How do you mount suede leather?

[Linda Foote]

A customer came in yesterday with a 14x14 square of soft suede leather with a painted design of a Mayan calendar (circular) on it. Have any of you ever mounted something like this? How would you suggest to mount it?

[Jana]

It's tourist art! I framed one once and hand sewed it to a suede matboard backer with a few tacking stitches in the corners. I can't remember if I just tacked the two top corners. It was a float mount. It looked really cool with that Roma Aztec-looking frame (the greenish patined one). Don't forget to leave space under the glass with spacers or a raised mat.

This question came up about a year ago. We need the archives!

[Roxanne Langley]

A couple of years ago I had a client bring me the same type of art painted on a suede leather skirt that she decided to cut up and frame the individual paintings instead of wearing them. I stretched them over AF foam core and pin mounted with stainless steel pins.

Roxanne smile.gif

[Susan May]

Any idea on how to mount this without covering the sides? The girl WAS going to staple it on to cardboard :eek: , but she wants to have the edges showing. (As you can see, we are trying to save her, from herself!) graemlins/shrug.gif

Thanks for any ideas.

[Jana]

Yeah, you see the sides with the methods I described.

If you use a raised mat (with foam core under it), just make the opening larger than the piece (1/4" larger on all side will do). You'll see the some of the backer matboard around the piece and the edges of the piece.

Or you could just float it on a matboard backer with about an inch of the backer's margins showing. Then put glass on, but use acrylic spacers.

[Kit]

Linda and Sue - How about tying the corners of the piece to the backing board with leather thongs. Fabric and craft stores sell this by the yard (perhaps you already have some?) and it's available in a wide range of colors. Just pick something that looks like it's supposed to be there.

Yes, I know this would involve making four holes in the suede but it's better than staples.

Kit