Framing a carpet

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Hoyvangen
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Framing a carpet

Post by Hoyvangen »

A customer brought to me what at first I thought was going to be a piece of fabric art for framing but in reality, in size and thickness, is more equivalent to a carpet. I have a attached some photos. It is approx 1.5 metres square and they want it framed, without glass, in a wide flat wooden frame. It seems to me that the way to do this is to treat as an oil painting and stretch it on to stretchers that would need to be bespoke.

However, unlike an oil painting, there is no excess material beyond the artwork I can grip while stretching it onto the stretcher bar. I could grip the fabric and wrap some of it round the stretcher bar, thus hiding part of the piece. It would also create thickness problems at the corners where the material would need to fold that I suppose could be dealt with by routing the interior frame corners to accommodate this extra thickness.

Attachment to the stretchers would be by stainless steel staples. These are my thoughts so far. Has anyone encountered a job like this and are there better/easier ways to deal with it?
Attachments
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Justintime
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Re: Framing a carpet

Post by Justintime »

With the customers permission you could sew strips of "donor" canvas to all sides in order to stretch it. These edges would be hidden by the rebate.
It may be a problematic method, unless the donor fabric is the same weave/stretchiness at the original though... Where's the scratching head emoji??
Justin George GCF(APF)
Insta: georgetheframer
Hoyvangen
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri 27 Jan, 2017 10:52 am
Location: Strathpeffer
Organisation: Picture Framing For You
Interests: Photography, reading, hill walking
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Re: Framing a carpet

Post by Hoyvangen »

Thanks George, that's a thought. I didn't mention there are different weaves in this 'carpet', a very fine one for the figures and the mountainous landscape, and a coarser one for the rest. Whether that will complicate the stretching remains to be seen... I have attached a photo to illustrate this.
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_DSC24235.jpg
Justintime
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Re: Framing a carpet

Post by Justintime »

Personally I'd suggest that without glass this is likely to become dusty/dirty very quickly. If you can sell them on the benefits of anti-reflection glass, then it can be laced over board as if it was a piece of fabric.
If it's not a valuable piece, it could also be bonded to a board in a hotpress using the adhesive for canvases etc HMFC41082 from Wessex.
Justin George GCF(APF)
Insta: georgetheframer
Hoyvangen
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri 27 Jan, 2017 10:52 am
Location: Strathpeffer
Organisation: Picture Framing For You
Interests: Photography, reading, hill walking
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Re: Framing a carpet

Post by Hoyvangen »

Thanks George. It seems obvious that it should be stretched, however this is not a piece of fabric needlework. It is to all intents a carpet, thick, heavy and 1.5m square. Stretching over even the thicker mountboards will not be be stiff enough and something like 6mm mdf will be needed. However this adds a lot of weight to the clients wall which he is concerned about. As would glass. Hence the idea of somehow treating it like an oil painting on canvas.
Justintime
Posts: 1868
Joined: Sat 26 Sep, 2015 8:48 am
Location: West Wales
Organisation: George The Framer LLP
Interests: Gardening, design, electronic music, good food and beverages.
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Re: Framing a carpet

Post by Justintime »

Have you thought about attaching a batten at the top and bottom or dowling pole, to hang it from?
Justin George GCF(APF)
Insta: georgetheframer
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