Victorian pillow covers

I work in a music library, but hoped someone would share their
expertise on how to clean my Victorian redwork pillow covers.  I
have asked a couple of people who handle textiles at antique shows
and believe I was told to soak them in baking soda to prevent
bleeding and then hand wash them.  They are approximately 2 feet
square with a white background and ruffle around the edges, getting
a bit yellowed, but the redwork still retains a nice color and is in
good condition.  They are fairly ornate, one says "Good Morning,"
the other "Good Night," and have designs embroidered around the
words.  I'm not sure of the material, it seems thinner than linen,
but definitely wrinkles easily.

I have been afraid to do anything, as I think they are so beautiful,
I fear harming them and I haven't seen others exactly like them.

If I need to purchase a special products, please advise where to
purchase them.

Diane Napert
Assistant Head
Allen Library, Hartt School
University of Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:39
                Distributed: Tuesday, December 10, 2002
                       Message Id: cdl-16-39-034
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