Friday, April 22, 2011

Displaying Small Works

There are many, many ways to display small fiber pieces.  I like this method because of its simplicity.  You will need:

a mat and backboard
paper hinging tape and water  (I use Lineco's gummed tape.  You can get it at art supply stores.  There are linen and self-adhesive varieties as well.  This works for me.)   








your artwork.  This piece is 5-1/2 x 7-1/2.  Make sure your piece is larger than the mat opening so that the edges will be covered.  This also gives you some room to shift the piece to show what you want.

1.  The mat will cover those unfinished edges, 
so don't worry about getting them perfectly squared.  Place your work on the backboard, then lay the mat over it to check your placement.

2.  Carefully flip the artwork up so you are looking at the back of your work and the top edge is exactly where you want it.  You will be making a T-hinge with the tape.  Moisten two pieces of tape and apply them long-ways to the top of the art and backboard.  Then take two more pieces of tape and apply them across the first pieces on the backboard to form a T.


Clearly, had I been thinking, I would have used something that would show some contrast, but the back of the work is beige, the mat is beige, the tape is beige.  I think you can still see the T, though.

3.  Flip your artwork back down.  See how that hinge works!  Now do the same thing to hinge the top of the mat to the top of the backboard.



4.  Let the tape dry, close it up, sign your name in the front right corner, and you're done!



Ok, so I hadn't signed this one before I took the picture, but you know what to do.  That's all there is to it. 

Thursday, April 14, 2011

A Sewing Haiku for Poetry Month

Sewing machine hums.
Me, too, in the flow. Oh, shoot!
Bobbin's out of thread.

composed in the seconds before that became reality, April 14, 2011