Preserving Your Family’s Heirloom Textiles A Do’s & Don’ts Workshop

Worried about how well you’re safeguarding that family finery tucked into a closet or stuffed into a cedar chest? Learn how professionals care for heirloom textiles at a New Mexico History Museum workshop from 2-4 pm on Saturday, Jan. 16. The Museum is at 113 Lincoln Avenue in downtown Santa Fe.

The workshop costs $12, which includes a tour of the Fashioning New Mexico exhibit in the Museum’s Albert and Ethel Herzstein Changing Exhibitions Gallery. To reserve a spot, call Inessa Williams at (505) 476-5106. Payment will be taken at the workshop; cash or checks only.

Learn from Textile Conservator Rebecca Tinkham of the Museum of New Mexico’s Conservation Department, and Pennie McBride, assistant collections manager for the History Museum. Topics include warding off the pests, light, heat, humidity and dust that can damage costumes, uniforms, accessories, weavings and more.

"There are some very simple steps that can be taken at home to help people preserve their textiles for years to come," Tinkham said.

She and McBride worked extensively with the clothing now on display in Fashioning New Mexico. The work involved everything from de-bugging long-stored garments to repairing rips and planning ways to properly store the finished products. Fashioning, open through April 14, 2010, cuts a swath across 150 years of New Mexico costumes and clothing – from weddings to operas, fiestas to inaugurations, baptisms to an ooh-la-la interactive exhibit on underwear.

With the opening of the History Museum, the collections staff had an unprecedented opportunity to upgrade its textiles storage to state-of-the-art, museum-quality conditions.

“Caring for your clothes requires more than knowing which wash cycle to use,” McBride said. “Your clothing spends more time in the closet than on you, so why not learn how to create your own padded hangers for support, or a cover to protect against light and dust?”

From picking the proper hanger to controlling a garment’s exposure to light, the workshop will bring museum-caliber knowledge to everyday wardrobes. Space is limited; reserve your spot today.