I have a client with some trim she claims once belonged to Marie Antoinette.
It is in really bad shape. It may have started on a dress but it was
later used for upholstery. She told me in recent years it was stored in a
barn in Canada. The silk the trim is attached to is totally rotted and
brittle. We would like to save the trim.
When I examined it, it was very brittle. I tried to hydrate it by laying it
on some washed cotton on a wire rack above a damp towel and sealing it in
plastic. When the weather got warmer and my mold allergies flaired up I
thought of the trim. The client checked it and found mold. I told her to
open it up to dry it out for a couple days then close it up without the damp
towel and put it in the freezer. And there it has stayed until I could find
time to think about it.
I know how to vacuum the trim carefully with a screen. What else can I do
to get rid of the mold?
Thanks for your advice
Kim Kotary
free lance conservator and designer