Hanging Textiles

[Shayla]

We sell these silk textiles. They range in size from small (the moon is 20" square) to large (the long see-thru one is 3 x 9 feet). We also have some 3 x 9' that are of the heavier silk, like in the moon one. Most we've sold have been of the smaller size, up to about five feet, and were used as table runners, etc... But I'd like to have good ideas for those who want to hang on the wall. Ideas so far are to sew a casing on the back of opaque pieces and run a rod through, or to hang with simple clips, as with clothespins. Or to hang with velcro. Our source gave us a few sticks of bamboo that we can cut, if someone wants. Maybe they're light enough that we could just sew monofilament to the back and loop it up over that in several places. But it seems like it would need a lot, so it doesn't sag in between.

I've also been looking at metal pushpins, although those would leave holes, and who knows how much weight they'd hold. I also thought it would be cool if a steel screw could just be screwed into the wall, with a (painted?) rare earth magnet on the front, pinning it to the head of the screw. But if that was such a great idea, it would already have been mentioned here. And for the big transparent piece, sewing on a casing obviously wouldn't be a good idea.

I also know it's possible to sew a fabric to the back and stretch the whole thing around a strainer, but most folks just want to keep them simple.

Feel free to share any thoughts that come up around this. And if someone does want to use pushpins or upholstery tacks, any thoughts on how they hold in sheetrock? Even a big one of these likely doesn't weigh more than a couple of pounds.

Branch Push Pins, Decorative Push Pins, Unique Silver Push Pins, 9 Piece Metal Push Pin Set - Etsy

This Message & Bulletin Boards item by NormaJeanDesignsLLC has 218 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from United States. Listed on Apr 24, 2024

www.etsy.com

Rosette Push Pins, Decorative Push Pins, Unique Gold Push Pins, 15 Piece Metal Push Pin Set - Etsy

This Message & Bulletin Boards item by NormaJeanDesignsLLC has 148 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from United States. Listed on Feb 16, 2024

www.etsy.com

Amazon product ASIN B08FGNGYF4

 

[framah]

How would you sew a casing on the back without the thread showing in the front?

Looking at the moon one.. it looks all poofy as in not flat. Sewing would ruin that.

I like the rose pin heads but again, the problem it that if it is a typical silk piece, it is very loosie goosie as in not rigid enough to withstand a specific point of support like a pin provides.

Yup... you definitely got a problem there.
If I were you. I'd retire and let Hubby support you.

What ever is chosen, the idea is for it to look like it is a distinct part of the art instead of any attempts to hide the support unless you can completely hide it and I don't see anything that might fit into that category.

 

[framah]

I got it!!

Find push pins that look like silk worms and then put them all over the piece.

 

[Shayla]

If I were you. I'd retire and let Hubby support you.

What ever is chosen, the idea is for it to look like it is a distinct part of the art instead of any attempts to hide the support unless you can completely hide it and I don't see anything that might fit into that category.

He was hoping it could be the other way around. Unfortunately, this sugar mama is more like the proverbial bloodless turnip.

(If that doesn't win the prize for weirdest mixed metaphor, they're not paying attention.)

I should clarify that the pieces themselves are a made of many small pieces, all sewn together with clear thread. So, anything sewn to the back would use more of the same. I just hung one that's very colorful, sort of quilty looking, and 40 x 60. Used tiny black and metal clips like from Staples, hanging from floreat hangers. You can see the whole thing, but it's up so high that it looks fine. Hopefully, by the time someone buys it, I'll have an awesome idea.

 

[wpfay]

Magnets.

 

[Shayla]

Magnets.

Do you think it would work to put a steel-headed screw into the wall and just have the magnet match to that?

Although, better than several of those along the top, maybe best to just drill and hang a long piece of flat steel, then use magnets on the front. Or glue magnets to a long flat piece of wood and do same.
I think what I'll do is hang it weird and simple, with these clips. Then, when someone buys, tell them these ideas. Thanks for your input.

And anyone else with textile hanging questions, or comments, feel free to keep posting. This has a good title for a general thread on the subject.

 

[Mary Beth van der Horst]

I would hang them scroll-style from a natural tree branch. It's a very popular aesthetic with macrame and tapestries nowadays, but popularity aside I think it would work well with the organic texture of the silk.
At the most basic level, something like this:

I would use a more visible string to lace or hinge it to the wooden stick itself. If committing to a visible hanger that shares a similar aesthetic to the piece, there's no real need to torture yourself with the invisible filament. Cotton or silk cord would extend the look of the hanger or the colors of the silk piece.

Otherwise I like the idea of making sockets and using straighter dowels, curtain rods, or nicer looking pieces of bamboo.

 

[wpfay]

You attach countersunk ring magnets to the wall which can ether be mounted flush or left proud of the surface, then use matching diameter circular magnets to trap the textile's edge.
Here's one page from K&J's catalog: K&J Magnetics: Ring Magnets https://www.kjmagnetics.com/products.asp?cat=16 Scroll down.
The exposed magnets can be primed and painted to match the textile, and thin felt pads can be used if you are concerned with direct contact between the magnet and the textile.

The magnets on the wall can be very thin, but the exposed ones should have enough height so they can be grasped and pulled away without marring the textile.

 

[Jim Miller]

I like Wally's magnet idea. The magnets could be painted to match the colors in the art, and this type of attachment would not puncture or weaken the art. If the magnets stand off the wall slightly, I think that would be better than having the art pressed against the wall surface.

The worst damage to the art probably would be open-air exposure. The textured surface would harbor all manner of dust & airborne debris, and cleaning might be difficult or impossible. If any exposure to light is involved, their useful life could be just a few years before the silk disintegrates.

How heavy are these silk artworks? Would it work to push steel, smooth-surfaced thumbtacks into the wall and attach the magnets to them? Would the magnets hold well enough to not slide off the thumbtacks? If this idea works, then you could use several of them on the perimeter and across the mid-section of each piece.

 

[wpfay]

Thanks Jim, but that is all out of Gwen Spicer's book on using magnets. I should have given the attribution, so now I am.

Magnet Book - Spicer Art Conservation

Magnetic Mounting Systems for Museums & Cultural Institutions By Gwen Spicer Magnetic Mounting Systems for Museums & Cultural Institutions serves a critical need in conservation and museum studies by addressing how to properly use magnetic mounting systems for all types of art works. It...

spicerart.com

 

[Shayla]

Thanks Jim, but that is all out of Gwen Spicer's book on using magnets. I should have given the attribution, so now I am.

Magnet Book - Spicer Art Conservation

Magnetic Mounting Systems for Museums & Cultural Institutions By Gwen Spicer Magnetic Mounting Systems for Museums & Cultural Institutions serves a critical need in conservation and museum studies by addressing how to properly use magnetic mounting systems for all types of art works. It...

spicerart.com

Thank you for this post! That book is two feet away from me, and I didn't think to look! Here I've been thinking all this magnet-y stuff, and didn't even remember it.

 

[Nikodeumus]

Thanks Jim, but that is all out of Gwen Spicer's book on using magnets. I should have given the attribution, so now I am.

Magnet Book - Spicer Art Conservation

Magnetic Mounting Systems for Museums & Cultural Institutions By Gwen Spicer Magnetic Mounting Systems for Museums & Cultural Institutions serves a critical need in conservation and museum studies by addressing how to properly use magnetic mounting systems for all types of art works. It...

spicerart.com

I found this article (also written by Gwen Spicer):

Museum Association of New York - An Introduction to Magnetic Mounting Systems

A line that caught my attention in regards to this conversation about using magnets on silk:

"A drawback to the point-fastener method is the creation of local stress point in an artifact. For artifacts that have drape, introducing small stresses within the structure can lead to new weaknesses....."​

 

[GreyDrakkon]

Rare earth magnets are so strong (especially the larger sizes) that you could very easily put another scrap of silk or something thicker and larger between the magnets and the fabric to help disperse the weight. Seriously, I ended up bending a nail when I tried prying to magnets apart from each other the other day. (granted I have super weak nails)

In any case, we have had customers use magnets with great success on thicker fabric than silk.

 

[Sarah M]

I'll come at this from a different angle. I got my degree in fiber art, and I remember lots of fun discussions on how to hang your work. Artists love to create, but rarely want to think about presentation (framing or otherwise). I will say that this was about 20 years ago, but I remember learning that for most wall hung artwork, there were two good approaches for hanging so you distribute the weight and don't see visible hangers. Bother require time and work, and depend on the weight. For smaller or lighter weight items, we were taught to make a hanging rod atached with velcro. So on the back of the piece, you'd cut the loop side of velcro and inch or so shorter that the width of the piece. If you are doing this while you are making it, you can machine sew to a backing fabric. But otherwise, you would hand sew this to the piece. You can then attach the other side to the wood piece you are using. The wood can be painted or sealed as needed. We would normally staple the velcro into the wood. There is also velcro with adhesive, but that presents a challenge. The adhesive alone won't hold much weight for long and it's a pain to try to reinforce by sewing through it. Jut gums up your needle. The wood size is determined by the size and weight of the art. Then you can use screw eyes or other hangers coming out of the top edges or out of the sides of the wood. This distributes the weight to two spots on the wall.

For larger or heavier items, like thick quilts, a sleeve is generally required. This requires handsewing all along the top, then you can use a wooden slat or metal slat or rod. But the sleeve is the best way to distribute the weight. A couple times now, I helped hang a touring international quilt exhibit, and it was mandatory that all quilts were created with sleeves for hanging. Some were as large as 9 x 9 feet and larger = heavy! I hope this helps. Framing orders that require sewing generally interest me more than others!

Pic shows a basic small wall hanging that I had handy at my store.

 

[Nikodeumus]

I'll come at this from a different angle. I got my degree in fiber art, and I remember lots of fun discussions on how to hang your work. Artists love to create, but rarely want to think about presentation (framing or otherwise). I will say that this was about 20 years ago, but I remember learning that for most wall hung artwork, there were two good approaches for hanging so you distribute the weight and don't see visible hangers. Bother require time and work, and depend on the weight. For smaller or lighter weight items, we were taught to make a hanging rod atached with velcro. So on the back of the piece, you'd cut the loop side of velcro and inch or so shorter that the width of the piece. If you are doing this while you are making it, you can machine sew to a backing fabric. But otherwise, you would hand sew this to the piece. You can then attach the other side to the wood piece you are using. The wood can be painted or sealed as needed. We would normally staple the velcro into the wood. There is also velcro with adhesive, but that presents a challenge. The adhesive alone won't hold much weight for long and it's a pain to try to reinforce by sewing through it. Jut gums up your needle. The wood size is determined by the size and weight of the art. Then you can use screw eyes or other hangers coming out of the top edges or out of the sides of the wood. This distributes the weight to two spots on the wall.

For larger or heavier items, like thick quilts, a sleeve is generally required. This requires handsewing all along the top, then you can use a wooden slat or metal slat or rod. But the sleeve is the best way to distribute the weight. A couple times now, I helped hang a touring international quilt exhibit, and it was mandatory that all quilts were created with sleeves for hanging. Some were as large as 9 x 9 feet and larger = heavy! I hope this helps. Framing orders that require sewing generally interest me more than others!

Pic shows a basic small wall hanging that I had handy at my store.

Nice to get a perspective from someone with your background.

 

[Shayla]

I'll come at this from a different angle. I got my degree in fiber art, and I remember lots of fun discussions on how to hang your work. Artists love to create, but rarely want to think about presentation (framing or otherwise). I will say that this was about 20 years ago, but I remember learning that for most wall hung artwork, there were two good approaches for hanging so you distribute the weight and don't see visible hangers. Bother require time and work, and depend on the weight. For smaller or lighter weight items, we were taught to make a hanging rod atached with velcro. So on the back of the piece, you'd cut the loop side of velcro and inch or so shorter that the width of the piece. If you are doing this while you are making it, you can machine sew to a backing fabric. But otherwise, you would hand sew this to the piece. You can then attach the other side to the wood piece you are using. The wood can be painted or sealed as needed. We would normally staple the velcro into the wood. There is also velcro with adhesive, but that presents a challenge. The adhesive alone won't hold much weight for long and it's a pain to try to reinforce by sewing through it. Jut gums up your needle. The wood size is determined by the size and weight of the art. Then you can use screw eyes or other hangers coming out of the top edges or out of the sides of the wood. This distributes the weight to two spots on the wall.

For larger or heavier items, like thick quilts, a sleeve is generally required. This requires handsewing all along the top, then you can use a wooden slat or metal slat or rod. But the sleeve is the best way to distribute the weight. A couple times now, I helped hang a touring international quilt exhibit, and it was mandatory that all quilts were created with sleeves for hanging. Some were as large as 9 x 9 feet and larger = heavy! I hope this helps. Framing orders that require sewing generally interest me more than others!

Pic shows a basic small wall hanging that I had handy at my store.

Hi, Sarah. Welcome to the Grumble! And thanks for sharing this idea.