Question Giving fabric a "loose" (rumpled/wavy) look without having it droop in the frame

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Natalya Murphy

Natalya Murphy

CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
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How do you give fabric on a mountboard a "rumpled" look without having it all sag down when the frame is placed on a wall?

If you have Jim Miller's latest shadowbox book, see the picture of the framed violin on page 54. (and if you don't have it, go out and order it). I've got a couple of orders in queue right now where that "loosely gathered" fabric look would be great as a mounting background, but I don't know how to attach the fabric to the mount board to get that wavy effect, and not have it all droop the minute the frame goes vertical.

Jim Miller: I didn't want to scan & post the picture from the book because of copyright issues. Would you be kind enough to post the photo I described?
 
If you don't need conservation standards with the fabric and are just using it as a backing I have done it before by spray mounting the backing board and crumpling the fabric making sure it makes contact with the glue in some places. I have an example here in the shop but am waaaaaay too lazy to get the camera and take a picture.

If the art is the fabric then I wouldn't suggest this.
 
you could also crumple the fabric and then take small stitches to the mounting board in places just to hold it in place.
 
I feel like the Attach EZ would be applicable. With polyester batting it would be fairly easy.
 
Here's the photo you asked for.

That fabric is real moire silk, and quite heavy. The rumpling technique was to make tight pleats all the way around the perimeter of the board, and attach it with acrylic gel. The rumples were created and held in place by strips of 3M 889 double-sided tape under the fabric. I just made wrinkles wher i wanted them, and stuck the fabric down on the tape strips.

If you are using a supple fabric, you could wet mount a large piece of it to paper. That would give it plenty of rigidity.
 

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Both orders are going to use the Countess line from Frank's Fabrics (rayon/acetate blend). Baer, whaddaya think? Are they heavy enough to withstand rumpling on their own or am I better off mounting them to paper first?

So Jim, is it safe to assume you taped down the rumples in the center of the board first and then glued down the pleats along the perimeter with acrylic gel?
 
Actually, the layout of the rumples came later, after the project was finished. Until then, the fabric was just floppy on the board. I could change the look of it any time, by simply lifting the fabric off the tape and repositioning it. It works something like Post-It adhesive on that fabric.
 
Hoo boy, this is getting more fun by the minute. So did you create an ATG grid on the mount board, then glued down all the outer edges, then tapped down the fabric in strategic locations along the mounting surface? And if you didn't like it you just lifted the fabric back up and repositioned?

How far apart were your ATG lines?

Methinks I'm going to just have to sit down at the shop tomorrow and play with the fabric for a while.
 
Natalya Murphy said:
Hoo boy, this is getting more fun by the minute. So did you create an ATG grid on the mount board, then glued down all the outer edges, then tapped down the fabric in strategic locations along the mounting surface? And if you didn't like it you just lifted the fabric back up and repositioned?
Click to expand...

Yes, that is the process. The 3M #889 double-sided tape lines were vertical and horizontal, about 3" apart in the grid.

I did not mention ATG, did not use it in the project, and would not recommend it for the purpose, because it could possibly bleed through some fabrics. I urge you not to use ATG for this.

Another way to do it would be to paint the mounting board with acrylic medium and let it dry before installing the fabric. Fix the rumples by spot-tacking with a tacking iron. Also repositionable.
 
Jim Miller said:
Yes, that is the process. The 3M #889 double-sided tape lines were vertical and horizontal, about 3" apart in the grid.

I did not mention ATG, did not use it in the project, and would not recommend it for the purpose, because it could possibly bleed through some fabrics. I urge you not to use ATG for this.
Click to expand...

Jim, thanks for the clarification and reminder that ATG is not synonymous with 889 tape. I need to be more careful with my wording.
 
Natalya Murphy said:
... ATG is not synonymous with 889 tape.
Click to expand...

Yes, those two tapes are completely different in every regard.

ATG is a carrierless, relatively thick, aggressively tacky adhesive that has almost no tensional strength. Most versions of it are older adhesive technology and sometimes invasive chemistry. ATG can flow and often migrates into the fibers of papers, boards, fabrics.

3M #889 is a very thin, strong ribbon of clear polyester film (like Melinex or Mylar), with a good quality acrylic adhesive on both sides. It will not flow or migrate very far into fibers. The profile of this tape is probably about half the thickness of typical ATG, which is why it works so well for encapsulation and other clear film mounts.
 
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