Lacing Fabric Art

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Overview

Throughout the world, ‘stitchers’ have spent a considerable amount of money - and invested a lot of time and effort - in producing their piece of work. You, as the framer, have a responsibility to preserve the integrity of that work for the future, so that it can be treasured by family descendants, or even collectors. This article discusses the different methods of preparing fabric art for framing, and focusses on the benefits of lacing, which is the only method of securing the work that is fully reversible.

Important Note: Unless specifically approved by the customer, all work should be carried out so that a full reversal back to the artwork in its original state can be easily achieved.

Contents


Methods For Securing Fabric Art

There are many ways of securing the fabric to a board. Indeed, there are many discussions and disagreements as to whether to sew, glue, tape, or tack.

  • Glue
    Water based adhesives may be removable with warm, soapy water. However, you may not know how colour-fast the various dyes that have been used are. Spirit based adhesives will always leave a residue on the fabric.


  • Tape
    Self adhesive, masking, double sided, and even carpet tape will leave glue residue on the back of the fabric and may, in time, break down, and consequently cease to provide support to the work.


  • Tack
    Tack board is a quick and easy way of fixing the fabric to a board. Once again, though, this procedure is not easily reversible without damaging the fabric; plus the fabric is not easily repositionable. Staples can rust, over time and this rust can be absorbed by the fabric leaving a weak spot. Likewise, staples that are fired in under pressure could possibly cut the fabric, thereby causing damage and loss of tension. There is no guarantee that even stainless steel staples will remain rust-free, especially in unfavourable conditions.


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Types of Support


  • Hardboard or MDF
    MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) is a type of hardboard which is made from wood fibres glued under heat and pressure. MDF should be used with care: it is manufactured using urea-formaldehyde resin which may be released in low concentrations over a long period of time. Formaldehyde can cause temporary eye and respiratory irritation. It can also aggravate respiratory conditions or allergies in some people. Dust is also a major hazard when working with MDF. Proper ventilation and precautions during working and use will reduce the risk of such problems. (Please refer to your local country health and safety regulations relating to the use of MDF.)
    MDF also has the properties of 'blotting paper', absorbing any dampness in the atmosphere, thereby creating a breeding ground for mould spores.


  • Mountboard (Matboard)
    Small items of Cross Stitch can be laced over 1500 micron mountboard. For larger / heavier items, then 2000 - or even 3000 - micron Museum board is recommended.


  • Foam Core
    Normally a white, rigid polystyrene foam centre board with smooth white paper laminated onto both faces. This type of board is very light, very stiff, and very flat. It comes in a variety of thicknesses: 5mm, 10mm and 13mm; and either acid-free or 100% Cotton Rag. It is very easy to cut with a knife and makes an ideal support board.


  • Stretcher Bars

Squaring/Blocking


It may be necessary to square the fabric art that has lost its shape during the sewing process. This usually involves wetting the back of the fabric using a fine mist spray and then holding it firmly in the desired square shape until it is dry, However extreme caution is advised unless the type of thread and their properties are known. The results could be disastrous and non- reversible.


|Figure 1.





Figure 1 shows one example of a squaring technique using clothes pegs. The board should be larger than the stitched area so that the pegs only touch the spare canvas area and not the stitched area. Wooden pegs may easily mark the material.

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Lacing


Start by lacing the fabric art face down on a towel and lightly mist the back of the material. Place the support board on top and fold over the spare material making sure that the warp and weft are vertical and horizontal. Start by securing a point at the centre of each of the four sides, then add the pegs at regular intervals. Leave the fabric art to dry for up to 12 hours before removing the support board. It should then be allowed to thoroughly air dry before framing.
If the fabric art is not square after this first process, it is quite acceptable to carry out the whole procedure again, until an acceptable ‘square ness’ is achieved.
In this article we will concentrate on the procedure for lacing.
Select your needle and thread. If the fabric is fine then a sharp needle will pierce the fabric cleanly. If the fabric is loose or a canvas then a ballpoint type of needle will push the fibres apart and not damage them. Thread should be ph neutral and un-dyed. Crochet cotton is ideal for sewing needle art fabric.
Start by positioning the support board on the bench and place your fabric art onto it. Aligning the centre of the image with the centre of the support. You can hold the fabric art in place using the pegs again or by the use of dress- making pins along the outside edges as in Figure 2.


Figure 2


Lace the long sides together first. The gap between the stitches depends on the size of the fabric art, usually 25mm (1”). The closer together the laces the more even the tension: if the laces are too far apart then stress lines may appear on the face of the work. Lacing gives you greater control of the tension as you can keep on adjusting it until the weft or weave if parallel with the edge of the support board.
Repeat the process for the two remaining sides.


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