MTS Learning Lab
​

​Welcome to a brand-new way to learn museum collections-care and conservation skills. The Museum Textile Services Learning Lab offers hands-on classes within a working textile conservation laboratory. Our labs are suitable for anyone from textile collectors and aficionados to museum volunteers and emerging professionals. 

Located in the Ballardvale section of Andover, Massachusetts, MTS is convenient to Rts. 93 and 495, and just 2 minutes from the MBTA Ballardvale station. Sorry, our historic mill building is not wheelchair accessible. 
The cost to attend MTS Learning Labs is $150 each, or $500 for four. Classes are on Saturdays from 9 am to 4 pm.
For more information contact:
​
​Leah Ceriello, Administrator
leah@museumtextiles.com
978-474-9200​
​
​
Camille Myers Breeze, Director & Chief Conservator
camille@museumtextiles.com
978-474-9200​

​Photographing Museum Textiles
​June 8, 2019
​9 am to 4 pm

Learning to look at museum objects is the first step in knowing how to photograph them. Handling and documenting both overall and detail characteristics of textiles can be difficult given their flexibility, surface qualities, large size, and condition issues. Participants will practice hands-on textile mounting and photography in daylight, overhead lighting, and directed lighting using objects from the MTS Study Collection. Basic photo editing will be taught using both free software and Photoshop®. The portfolio of class images will be available on our website. ​Instructors: Morgan Blei Carbone & Leah Ceriello.

​Condition Reporting Textiles
​September 21, 2019
​9 am to 4 pm

Condition reporting is the main tool for determining the preservation level and changes that occur to an artifact through its museum lifespan. Writing consistent and clear reports begins with establishing a common lexicon of condition terms used by all members of your team. Sample reports from a variety of sources will be compared. Using textiles from the MTS study collection, participants will learn to describe and organize their observations before undertaking their own report. ​Instructors: Morgan Blei Carbone and Camille Myers Breeze

Fiber & Fabric Identification
​​​August 3, 2019 
​9 am to 4 pm

​Explore the origins of textile fibers. From animal and plant fibers to synthetic and non-traditional materials, we will trace the journey that raw materials take as they evolve into staple threads and then into textiles. Using both burn tests and polarizing-light microscopes, participants will learn how minute characteristics of each fiber impact a textile’s behavior and preservation. Historic applications of fibers will be presented using objects from the MTS study collection. Students will take home a fiber sample card and fabric swatches. ​Instructors: Camille Myers Breeze & Morgan Blei Carbone.

​Vac & Pack Textiles​
​November 16, 2019
​9 am to 4 pm

Preserving museum collections begins with safely packing and storing items in a way that suits not only the artifact but also the available space and budget. Whether flat, folded, rolled, or hanging, each textile storage technique is important. This workshop will introduce participants to archival materials available from both conservation supply catalogs and every-day commercial vendors. After learning how to visually examine and surface clean textiles with a low-suction vacuum, we will rehouse a number of different textiles from the MTS study collection. ​Instructors: Camille Myers Breeze and Morgan Blei Carbone