Frame

Inset Panel for Window


Had to wait until the sun went down but here's the inset panel, I covered it in a natural cotton muslin on both sides.  I plan to paint some fabric tomorrow for the next inset panel that will be going into the dining room window.  After we finish that window we have one more window, an oval window, to work on and we are done.

Window Insert


John is on vacation this week, for the rest of the month actually, and we are working on some projects around the house.  Here he is measuring the window in the stairwell to make a frame for an upholstered insert, when it was finished the temperature of the stairwell dropped a good 15-20 degrees right away!


The frame, was made with the intention of being upholstered and then fitted into the window using friction fit method.  Frame was made out of reclaimed hardwood from an abandoned futon.


First layer of muslin stapled to the back side of the frame.


Second layer of muslin, on the face of the frame, is layed on the table and the back side of the frame is up.  Lots of stapling and pulling is needed to make the piece look professional!


Fabric is folded under and pulled over to the back side and stapled into place.


Here it is snugly in place!  Now to get some fabric painted, dyed, and other wise surfaced, drapes made and those installed!

Prairie Potholes No. 15

The quilt needs to be stitched to the canvas base, however I've decided to add some beads and other embellishements to the surface first.

I'm thinking of adding a treatment to my base canvas, well the edges anyway, like the canvas in the above picture. I started the above piece two years ago and got wrapped up in moving the shop and never finished the thing. It has vintage paint by number pots glued to the surface, somewhere I have around here I have the images and collage items to add to the surface and then it gets placed inside of an altered clock body.

The thing about hanging onto a piece long enough is eventually you realize that it needs more and in this case PP No. 15 needs dimension, dimension in the form of beads etc. The base canvas covered frame needs more paint, I missed a few areas on the edging where it's most likely to be seen.
For some reason Blogger is really bent on loading all of my photos up sideways today, arrrghhhh!

Prairie Pothole No. 15


I was never happy with the way PP No. 15 & 14 looked hanging flat against the wall they just looked ackward like something was missing.

So while at Hobby Lobby today and saw that they sold pre-stretced 14x14 inch canvas'
So decided to purchase on to see how PP No. 15 would look stretched, needless to say the canvas is drying right now I painted it and I plan to stretch the quilt to the frame later tonight.

To Frame or not to Frame

I’ve noticed a rush to stretch quilts around stretcher bars/frames of late and am seeing a good many of these go up for sale on etsy.com. Not all pieces are meant to be stretched, maybe it needs to be matted and framed, maybe the piece needs a shadow box, or MAYBE it actually needs a sleeve sewn to the back and hung on the wall like a traditional wall quilt.

What I am noticing is a bunch of quilts that have been stretched and it does more to detract from the piece than it does to help it. I remember my screenprinting professor, Tim McIllrath, coming unhinged at one student who stretched what “was” a lovely hand stitched screen printed piece, unfortunately it distorted the stitching – which is something I’m seeing in a lot of pieces, and when the student removed it from the frame the damage had been done and was fairly permanent.

When deciding how to finish a piece one must really step back from their baby and ask themselves does this piece stand on it’s own merits with or without a border/matt? How will stretching this piece affect/effect the stitching, pattern, piecing, embellishments, etc?

There is no easy answer to this dilemma expect to experiment with scraps, stitching techniques etc. this will give you your answer. It is, however, very disconcerting to see what would otherwise be a gorgeous piece stretched around stretcher bars and I suspect the artist doing so believes that the pieces will sell better in doing so – and this couldn’t be further from the truth especially if you are looking for collectors for your works.

Also sometimes a piece simply needs a large plexi frame, this would include the sides, expensive yes but your beloved creation may find a home much sooner in doing so.

Mirror Frame

This old frame was attached to a dresser that is basically no more, I plan to paint it have John insert a piece of plywood, that will be painted with chalk board paint, and will then attache it to the front of the house. Oh and I plan to attac some vintage blue quart jars to the frame to fill with flowers and such ;-) I'm thinking a nice pink will make the frame look wonderful, with some red over aqua in the recessed areas.