framing silk scarves

[jon buck]

I have ten silk scarves to frame , some are a metre square. Not sure were to start, really scratching my head . Any advice would be gratefully received. To top it all they are very expensive .
Many thanks .

Jon

[iorek]

Keep it real simple.

A T-Tag tool

https://www.lionpic.co.uk/p/38049/T-Tag ... r-5mm-Tags

Then a piece of Mountboard slightly smaller than the scarf when it is laid out. a few well placed tags to hold it's shape. Then glue your undermount to a Mountboard the size of your frame and finish as normal with spacers.

It's probably the least destructive way. each tag is like passing a single needle through the material. No adhesive touching the fabric, you can see the edges and lay it out any shape you want. practice with a tea towel and you will see just how easy it is.

If it ever needs to be dismantled just snip the tags and away.

[Gesso&Bole]

This is a silk Hermes scarf I did last year. I used conservation mountboard glued to foamcore and then sewed the scarf to the board with a very fine thread.

Easy, but long winded job. Tag gun can leave rather large holes in the silk

[vintage frames]

You've probably heard this from me before but I too once had to frame 12 large antique silk scarves.
And they were very valuable too.

I gave them to a local 'stitching and bitching' group who sewed them onto sheets of plain calico. I think they charged a few hundred pounds but was money well spent.
All I had to do then was fix the calico to some foam-board and get on with making the frames.

[Tudor Rose]

Apologies if some of this is a bit basic - but thought it worth mentioning for anyone who hasn't attempted this sort of thing before.

Don't underestimate the time these will take. Charge accordingly. Cheaper in the long run for you if the customer walks away and you not get the job, than it costing you many, many more hours labour than their budget will allow.

Please don't use a tag gun - the holes will be too big using one.

The fabric should be under gentle tension not drum tight.

It will be easier, if you've not done something like this before, to display them without showing the edges.

If close framing then make sure to line the inside of any frame rebate to ensure the wood does not come into contact with the fabric. The Lineco foil frame sealing tape is ideal for this.

Don't use any type of wadding/padding directly under the scarf as the fibres are likely to pierce through the surface of the silk - if they want a padded look then you will have to put the wadding under another layer of fabric.

If you use glass for glazing then make sure to use spacers to allow for an air space - if you don't want to do that then you could use acrylic and Optium Acrylic would be ideal, and this can be placed directly onto the fabric without an air space. As the scarves are expensive this may be within their budget.

Whether glass or acrylic - make sure to be recommending UV filtering glazing.

Few methods of fully reversible support you could use:

Tight fit method - but this would only work if you are mounting them and not close framing them.

Pinning - bond mountboard to foamboard and have the mountboard against the fabric of the scarves. I would always use cotton (Level 1) boards with silk scarves. Use non-rusting pins (they will say rustless and you can buy the bridal/lace pins or brass rustless ones from places online or Hobbycraft) and pin at small regular intervals, ideally going through the existing stitching holes in any rolled hems.

Sewing - I don't sew this type of thing directly to mountboard - instead I use wadding on Level 1 board and then lace a suitable fabric around it. The scarf is then stitched to the laced fabric using a curved needle. Tighter stitches along the top edge, looser to allow for movement down each side and along the bottom. If you are using acrylic against the fabric then you can get away with fewer side/base stitches as the acrylic is providing some of the support. You can sew to the size of the scarf, or leave a margin around of the donor fabric so that shows instead or cover with another aperture mount.

If you outsource any part of the job (as per Vintage's suggestion) then make sure that you are very well insured to cover any problems.

[jon buck]

Thanks very much for replys, very helpful. Having thought about it i think i am going to pass on this one.
All the best
Jon