How do you clean antique tapestries?

Dusting is usually enough. Use a soft brush attachment on a vacuum with low suction. Keep the nozzle slightly away from the surface. Never wash a tapestry yourself. Wet cleaning risks colour bleed and shrinking. Always find a textile conservator for serious dirt.

I inherited a really big woven piece and it has a few small holes, can I just stitch them up with normal thread?

Standard sewing thread causes damage. The tension pulls against fragile historic wool and tears the hole further. Leaving a small hole alone is often safer than a quick repair.

How should you hang heavy tapestries?

Velcro is the standard method today. A conservator sews the soft loop tape across the top edge. The hook tape goes on a wooden batten attached to the wall. This spreads the weight evenly across the entire width. Hanging by rings or nails pulls the fabric out of shape.

My grandmother has one of these in her hallway and it smells slightly musty, is there a safe way to air it out without causing any damage?

Fresh air helps. Lay it flat on a clean sheet on the grass on a dry overcast day. Avoid direct sunlight as the rays fade the dyes rapidly. Leave it for a few hours. Do not spray air fresheners onto antique tapestries. The chemicals can react with the historic dyes.

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Antique Tapestries

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Antique tapestries are large woven textiles depicting scenes or geometric patterns, originally hung on walls to stop draughts and decorate grand European rooms.