Dear Lyn, Have you read my many, many, MANY conservation memos to Arachne? They can be found at _http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/index.html_ (http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/index.html) . Search by my name. The information is a gift. The specific issues you raise have to do with wet cleaning and shrinking. I would pre-shrink the linen, using the method the Altar Guild will use. Will that be boiling water? I think not, since it could be too harsh. But hot is certainly a distinct possibility. (The Guild probably has written guidelines; if not, you could provide them.) I also think I would do a test piece of the lace in the thread that will be used, measure, wet clean using method that will be used for finished piece, and calculate how much extra lace yardage you will need to complete the cloth. I think I would work about 12 inches, and after you've finished the altar cloth, give this separate test piece to the Altar Guild to keep (with written care instructions) to use if a section gets damaged and needs replacing in future. Presumably, they know how to do this type of sewing. A warning about tap water: Today's water is polluted by sometimes filthy air and both natural and man-made chemicals that get into water supplies without your knowledge. You live in a city, and that means your water has had a variety of chemical treatments before it emerges from your faucet. Long-term effects of modern chemicals on textiles are of concern, since you expect the altar cloth to last a long time and be treated as a church treasure. I have warned about this repeatedly on Arachne, because I have seen the results of water damage in the numerous museum-sponsored classes I have taken on conservation and restoration -- at considerable personal expense -- in the $thousands$.. I keep telling Arachne this, but it is not registering. Heed the recommendation that distilled or de-ionized water should be used - please!. Diane Z mentioned washing lace in a machine, and that is personal lace so I'll not preach. But, Diane lives in Maine, where most household water comes from wells. My Maine well water has been tested and has high levels of iron (which cannot be seen by the naked eye, but can show up some time later as rust spots that cannot be removed). Iron can eat holes in textiles. In addition, Maine well water has a high level of manganese. This causes laundered white items to gradually turn yellowish. Therefore, for those of you using well water, you may want to wash your laces in distilled or de-ionized water. In previous memos, I have described how to gather distilled water at home. Consumers do not know that soap formulas are subject to change, and manufacturers don't reveal this. Therefore, stick with the museum-approved soap called Orvus, from Procter & Gamble. (See previous memos for more information.) May I also suggest that colored candles never be used on tables covered by fine linens? The dyes in wax candles cannot be identified, and usually cannot be removed. Regards, Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center -------------------------------------------------------- In a message dated 7/29/2012 4:31:20 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
I've finally gotten serious about the altar cloth for the chapel at church. I was planning on washing the linen cloth in very hot water to shrink it before attaching the lace, but the the head of the Altar Guild then asked about shrinking the lace. Which brings up the whole issue of cleaning church linen with handmade lace. How does one clean church linen? Do I make a sample, boil it, and see how much it has shrunk? Someone out there in Arachneland must know. Please help. Lyn in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA- - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003/albums/most-recent
