NSW Textile Conservation service?

[Siouxsie]

Hi,
Today I was given my great grandfather's pinafore which was such a wonderful and generous gift. However, my dear Aunt had pinned a note to the pinny, and it has some "age" spots (just like the ones that keep appearing on my hands!).

This pinny is my father's grandfather's and he was very excited to see it this afternoon for the first time. As it is my father's 80th birthday this year, I would like to have the pinny professionally cleaned and thought, before I start trawling through phone books and the net, that I would check in with the Australian rootschatters to see if any of you have done this and are able to recommend someone or point me in the right direction.

I did check the restoration board, and it is extremely helpful for paper based restoration, but I didn't see anything for fabric in Australia.

Cheers
Susie

[tropicalj]

http://www.nma.gov.au/index.html

Hello  there Susie

try  the national  museum  they  would  have experience  in  this sort of  thing.

But  why  clean  it?

Jenn

[Siouxsie]

Dear Jenn,
Many thanks...........and to answer your "why clean it"..........where the safety pin has been it has badly stained the material and I would like to clean it or at best preserve it from further damage and store it properly. I suppose, my real concern is conservation and storage rather than cleanliness, but it would be good to minimise the damage.

Cheers
Susie

[tropicalj]

You can buy a product from  the chemist called  Rustiban  it really  does  work  removing rust marks  on  clothing  I  have  used it on a  pair of old drawes  that belonged to ggm  and a couple of old tableclothes

Jenn

[Siouxsie]

Dear Jenn,
I'll pick some up today.......thank you.........I can think of some other items I could use it on as well.

Cheers
Susie

[PrueM]

Hi Susie 

If you go to the AICCM website:
http://www.aiccm.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=37&Itemid=36
And scroll down to "Finding a Conservator in Private Practice" you'll be able to search for a textiles conservator in your area.

The museum will be able to give you general advice but they won't be able to perform the treatment for you unfortunately.  If there's a proprietary product available that they recommend then you'll be able to treat it yourself, but most textiles (and other) conservators are wary of store-bought stuff because we don't know what's in it, and often the long-term effects of treatments with these products are worse than just leaving the object alone.

Prue

[Siouxsie]

Dear Prue,
Have just followed your link and emailed one of the listed conservators.

Many thanks
Susie

[PrueM]

Great, Susie - sounds like a wonderful heirloom you have there, so worth having it taken care of 

Cheers
Prue

[Ruskie]

Beware of moths and silverfish