]
The Warmth of Other Suns – Stories of Global Displacement
The Phillips Collection, Washington DC until September 22 If there is one exhibit on your list this summer, make this the one…soon. The movement and dislocation of humans, globally and historically, is explored by 75 artists through film, painting, photography, sculpture, clothing, collage…… from 18th c African slave trade, migrant workers in the US, Ellis […]
Culture, Nature and Diplomacy in the Mekong River Region
All forum photos by Stephen Bobb (Stephen Bobb Photography, http://www.stephenbobbphotography.com) It was a privilege to participate in Meridian International Centre’s Diplomacy Forum on the Countries of the Mekong. Set in the gracious and historic Washington DC Meridian House compound, with over 187 guests, it included panel discussions, individual talks, Cambodian and Thai traditional dance and […]
The Four Friends
A fable from Bhutan appears in Washington DC It was a delightful moment, at the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Calvert Streets NW in Woodley Park, when I looked up and saw a huge mural of my favorite Bhutanese story of the Four Friends… Indeed, there they are—the elephant, monkey, rabbit, and bird all stacked […]
Honoring Authenticity
by Julia M Brennan The flag was flying during Hurricane Katrina, battered, wind-torn, soiled with mud and rain…..this is how it came to the conservation studio. Like many personal objects from scenes of tragedy, the context, and its used appearance is central to understanding and verifying historical details. In conservation, the central philosophy is to […]
Hari-Kuyō: The Festival of Broken Needles—Happy Lunar New Year 2019
By Kaitlyn Munro As some of you readers might recall from a previous blog (How to wash your Kimono 101,) my parents have been living in Tokyo, Japan for the last few years. My mother, a big textile lover, has had many unique adventures. One day, she stumbled upon the Hashirimizu Shrine celebrating a unique […]
Adorable Alert: Christening Gown Photos…Baby Included!
We work on quite a few christening dresses here at Caring for Textiles. However, we don’t often get to see the final result once we send these precious pieces on their way. Imagine our delight when we received a greeting in the mail with two photos of a gown we had worked on—and the adorable […]
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