Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
I have never encountered random patching on a historic backdrop. Patches are usually placed with a purpose; to repair some sort of damage to the fabric. The Napoleon drop curtain at the Brown Grand Theatre in Concordia, Kansas, has dozens of patches that range from approximately 1” x 1” to 3” x 8”. Only a handful of these patches cover damaged fabric. The placement of the rest remain a mystery.
Initially, I surmised that an enthusiastic individual came up with a solution to prevent light spill, covering thin areas with a patch, but now I am beginning to wonder. Today, I had to remove a few of those patches along a horizontal seam for reinforcement. There was nothing odd about the fabric beneath the patch.
As I removed each patch, I was surprised to find no thinning fabric or apparent damage beneath. This was very perplexing, and I started to take a closer look at the actual patches, the glue, and placement. Here is an example of another patch that I removed to prepare the area of a reinforcement strip.
It was apparent that the patches were placed while hanging, just based on glue drips alone. Glue saturated the drop, and a variety of muslin patches were pressed into place. Not all patches were well cut or placed. This haphazard process not only cracked the paint, but also left some staining on the front when the glue seeped through.
Here are my observations:
Multiple hands cut the patches. Some had perfectly frayed edges, with all of the thread removed. Others had wadded up bunches of thread in the corners. A few patches were even cut with pinking shears. I could not help but think of the individual who was was actively working to prevent frayed edges.
Multiple individuals slathered glue on the area to be patched. Some used an abundance of glue to the point that there is more glue on the surrounding fabric than under the patch. In some cases, so much glue was added that it dripped down like tree sap.
Quality greatly varies in placement. There are so many examples where one can say “not like this.”
Here are a few examples of what not to do when patching a drop:
1. The glue goes on the patch first, not the drop; it never goes on both. The reason for this is to prevent the glue from seeping through to the painted surface.
2. Do not place one patch over another; it’s pointless.
3. Fray the edges of each patch, do not use pinking shears. This helps secure the edge of the patch.
4. Smooth down the frayed edges of each patch. This helps secure the edge of the patch.
5. Smooth down each patch and don’t forget to remove wadded up threads attached to the patch. This helps secure the edge of the patch.
Here is how to place a reinforcement patch on a seam:
Back to the project…Reinforcing a seam is a pain. Ideally, I use one long strip. However, this could not be the case with this project, as the original seams were very poorly done. Typically, I press open up the seam, and place prepared patch. Keep in mind that the patch is to prevent the seam from pulling apart; evenly supporting the weight. I reinforce seams when the thread begins to fail. A thread that fails is often the subject of flame retardant. In some areas, the seam on the Napoleon Drop Curtain would not lay flat, as it was uneven. That meant slowly making my way across the drop with 3’-0” lengths.
In addition to reinforcing one of the three horizontal seams, I finished securing the painted patch at the top. I still have a little paint touch up, but it seems good to go for the new top batten. There is just a little more painting to go.
The next two days are going to be pretty intense.
To be continued…
