ABSTRACT
Art conservation seeks to slow down aging and repair damage in cultural heritage materials, to preserve a select few objects so that they can be shared and kept for the future. Sometimes conservation work can feel futile; while one problem is being treated, the wear from handling and cleaning may create new issues elsewhere. A hole filled with spiraling stitches suggests cloister-work in European convents. Tight, color-matched, twill-patterned fills are characteristic of professional Kashmiri darners. Large practical patches and wild, zig-zagging machine stitches are often found on American workwear, while sheer nets and adhesive supports evoke textile conservation labs of the mid- to late twentieth century. The demands and stakes of a problem should always guide our repair work, even when they take us to messy and unfamiliar places. Repair is a human process; some moments call for an invisible, clean fix, others require a fast, raw solution.
