Framing Animal Hides-help!

[Anne Scott]

I have a painted animal hide, new, not antique, to frame. What type of mat is appropriate for it to sit on? Also, I need to sew it down-what type of thread is considered appropriate for this? I was thinking a type of clear fishing line??? Thanks for any help!

 

[JFeig]

My preference would be cotton thread and an unbuffered rag board.

 

[Jeff Rodier]

You'll find what you need here

https://www.tandyleather.com/en-usd/home/home.aspx

 

[The Village Framer]

As far as I know fishing line is made by extrusion, or pouring the liquid plastic through very small holes, and this makes microscopic jagged ridges on it which can slowly abrade whatever the object is that it's touching. Probably not a problem with, say, a rock, but it could be a problem long-term with something soft like old plastic or leather. Also the plastic line can degrade over time. So, yeah I think Jerry's right about the cotton thread. Or leather thread if there is such a thing and it's small enough to be not very visible in the finished piece. The unbuffered board would be better because it's leather and organic items (wool, silk, feathers, leather etc) like to be in an environment with a lower pH (most other boards have calcium carbonate added to get the pH up around 8.9-ish). The problem with using unbuffered boards is that your color choice is very limited... Hope this helps.

 

[mlmintz]

We sometimes use Real Leather Craft lace. It looks like leather but is really a thick, waxed thread.

 

[Shayla]

What size is the hide you're working with?

 

[Prospero]

I'd use linen thread. It's uber-strong and brown (leathery -colored) to boot. Fishing line can go brittle in time.

 

[GreyDrakkon]

Hides, being leather, are animal byproducts and therefore don't like buffered materials so much. If it's sitting on top of a mat though it shouldn't be much of an issue. As for sewing it, waxed thread is what most leatherworkers use. Sinew can look neat, and the artificial kind is pretty easy to find (Jo Anne Fabrics has a small spool of it in the leather crafting section).

 

[Dave]

If the hide is thin and not too heavy you can also hinge it with linen canvas strip hinges and a 50/50 mixture of wheat paste and Lascaux adhesive. Hinge all four sides for support over a 8 ply rag board and float mount it. I hinged a seal skin Eskimo painting like this after consulting with Hugh Phibbs.