Cotton should be fine with a light steaming, if the colors don't bleed, but
silk probably should not be steamed, it usually causes color changes, a
conservator may be able to help though. Some wrinkles will fall out after
some time, but it all depends on the weight of the piece and how it is
hanging. You can also lay pieces flat if you have the space, that can let
gravity help out.

Elizabeth Walton
www.clotheslinejournal.com

At 09:06 AM 8/13/03 -0400, you wrote:
>Hello everyone,
>
>I've tried searching the Museum-L archived on the subject of wrinkled
>historic clothing but have not be able to find anything.  So, I pose to you
>a question that I am sure has been addressed before.
>
>My museum is planning a clothing exhibit that it to open in the fall.  Many
>of the pieces that are going on exhibit have been improperly stored and are
>quite wrinkled.  Is a light steaming o.k. for these items?  Are there
>certain fabrics that should not be steamed under any circumstances?  I
>should note that I have been handing some of the pieces on their mounts and
>the wrinkles have not just "fallen" out.
>
>Any help with this matter would be greatly appreciated.
>
>Thank you in advance,
>Laura L. Hortz
>Curator of Collections
>Siouxland Heritage Museums
>Sioux Falls, SD
>
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