The Frame Game

I'm experimenting with different presentation options for my art.  The next show & sale is less than 2 weeks away!  Lately, more and more artists and jurors have encouraged me to 'get it out from under the glass'.  With certain work like hooked rugs or quilts, of course I don't put those under glass.  With my fine thread embroideries though, I have put them under glass.  I use a gallery matting or double matting to keep the glass off the work.  Typically, other traditional embroiderers and nearly all buyers of my art want the glass.  "OMG HOW do you keep it clean!?" I get that a lot when I suggest removing the glass.  Maybe it's a matter of not knowing how to clean fibre art?  On the other hand, people from down south cringe and say, "do you know we have spiders and other insects that would eat that or make a nest in it?"  lol  I'd never considered that!  Still, after much thought, I think I will continue to put my thread paintings under glass for the next show.  It can be removed at the point of sale by me, or later by the new owner.  It does protect the fine work from the many, many hands that rub across those tiny little french knots.

And no - grown ups at art shows tend not to know better than to keep their hands off the work.  ; )

So, here is what I've been doing the last couple of days - working on presentation.  So far, I love the results.  First, I machine stitched some linen onto a fitted piece of tough watercolor paper by zigzagging around the edges.  The little Prairie Rugs had the excess canvass hot-steam pressed to the back.  I like it like this with no visible border.

preparing a linen backing

Then I stitched the rug right onto this new backing I created. 

mounting the fibre art

Check this out.  I love this tool.  I can pick any frame I want, remove or add glass, double the matting, change from a tabletop frame to a wall frame... and this inexpensive tool from Lee Valley allows me to make everything fit every time.  See?  I added new tabs because the ones that were made with the frame didn't work once I changed how much I was putting into the frame itself.

best present ever : )

I removed the glass and inserted the linen & matted art, put on the backing board, and held it all in place by inserting the new tabs.

neat as a pin

Tada!  I love this.  No glass.  All fabric.  My small art pieces are just too small to stick on the wall as is.   

Here it is, ready to go.  My label is on the back for identification.

Prairie Rug #11