Hi Robert,

I am a graduate student in fashion and textile studies in New York.

Ideally you want to use an archival tube a couple inches wider than the
textiles. You would roll on a little archival acid-free tissue to act as a
header and then continue to interleave them with paper as you roll. This
acts as a buffer, but it also keeps the raised crewel work from making an
impression on the textile that is rolled on top of it (especially if it has
a high profile). When you roll the textile you want to start off with the
face of the fabric on the surface where you're working (if you were to
start rolling face up, you would compress the crewel work as it is rolled
around the tube). When the whole piece is rolled onto the tube, you want to
roll on another sheet of the acid-free tissue. Make sure the tissue extends
past the ends of tube (this may end up being one or more sheets laid next
to one another that extend past) so that you can tuck the ends inside the
tube and create a good seal when it is all rolled. When you are done, you
would want to cover the tube with a piece of Mylar and use twill tape to
secure it.

I realize these are ideal conditions and they may not be possible for you;
if you cannot find archival tube, you can use a non-archival tube that is
covered in a barrier material like Marvelseal. I am assuming that the
hangings are rather large/heavy; if they were smaller you could use a tube
rolled from the Mylar, but I don't think this method would support the
hanging. Mylar is not the cheapest material, if you cannot afford it, I
would suggest covering the roll with unbleached cotton muslin that you have
washed in a detergent like dreft or Tide Free & Clear that can also get
tucked inside the tube. the benefit of making the tube longer than the
hangings is that you then have a place to cradle the tube instead of laying
it on a flat surface which will likely distort the hanging. Either you can
use a curved piece of foam or wood to cradle the ends, or if you have the
room, slide the tube onto a wall-mounted rod.

Archival tube is available at:
http://www.universityproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=39
&
http://apps.webcreate.com/ecom/catalog/product_specific.cfm?ClientID=15&ProductID=24005

but Talas is much more affordable it seems..I suppose shipping costs will
impact the cost for you. The 3-4.5" diameter would probably be best for the
tube

You can also get your paper, Mylar, Marvelseal and other archival materials
from these companies.

If you are concerned about the weight of the textiles eventually being too
much to hang, you would want to line the back of the hangings with the
washed, unbleached cotton muslin to act as a support fabric. A pocket can
be sewn in at the top like a curtain so that the weight is held up by the
lining not the actual hanging.The muslin should be slightly larger than the
dimensions of the hanging so it has room to expand and contract (if it is
too tight, it will buckle). I am not sure how familiar you are with hand
sewing techniques (or your wife for that matter) but you would use a large
herringbone stitch to attach the hanging to the muslin, starting from the
middle of the piece. Stitch from the center out North and South, then East
and West, so to speak, and then around the border. When you do the
stitching, you want to keep the long floats of thread on the back, and then
do what we call a small stab stitch into the front and then back into the
muslin lining. When you stitch into the face of the hanging, make sure that
you do not go through the fibers of the yarn, but into a space left open
from the weaving of the ground fabric. This will keep you from damaging the
fibers. The floats of the thread can be about 4 inches long on the back. As
for thread, use a color that is similar to the color of the ground fabric
(if you cannot find the exact color and you have to choose from a darker or
lighter hue, a color slightly lighter than the actual color often works
best). The thread should be a poly/cotton blend; the polyester offers
strength, while the cotton is gentler against the fabric. I suggest Coats
and Clark, just make sure it is not quilting thread, this is too thick and
has a coating. The muslin and thread should be available at your local
fabric/craft store.

The chausible and stole should be stored flat, in an archival box that is
lined with a large piece of washed, unbleached muslin with the ends laying
outside of the box (like you line a gift box with tissue paper). Lay the
pieces in the box as flat as possible, the heaviest one at the bottom, and
pad out or support any folds you may have to make with the tissue, when
both garments are in, cover them with a layer of tissue and then fold in
the extra muslin and cover. Voila!

I apologize that this response is so lengthy, but please let me know if you
have any further questions.

Good luck!

Best,
Erica


On Wednesday, November 28, 2012, Robert Patrick Connolly (rcnnolly) wrote:

>  Will appreciate any assistance on this - my wife, the Episcopal clergy
> person asks the following:
>
>  Can you please ask your sources:
>
> John wants to know how best to store some handmade wool altar hangings
> .... he does not want them to be put on hangers because of their delicate
> nature. Should we get acid-free paper and roll them up? Can they be covered
> with plastic, or paper?
>
> These are 90 year old handmade crewel altar hangings and chausible and
> stoles that we only use on Thanksgiving each year. They've been stored on
> wooden hangers in a plastic zip bag that hangs and he's afraid the weight
> of the garments will begin to wear them down.
>
>
>
>  Thanks in advance,
>
>
>  Robert Connolly
>
>
>   Robert P. Connolly, PhD
> Director, C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa
> 1987 Indian Village Drive, Memphis, Tennessee  38109
> 901-785-3160, ext. 15
>
> Associate Professor, Anthropology
> The University of Memphis 38152
> 901-678-3331
>
> http://www.memphis.edu/chucalissa/
> http://rcnnolly.wordpress.com/
>
> The mission of the C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa, a division of the
> University of Memphis, is to protect and interpret the Chucalissa
> archaeological site’s cultural and natural environments, and to provide the
> University Community and the public with exceptional educational,
> participatory, and research opportunities on the landscape’s past and
> present Native American and traditional cultures.
>
>
>
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>
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