Workshops for 2012

8. Furniture Conservation- Repairing and Reproducing Period Finishes
August 23-15 (3 Days)                                                              Limit: 6 Studets
                                                                                              Fee: $375.00

Aside from the obvious need for structural integrity of a piece of early furniture, the
original surface is of major importance. The legs of a table were as much a part of the
original design as the painted, grained or French Polished surface. Often the nicely
aged or worn surface is very appealing to many collectors. In this program students
will be shown some minor types of woodworking repairs, but this course is designed
to primarily to help repair, reproduce and match appropriate surfaces for furniture
that has lost the integrity of its surface.
John Kovacik, Furniture Conservator/Restorer, Little Falls, NY

9. Everyday Fabrics of the 18th Century                                  Limit: 20 Students
August 17-19 (3 days)                                                          Fee: $185.00

What did common people wear in the 18th century? What kinds of textiles did they
use every day? This three-day class will explore textile availability for clothing and
household furnishings in America in the 18th century. Much of the surviving textile
evidence explodes the myths about what fabrics were available for common use
both as dress and for household fabrics in the 18th century. For example, surviving
fragments of clothing found at the London Foundling Hospital from the 1740s to the
1770 point to the misconception about the availability of printed cotton clothing for
the poor and middle class.
We will explore surviving evidence for common clothes and walk through many
of the inventions and changes in technology that allowed certain fabrics to come
into common use. Students will learn basic textile identifi cation to understand fi ber
content, density, yarn construction, and the other physical evidence for dating textiles.
We will explore primary documentation for determining availability of fabrics
from inventories, probate records, and store advertisements; examine the timeline
of invention and technology in textile production, including spinning, weaving and
printing; and consult Don Carpentiers extensive textile and clothing collection.
Students are also encouraged to bring one or two objects for identifi cation.
Rabbit Goody, Textile Historian, Founder & Owner of Thistle Hill Weavers, and Jill
Maney, Independent Scholar & Business Manager, Thistle Hill Weavers
To register for this program please CALL 518-284-2729 or email
rabbitgoodythw@gmail.com

10. 19th Century Graining and Marbling Techniques.
August 20-21 (2 Days)                                                            Fee: $425.00

This class will begin with a survey of styles, types and methods of graining and
marbling used in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Participants will examine
a large collection of original examples of graining and marbling in Eastfi elds
collection. They will be familiarized with the tools and materials necessary for
the work and then spend the remaining time actually working with these various
techniques. Mr. Rutan will demonstrate a variety of methods that he has learned
over his many years as a decorative painter. All materials will be supplied for the
workshop. Kevin Rutan is the proprietor of Fe Fi Faux in Greensboro, NC and is
a graduate in faux woods and faux marble from the prestigious Guegan Institute of France.