shadow box

[gyrlcentric.livejournal.com]

i am doing a shadow box for the small practice pieces and misc snippets that i have, a beginners memory box if you will

the backing is acid free and i will line the box with acid free paper of some sort, i will starch the pieces in shape before placement... that is where i putter out...is there anything else i should do?

update note on my intro post: after doing tatting for a bit the pillow case and handerchief of my g-grandma's is not tatting, it looks to be crochet istead.

Comments

[moniqueleigh]

Sounds good to me. Are you planning to do something to permanently place the pieces or just free-form it? If permanent, make sure that whatever you use won't cause damage. Also, make sure the starch method you're using is safe.

And, awww on your g-grandma's work, but hey! It's still wonderful that you have any of her work!

[gyrlcentric.livejournal.com]

i plan to make it permanent, is there anything besides acid free and chemically inert i should look for? and any recommendations on the starch? i have looked online and have found very little about preserving / displaying fabric

[moniqueleigh]

I'd really try to avoid starch if at all possible. Most starches aren't truly archivally safe. Perhaps just wet the piece, block it, & leave it to dry without any additional stiffening.

For attaching the pieces, I'd recommend stitching them in place (safer & easier to remove if you need to for any reason later).

This page basically just says to keep fabric displays out of direct sunlight, which is definitely a good idea!

Perhaps check with a local museum to see if they have any suggestions. Or, if you can find a textiles conservator, s/he might be able to help. Scrapbooking sites might have good info too, since they're promoting archivally-sound materials nowadays.