AS a textile conservator, Judith Eisenberg works on all sorts of fragile fabrics, from shredded samplers to quilts riddled with holes.

Once employed almost exclusively by museums, textile conservators now work for private clients, from collectors to individuals with a beloved snippet of heirloom lace.

Stand-Up Clothes Most textile conservators mount objects so they can lie flat in a frame.

"There are not many Patricks in this world," said Julia Burke, a textile conservator at the National Gallery in Washington.

"Patrick is wonderfully gifted," Christina Carr, a textile conservator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, said.

Her death was confirmed by Mary Ballard, the senior textile conservator at the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education and a former protégée.

Jessica Hack, 57, a textile conservator, lives in an old grocery store in historic Algiers Point, a neighborhood that didn't flood during Katrina.

Sarah Lowengard, a textile conservator for 15 years, will do restoration and conservation work on all types of needlework, old and new.

A textile conservator, Ms. Von Rosenstiel restores everything from wedding gowns to military uniforms, quilts and christening dresses.

"If you see signs of wear, bring the item to a textile conservator as soon as possible to avoid what can be quite rapid damage," she said.