From: Zoe A. Perkins 
Sent: Friday, April 25, 2014 11:20 AM

I would like a copy of the intern findings. A technique I use on the 600D
Fosshape is to preshrink it a bit using a steam iron on padded table. I find
that due to the thickness it is hard to estimate how much ease to allow for
shrinkage. I then do the final shrinking/hardening when shaping.

 

Zoe A Perkins

Acting Director of Conservation

Textile Conservator

The Saint Louis Art Museum

One Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park

St. Louis, MO 63110

[log in to unmask]

314-655-5271

 

From: Textile Conservators [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Maria Fusco
Sent: Friday, April 25, 2014 10:36 AM

We've had a couple recent interns work with Fosshape too with good results:
making an invisible mount for an African tunic/cape (casting the upper torso
on a dress form and hand working the lower portions of the mount to custom
fit the lower regions of the cape) and making an invisible mount for a
tshirt (casting on a dress form fitted with arms . getting the fosshape
'sleeve' right was tricky but manageable).  

 

One of these clever interns, Tae Ahn from the FIT program, had a great idea
to use a portable hand held steamer (Conair Extreme Hand Held Fabric Steamer
with Dual Heat, model GS23) and we found this to be more useful than our
Jiffy Garment steamer - it uses less water, gives you more mobility, control
& directed steam & can get into smaller spaces.  We've also used tacking
irons at times.  The interns write up brief reports on their working
observations of the material and various steam/heat tools - if anyone's got
a project going in the near term and wants to read them , let me know!

 

Maria

Maria Fusco

Associate Conservator, Conservation Department

The Textile Museum . 2320 S Street  NW . Washington, DC 20008

tel. 202.667.0441, ext.28 . fax 202.483.0994