FRAMING

I've begun to realize the value of framing my work....especially the small beaded felted wool pieces. I often eliminate the glass though, preferring not to have the work viewed through it.

My friend Judy Simmons just blogged on the subject of framing as well.....her approach was different than what I did so click here to learn what worked for her.

 A piece I completed recently however required glass to protect the real pine needles from dust, since cleaning it would be impossible. I knew of course that the glass couldn't touch the surface of my work.  After much searching for the appropriate frame, I ended up ordering a custom wood frame online at American Frame.  I hate to admit how long it took me to assemble it, but now that I know how, the next time will be easier. I'm glad I thought of placing a towel on my work surface to protect the frame as I worked since I shuffled the pieces around a LOT!!

Here's the piece I was getting ready to frame.

 And here's the process I used...... I cut a piece of matt board to fit exactly inside the frame as a backdrop for the 'art'.  The 'art' was positioned so that it was centered when the (window) cut matt was placed over it.


Once I was confident about the placement, I secured my 'art' to the bottom matt board using tiny tacking stitches, tying off on the back side.

 This shows the 'art' sewn to the matt board....though sadly it's not very easy to distinguish it in this photo.

Clear acrylic bars....also purchased from American Frame, were used to as spacers to provide a small air space between the glass and the work. Each spacer was cut the exact length of each side of the frame which was easily done using an exacto knife.

 The spacers can be positioned behind the (window) cut matt which creates a shadow box appearance to the framing.  But because I didn't want shadows on the 'art', I placed them directly on the glass.  This "floater" method was perfect for my piece. Adhesive strips hold these spacer in position.

The next step was to place the layers in the frame.  It's important to keep the layers held tightly in the frame.  This was accomplished by drilling holes into the frame where small metal clips are screwed in place.  Adding the wire hanging device completed the job.


Sorry to leave you hanging.....but I couldn't get a good photograph of the piece tonight.....so tomorrow when the lighting is better I'll post one so you can see how it looks.  I'm quite pleased.....though this is a piece I'd like to keep in my own collection.....I have no more wall space to hang it, so it will be available in my shop.