Wednesday, April 6, 2011

wowie zowie mounting method!


While all the excitement continues with the workshop-raising, we are putting the final touches on our bathroom remodel -- including hanging stuff on the steel-blue-hued walls.

When testing out stitching styles for my last textile enterprise, I had made a practice piece -- three layers, unfinished. It was just lollygagging on my design wall. Then -- "Zounds!" I thought! It can go in the new bathroom! But there was a problem -- if I put on a facing or a binding, I would cut off a crucial part of the piece.

What to do? Since it was just a practice piece, I decided to try to mount it a new way, which would allow me to leave the edges raw. It would, however, require gluing it the backing down permanently. No loss, right? It was just a practice piece.

I wanted to glue the piece down to a piece of foam core, cut smaller than the piece by 1/2 " on each side. The foam core would then be mounted on stretcher bars. I took it to my brilliant framing friend Jim, owner of Museum Quality Framing in Camarillo (I have no financial interest there), who came up with a better solution.

He glued the piece down to masonite, and then mounted that on a metal frame. A hanging wire attaches to the frame.  Here's a close look:


The piece floats on the wall:


So here it is -- as you can see, I placed the figure so she was going "off the page" -- and if I had added a facing or a binding, her eyes would have been lopped off...not an option! So now my practice piece floats on our new bathroom wall -- and I have a new mounting method!

6 comments:

Lynn said...

That is a really slick way to mount it! Did you have to use a special glue?

Pamela Price Klebaum said...

Thanks! Jim used a special environment-friendly fabric glue that will not release in heat. It's the same glue that framers use to mount linen and other textiles.

Vivien Zepf said...

Love it! Can't believe it's a "practice" piece. And thanks for sharing the hanging method -- what a clever idea.

Pamela Price Klebaum said...

Thanks, Vivien. I know you are enjoying spring in New York!

Mandi said...

I saw your post on the CC list and came to see your pics. I did something similar last year to a lot of pieces for a show, but used an acid free foam core and wood stretcher bars.

I like your way better... The foam core only goes so big and I had to order it and some corners were damaged. If I used masonite I could get it in larger sizes. Is it specially treated or sealed?

The metal frame is great because it's probably lighter than stretcher bars!

Pamela Price Klebaum said...

The masonite is not treated, and the piece is glued to it with an acid free archival glue. Yes, I think this way is better than foam core, as it is a lot stronger. And you are right, the metal seems lighter than wood would be -- and it is very substantial. Thanks for your comment -- let me know if you try this!

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