I have a piece of 100% linen fabric that the customer would like float mounted. Ideally the edges would be left frayed, so it's not possible to secure the work at the back. Can anyone suggest a method that would work? The customer suggested gluing it. (I have made him aware of the conservation implications!). At the moment I am considering Evacon-R on mountboard, then weighted. I'm guessing this might be the only option.
Many thanks,
James
Float mounting 100% linen fabric
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James Ferguson
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prospero
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Re: Float mounting 100% linen fabric
Bit hard to comment without seeing it. 
Is it just a piece of fabric or is it painted on or embroidered? If it's jsu a piece of decorative fabric and not likely to be of any value ever I would pre-mount a piece of dry mount film on a suitable background board leaving the release paper on the upside. Just smaller than the fabric. Then let it cool and peel off the release paper. You then have a nice tacky surface to align the fabric on - making sure no film surface is showing. You can then return it to the press for a quick squeeze. You don't want too firm a bond, just enough to hold it but a quick squeeze will stick it without the adhesive being forced into the weave too much. If you do this you should be able to peel it off again if need be without to much damage to the fabric. If any. There is the snag of the shinny film possibly showing though the weave. I've done silks like this and the film showing though doesn't matter too much here are silk is quite shinny anyway. Ideally you need a sacrificial piece of the same fabric to exp with.
All in all I think this way is preferable to stitching - depending on how well you could disguise the stitches and if the customer wants it dead flat or with the natural ripples in the fabric apparent.
Is it just a piece of fabric or is it painted on or embroidered? If it's jsu a piece of decorative fabric and not likely to be of any value ever I would pre-mount a piece of dry mount film on a suitable background board leaving the release paper on the upside. Just smaller than the fabric. Then let it cool and peel off the release paper. You then have a nice tacky surface to align the fabric on - making sure no film surface is showing. You can then return it to the press for a quick squeeze. You don't want too firm a bond, just enough to hold it but a quick squeeze will stick it without the adhesive being forced into the weave too much. If you do this you should be able to peel it off again if need be without to much damage to the fabric. If any. There is the snag of the shinny film possibly showing though the weave. I've done silks like this and the film showing though doesn't matter too much here are silk is quite shinny anyway. Ideally you need a sacrificial piece of the same fabric to exp with.
All in all I think this way is preferable to stitching - depending on how well you could disguise the stitches and if the customer wants it dead flat or with the natural ripples in the fabric apparent.
Watch Out. There's A Humphrey About
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James Ferguson
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- Organisation: Fine Art Picture Framing
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Re: Float mounting 100% linen fabric
That's great thanks, sounds like a better option. The linen is printed on, it's actually a tea towel bought in Singapore, so not very valuable but difficult to replace!
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Roboframer
Re: Float mounting 100% linen fabric
You can stitch it if you really want You can stitch it if you really want
You can stitch it if you really want
But you must try, try and try
Try and try, you'll succeed at last
As Prosp said, would be nice to see it. If it's hemmed then there's two ways you could stitch it - through the bottom half of the doubled-over fabric or through existing stitch holes/over existing stitches (not all of them, nothing like) with the same colour thread.
But if being frayed means there is no hem then maybe you could actually stitch over the fronds.
Then there's invisible stitching like you get on trouser hems, there's a turn-up on the inside but you don't see the stitches on the outside, that would look pretty naff.