Detailed presentation on Needle technique as a textile conservation technique

1. TEXTILE CONSERVATION :THE
APPLICATION OF NEEDLETECHNIQUE
Presented by: Misbah Iqbal

2. Conservation & restoration of textiles refers to the process by which textiles are cared for
maintained to be preserved from future damage
Conservation Methods
The conservation of textiles can be attained:
1. By taking measures which eliminate or reduce the harmful effects of
outside factors such as light, too high of relative humidity, polluted air, etc
2. By treatments which are carried out with or on the textile objects
The latter can be divided into three groups:
(a) Application of needle techniques (Stabilization by Non-Adhesive Methods)
(b) Application of natural and synthetic adhesives
(c) Combinations of (a) and (b)

3. The Application of NeedleTechniques
Decisionshouldbemadeaccordingto
Form
Condition
Value of the
object

4. Form
 The treatment of a flat textile will generally be different
from the treatment of a dress.
 With flat textiles, supporting fabrics can be used when
the loss of suppleness is not too great.
 In the case of a dress made of a supple material,
however, the application of even a very thin material will
greatly harm the drape.
 Ecclesiastical garments are rather stiff and can be spread
out flat, so, in this case, the methods for flat textiles can
be generally applied.

5. Condition
An object is considered to be in good condition if this condition does not vary widely
from the original, i.e. the object can be fairly well handled and does not show too
many spots. If the textile is in poor condition, a supporting base must be considered.
Good Bad

6. Value of the Object
The time factor, which also involves cost, often plays a great part in the choice of needle
technique.
Working with thin yarns, takes considerably more time than working with thicker yarns, and
consequently raises the cost of the conservation work.
The historical and aesthetic value of the object must determine when such great expense is
justifiable.
In general, serious objections must be raised to proceeding with a less aesthetic method of
conservation owing to limited funds. In this situation, it is better to simply clean the object
and to store it under the right surrounding conditions.

7. When preparing to mount or hang a textile for display,
there are some important principles to remember:
The work you do should be reversible.
You should use only the minimum amount of stitching
required to stabilize the textile.
Use the correct techniques and materials to ensure the
long-term preservation of your textiles.

8. Repairing and maintaining textiles frequently involves stitching by hand.
Whether a hem is being resewn or a lining is being added to a textile,
it is important to choose an appropriate thread or support fabric and to use the correct sewing
technique.
Materials:
Support fabrics
 A first requirement is that they should be as transparent as possible, so that the object can be
clearly studied from face and back, e.g. in order to analyze the structure of the fabric.
 Support fabrics used for textile conservation should be made of the same fiber as the textile
itself; that is, use wool with wool, silk with silk, etc.
 It is also important to use natural-fiber or polyester-and-cotton sewing threads because
synthetic threads are generally too strong and may damage a fragile textile.
 Very fine fabrics, such as silk, should be sewn with single-filament threads and Nº 12 sewing
needles.
 Both sewing thread and support fabrics should be as close in color and weight as possible to
the textile being treated.
 All support fabrics should be tested for colorfastness
 Machine-wash the fabric once and then put it through two complete detergent-free cycles to
remove sizing and detergent residues.
 Use a mild commercial detergent for the initial washing. Do not use bleach or fabric softeners.

9. Commonly used fabrics
• Nylon net
• Silk crepeline
• Polyester Tetex® (Stabiltex®)

10. Threads
When selecting threads remember to always use like
with like, for example, silk with silk or polyester, or
cotton with cotton.
As a general rule, the finer the thread the better; but you
will have to judge by the appearance of the fabric what
denier of thread will be the most appropriate. For
example, fine silk will require a fine silk or polyester
thread. A woolen tapestry will require a coarser woolen
thread.

11. Threads and yarns used for stabilization
Properties
Fiber content and processing (filament or staple), amount of twist, number of plies,
strength, size, luster, hardness or softness, color, colorfastness, and finish will affect the
aesthetics and long-term stability of the treatment.
Uses
 Integrated stabilization repairs (e.g., darning, reweaving)
 Reuniting of parts (e.g., restitching of seams)
 Attaching the textile to a local or overall support fabric
 Securing weak areas of the textile or losses to the backing (e.g., couching)
 Stabilizing edges (e.g., attaching loose fringe or other trims, rebinding edges)

12. Threads and yarns commonly used by conservators
• Sewing threads.
• Cotton threads
• Cotton-wrapped polyester threads.
• Linen threads.
• Embroidery threads
• Filament threads.
 Yarns. Yarns, typically bulkier than threads, may be tightly or loosely
spun, and plied or not plied. Conservators use a wide variety of yarns
for integrated stabilization repairs or to restitch a seam, etc., that was
originally stitched with yarn. Generally, these yarns are chosen to be
visually and structurally compatible with the object being stabilized.

13. Stabilization of broken stitching (e.g., restitching a partly open seam or
resecuring trim)
Restitching seams
 Original stitch holes are used when possible.
 Badly damaged seams can be reinforced with a supplementary fabric, then
restitched.
Reattaching of non-textile elements (e.g., beads, buttons,
tassels, sequins)
 If possible, elements should be reattached using materials and
techniques similar to the original attachment materials and
techniques. In general, repairs to reattach non-textile elements
should not be stronger than those elements.
 The original artifact must be able to support the reattached
elements. Additional stabilization procedures may be required.
 The non-textile elements may require treatment prior to
reattachment.

14. Stitches
Conservators typically use darning to repair losses in more open and/or
more coarsely woven fabrics.
Before stitching your historic textiles, remember:
•to make sure that the needle passes in between the threads in the
weave, not through them. If the needle passes through weakened fibers
it can cause considerable damage;
•to keep the tension of the stitches fairly loose, so as not to damage the
fabric; and
•do not use knots. Start your thread by leaving a tail at the back of your
textile and stitch three small stitches in one position to anchor your
thread.
•Stitches (rows) usually run in the direction of warp and weft.

15. Types of Needles
1.Embroidery needles – long eye which makes it easier to thread multiple embroidery threads as well as thicker
yarns.
2.Between or Quilting needles – have a small rounded eye. Used for making very fine stitches on heavy fabrics.
3.Milliner needles – useful for basting (tacking) and pleating. They are also used in millinery work (designing
and manufacturing of hats.)
4.Curved needles – Some of their uses include sewing awkward seams and are especially good for box making.
They are also useful in textile conservation.
5.Beading needles – very fine and have a narrow eye which allows them to fit through the center of beads and
sequins.
6.Chenille needles – similar to tapestry needles and are useful for ribbon embroidery. They have a large long eye
and very sharp point.
7.Tapestry needles – a large eye which allows them to carry a heavier weight yarn. Have a blunt tip which is
usually bent at a slight angle from the rest of the needle.

16. Stitches used in Textile Conservation;
Self-couching stitch
The self-couching stitch is used to secure torn, frayed, or weak areas to a new support fabric, and is
consequently the most frequently used stitch in textile conservation. The self-couching stitch is
worked parallel either to the warp or to the weft. the long stitch is laid first and extends into the stronger
area surrounding the damaged area under repair.This stitch is then held down by small stitches that cross it
at right anglesThis process is repeated at regular intervals until the weak area is completely secured. Note
that the small stitches should be staggered along the parallel long stitches in order to avoid creating a
noticeable, regular pattern.
Small stitches hold
down long stitch.
Small stitches cross
long stitch at right
angles.
Damaged area of a textile
that has been secured to
its backing fabric by a
series of self-couching
stitches

17. Laid and couched stitching
This is one of the main stitches used in conservation. It is
used because it provides maximum support for the fabric
with a minimal amount of stitching passing through the
textile.
Couching is used to stitch worn areas of the textile to a
support fabric underneath it. The textile should never be
under tension when being stitched.

18. Support stitch
This stitch is used to hold large textiles to a new backing
fabric while distributing the weight of the textile evenly A
small, nearly invisible stitch is made on the top of the
textile and a longer one is made on the back. Most
frequently, the support stitch is applied in a staggered
pattern parallel to the warp.

19. Running stitch
Running stitch is used to join two pieces of fabric together. It is used around the edge of
a textile, and is also used when stitching a lining onto a textile in a grid pattern.
It is a good idea to do a back stitch approximately every 50mm: to lock the stitching in
place so the textile does not slip along the stitching and so strain.

20. Stab stitch
Stab stitch is worked in the same way as running stitch,
except the stitch on the surface of the textile is smaller
than those underneath.

21. Herring-bone stitch
This simple interlacing stitch, similar to a cross-stitch, is worked from left to
right and secures raw edges .
The herringbone stitch can be used to join two layers of fabric while
maintaining flexibility. It also is frequently used to hold down single-fold hems
or the edges of patches.
This simple interlacing stitch, similar to a cross-stitch, is worked from left to right
and secures raw edges .The herringbone stitch can be used to join two layers of
fabric while maintaining flexibility. It also is frequently used to hold down single-fold
hems or the edges of patches.

22. Slip stitch
The slip stitch is almost invisible on the right side. It is used for blind
hemming and to attach linings to textiles. If worked loosely, it avoids
undesirable tension between the backing fabric and the textile.

23. Whip stitch
When more than one width of fabric is needed to back a textile, a
whip stitch is used to join the two selvages, as illustrated. When the
fabric is opened up, a flat butt joint is created that avoids seam
buildup.

24. TACKING STITCHES
Hand tacking (or basting) is used to temporarily hold together two or more fabric layers during both,
fitting and construction. Following are its types:
1. DIAGONALTACKING: Small stitches, taken parallel to each other, producing diagonal floats in
between
2. 2. EVENTACKING: Used for smooth fabrics & in areas that require close control, such as curved
seams, seams with ease, and set – in sleeves.
3. UNEVENTACKING: Used for general tacking, for edges that require less Control during permanent
stitching & for marking.
4. SLIPTACKING: It is a temporary, uneven slipstitch that permits precise matching of plaids, or prints,
etc. at seam lines. It is done from right side.

25. French Reweaving
The French reweaving technique involves the reweaving of individual warp
and weft yarns with reweaving needles to replace missing or damaged yarns and rebuild original
weave structure and pattern.
Needles of all types share the same basic structural features: shaft, point, and
eye Needles made specifically for French reweaving are recommended over other types of needles
as they have larger eyes and narrower diameter shafts for easier threading and manipulation of
the reweaving yarns through the fabric. Blunt tips allow the needles to slip in between the yarns of
the fabric to avoid penetrating and damaging them

26. Close up of hole damage, before and after.
Shoulder damage before repair… and after

27. and afterClose up of hole damage, before

28. The primary areas that deteriorate on a Dragon Robe are
the gold embroidered dragons as a result of wear and
creasing during storage but primarily as a result of the silk
couching thread deteriorating and becoming weak over a
period of time.
Traditionally the large dragons were embroidered using
long lengths of silk thread wrapped in gold paper. These
threads were laid in pairs on the yellow silk ground in-
filling the shape of the dragon in a scale pattern and held
in position with tiny silk couched stitches. It is these tiny
couched stitches that weaken with time coupled with the
effects of the metal elements of the gold paper resulting in
them breaking causing the dragon to unravel and areas of
loss to occur.

29. Taming and Stitching the Dragons
The convention in textile conservation is to stitch using
very small curved needles, these allow a textile to be
stitched on a flat surface whilst fully supported at all times
without the need to lift the textile.
Detached lengths of thread are usually couched back into
position using lines of couching stitches, however using
this method would have caused greater strain and
distortion to the original embroidery threads therefore the
detached hanging threads were reattached in the
traditional manner. The gold threads were pinned into
what was thought to be their original position and couched
down using small individual holding stitches.

30. Stitching in the round
When stitching garments it is important to ensure that the stitching follows the form and
shape of the tailoring so that shaped areas such as shoulders, sleeves, and cuffs et
cetera are stitched in the round. A padded cushion was used to support the shoulders
during the couching of the shoulder dragons so that the shape was retained and to
prevent any stresses and distortions being created. Care was taken not to stitch through
to the fine silk robe lining

31. The dragons took in excess of 50 hours to tame back into
their rightful positions

32. Thankyou