Beeswax and needlework

This question was sent to the Washington Conservation Guild.

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    rachel-kennedy [at] cis-gw__tamu__edu and if of general interest post
    it here as well

    I am a member of Embroiderer's Guild of America and I'm doing
    research involving  needlework conservation.  I know that
    beeswax is frequently used to wax sewing threads for various
    reasons and I'm wondering what affect, if any, this has on the
    condition of the piece in later years. Also, if beeswax were
    softened (by melting it and adding a small amount of oil before
    re-hardening) is there a particular oil that would be safe for
    this purpose from a conservation standpoint?

    Rachel Kennedy
    rachel-kennedy [at] cis-gw__tamu__edu


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 17:59
                  Distributed: Tuesday, March 16, 2004
                       Message Id: cdl-17-59-027
                                  ***