Co-incidentally at last Friday's Poole Bobbin Lace Circle meeting our
speaker was a lady who works as a volunteer restoring the vestments worn by
the clergy at Westminster Abbey. All are worn and some are very old - one
was originally used at the Coronation of Charles II in 1661 and I believe
she said it is worn on Good Friday each year.
She said that eventually silk disintegrates to dust, so they are always
replacing parts of the vestments. If necessary, they remove the embroidery
and remount it using polyester thread - yes Jeri, polyester thread. They
don't pull it down tight.
Repairs to embroidery are done using embroidery floss that can be bought in
any craft shop. Because the vestments are kept wrapped in large cotton
sheets in trunks, and only see daylight when they are actually being worn,
the colours haven't faded and they can be matched with modern floss.
The articles are only cleaned with computer vacuum brushes to remove the
dust, including the one from 1661.
Jean in Poole, Dorset, UK
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