“This Old Quilt” - Textile Conservator Gives Illustrated Talk

By Carolyn Bennett

GILBOA — A century after Gilboa Village was flooded to make way for the Schoharie Reservoir, local historians and residents continue to unravel its history. So, imagine their astonishment when Bill and Donna Davis arrived at the Gilboa Museum last October to donate a quilt featuring 276 embroidered signatures of residents from the old village between 1912-1914!

First order was saving the quilt. It was showing its years with tears, holes, bunched batting, and discolorations in its red and white patterning. The Museum reached out to textile conservator Sarah Stevens for the rescue. What did she do? How did she do it?

Sarah’s illustrated talk will take place on July 12, a Saturday, at 1p.m. at Schoharie Counties’ Gilboa Museum and Nicholas J. Juried History Center, 122 Stryker Road in Gilboa, NY 12076.

The talk is accompanied by a new exhibit in the Museum, “It Takes a Village: Signature Fund-Raising Quilts” featuring the quilt that Sarah Stevens preserved, the Davis Gilboa Quilt, dated 1912-1914.

We aren’t sure what cause enticed 276 people of all ages in Gilboa, and some from neighboring areas, to pay 10 or 25 cents to put their names on this quilt, but we do know that at the time of the quilt, Gilboa Village was a thriving business and residential center of the town with State Roads to build, temperance and suffrage laws to be won, and community buildings to be maintained. Which one of these needs inspired the quilt’s fundraising? Perhaps more time will tell.

So, come to the Gilboa Museum, check out the quilt and the many people named on it, and don’t miss the illustrated talk by Sarah Stevens to see how these quilts can be rescued for generations to come. Refreshments will be served!

The Gilboa Museum and Nicholas J. Juried History Center is located at 122 Stryker Rd. Gilboa, NY, 12076.

Activities at the Gilboa Museum & Nicholas J. Juried History Center are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), Office of the Governor and New York State Legislature, New York Power Authority, Joyce and David Barber Fund, Nicholas J. Juried Foundation; and the Town of Gilboa.

What follows is based on an interview with textile conservator, Sarah Stevens of Zephyr Preservation Studio, Cahoes, NY.

Sarah Stevens discovered her “calling” as a textile conservator while working backstage with theater costumes after graduating with a linguistics degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Another member of the wardrobe crew mentioned that her college had a costume collection with beaded dresses that they stored in drawers instead of hangers because they are heavier and sometimes cut on the bias and would stretch out and deform if they were kept on hangers. “My interest was piqued,” said Sarah, “so I started looking at textile programs for further study.”

Sarah’s search located two programs that had conservation – one in Canada and one in the UK. Both posted organic chemistry as a prerequisite, but in the end she decided to look no further than her home state of Rhode Island. “My mother suggested looking into any textile classes, as Rhode Island and New England were one of the places with early textile production,” Sarah explained. “I was happy to discover an entire department at the University of Rhode Island dedicated to textiles and so I did my Masters Degree at URI, which took about 3 years, including classes, a dissertation and hands-on training.” Her work while there also included serving as Lab Manager in the Conservation Laboratory analyzing textiles and performing treatments.

After assisting with projects at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art as an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in Conservation, Sarah assisted with other projects for the NYS Preservation Bureau of Historic Sites. Sarah founded her own Zephyr Preservation Studio in 2010.

Sarah is careful to describe herself as a conservator, especially when potential clients come to her to “preserve” a historical item.

“I think of conservation on a continuum between preservation and restoration,” said Sarah. “For me, restoration is making the item look like it did when it was new, which is rarely possible with textiles unless you make a reproduction. But even then, it is difficult because the quality of various fabrics has changed over time. Preservation is a part of conservation, in that one can do things to help preserve fabric, like storing it an acid-free box, wrapping in acid-free tissue, and keeping it in good environmental conditions. “

Sarah goes on to explain that “conservation comes into play when the item needs 'fixing', so we use terms like 'stabilization' and use specialized materials to accomplish the client's goals. We are also usually conserving things that are no longer going to be used as they were originally. For example, this quilt,” she says, pointing to the Davis Gilboa quilt she will be discussing at the Gilboa Museum on July 12th,“ isn't going to be put on someone's bed and keep them warm at night.”

How did she come to work on the Davis Gilboa Quilt and what were her first impressions?

“The Gilboa Historical Society found me and brought the quilt for me to take a look at and see what could be done to improve the condition,” she explains. “There were some large holes and lumpiness from the batting inside the quilt. I was first amazed at all the signatures! But then started looking at the condition and figuring out how best to make improvements.

“Working on this quilt was a wonderful introduction to quilt conservation. Others I have seen usually have the signatures in ink, so this a different sort of signature quilt.”

Asked if she could give her audience a sneak preview of her upcoming talk, “This Old Quilt” at the Gilboa Museum, she acknowledged the reference made to Bob Vila's iconic DYI show but was quick to add, “Much of what I do is based on expertise and training, so, in addition to the specifics of what I was able to do with this quilt, I will be sharing with folks what they can do with their textiles at home to improve preservation.”

“This quilt did have some challenges, some I overcame and some I did not – come to the talk and find out!”

Sarah Stevens will discuss her conservation work on the Davis Gilboa Quilt at the Gilboa Museum and Nicholas J. Juried History Center on Saturday, July 12th, 1 pm. Admission is free and refreshments will be served.