Sometimes, even the best of intentions can cause damage to an artifact. In the case of this hand woven textile, the janitor’s attempt to clean it with a vacuum went horribly wrong. In an instant the vacuum grabbed hold of the delicate fibers and violently ripped them out, leaving the textile torn and vulnerable to further unraveling. Before the process of mending could begin
the unraveled yarn had to be retrieved from the spindles of the vacuum. Once retrieved, the original yarn was re-hooked back into the textile, inch by inch, and each individual loop was woven and secured into place using a fine black thread. In the end, the textile was stabilized, and the visual integrity restored.