Design Help

clifpa

CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Posts
319
Loc
Huntington Beach, CA
Hi all,

This photo

fd.jpg


reflects the general layout for all the F.D. badges and shoulder patches. The top row of badges down to the two shoulder patches are current ones. Everything below the two shoulder patches are the historical ones.

I plan on mounting all the badges/shoulder patches onto a Midnight Blue Suede mat with a black shadow box frame. (Customer wants the black frame) Then I will add a ½” foam core/mat around the sides for depth.

I would like to find some way of visually transitioning from the current (new) badges/shoulder patches to the historical ones in a subtle way. Maybe mounting the old badges on the same color suede (black core) with a reverse bevel showing the black around the edges. Then mount this piece onto a 1/8” foam core and then mount onto the main mat.

What do you think…hooky? Ideas?

Thanking you in advance.
 
One of my favorite ways of differentiating groups like this is with a 'uniting' mat, which is to say a second mat with (in this case) only two openings. This, by the way, is a perfect way to sell a double fillet. You could vary the undermat colors (depending on your scrap selection... hehehe) to also set each group aside if you opt for the uniting mat.
 
Thank you Ellen.

When you say "uniting mat" I take that to mean I use the same mat both bottom and top?

Thanks again Ellen, very happy you were there!
 
I would go with a hand laid fabric (Midnight blue sounds good, but what color are the uniforms?) I haven't seen to many suede uniform shirts lately.

I would cut a mat with two openings (current and historic) out of 1/4" Gator. Glue this to a Gator backing and lay the fabric over the whole.

This places the badges in their recess and you don't need to "shadowbox". This also makes a simple smooth transition from the mat, down the deep bevels and across the backing.

An alternative would be to wrap as a two window mat and add fillets: Shiney gold around the "current" and antiqued gold around the "historic".

I might even make some fake sleeves to put the shoulder patches on. A fabric store should have a fabric that is similar to the uniform fabric.
 
I like Baer's suggestion of authentic looking material. Perhaps the delineation between the vintage and current pieces could be made using different fabrics that reflect the changes in the nature of the uniform over time; the older pieces on worsted wool, and the newer on cotton/poly blend.

A client of mine who collects militaria also buys old worn out uniforms. He uses scraps from these for the backgrounds in the frames so each item is on authentic material.
 
Clif, I like your idea of mounting old and new on two different levels (that was your idea, wasn't it?). I think I would raise the current ones above the level of the historic badges - somehow, that seems more logical to me.

For a moment, I thought of centering the (raised) current badges and arranging the old ones around this platform. But I discarded the idea because the piece has a quasi-military look and so the placement should be orderly and lined up in straight rows.

I also like the navy suede background. If you wanted authentic, you could cut up an old uniform. This is a display piece; it's supposed to be decorative, not authentic.

I don't think I would break up the flow with separate mat openings. How about a gold fillet in the mandated black frame?

Kit
 
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