Problem Turkish Rug

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freakquency

freakquency

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
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A customer brought in a 'Turkish Rug' 33x54 and wants it prepaired so that she can 'display' it ... unframed. she tried sewing rubber hoops and running a curtain rod through... the issue.. the tassles/fringe flops down and it sags . It is a 'tree of life' image designed vertically with the fringes at the top and bottom...
...problem: hang a turkish rug so that the fringes do not flop and sag without a frame and minimal backing.

any suggestions?

my thought: a plexiglass backing with a custom clamp at the top to hold the fringe "up" hook for a rod just below the fringe. Hand sew a fabric tube for the rod onto the rug (silk) and hang as many tapestrys are hung.
 
I made a frame out of 1x2 stock. Covered the frame with colroplast (could have used washed muslin) and then hand stitched the rug to the frame using cotton thread and a curved needle (my partner said the stitching looked like a blanket stitch around the frame - thru the rug). Placed several stitched in the middle to hold the rug to the backing. I let the top tassels flop down over the top. Hangers were d rings with a small hole drilled into the frame (like a key hole hanger) to keep the frame snug against the wall. Customer compliments me every time I see them about how many people can't figure out how the rug hangs on their wall.
 
freakquency said:
...problem: hang a turkish rug so that the fringes do not flop and sag without a frame and minimal backing.
QUOTE]

Repeat to yourself Vivian's Maxim: "We are picture framers; we are not magicians."

There are several good ways to do it with the fringe 'au naturel', but the only way I can think of to make the fringe stand up in a NotAFrame is stiffen them with sugar water the way our foremothers starched doilies...
Click to expand...
 
mik said:
I made a frame out of 1x2 stock. Covered the frame with colroplast (could have used washed muslin) and then hand stitched the rug to the frame using cotton thread and a curved needle (my partner said the stitching looked like a blanket stitch around the frame - thru the rug). Placed several stitched in the middle to hold the rug to the backing. I let the top tassels flop down over the top. Hangers were d rings with a small hole drilled into the frame (like a key hole hanger) to keep the frame snug against the wall. .
Click to expand...

The booklet "Preserving Textiles"[pages 47++] [available from PPFA] illustrates a few ways of hanging including velcro and a muslin sleeve, but I think I like MIK's way even better.

For really big & heavy ones, Preserving Textiles shows a support [page 65] that leans very slightly (eg. the bottom is several inches out from the wall, on a support] so the support is actually holding part of the weight, and all of the weight is not supported from the sleeve.
 
Gravity is a problem inside the Earth's atmosphere. If the rug were to be displayed in outer space, perhaps at the international space station or on the moon, the fringes wouldn't flop down.
 
Sky hooks!

I love it when people come in and say: "I don't want to buy a frame from you, but can you perform magic at little or no cost?"
 
I had a very similar job recently. What I did was the loop and curtain rod thing, but the loops were stitched very close together. Then, to the top of each loop, I stitched a small strip of velcro which held the tassles in place. Completely inert, and if they do come loose, the customer can just push them back into place. Easy!
 
Jodie Prymke said:
I had a very similar job recently. What I did was the loop and curtain rod thing, but the loops were stitched very close together. Then, to the top of each loop, I stitched a small strip of velcro which held the tassles in place. Completely inert, and if they do come loose, the customer can just push them back into place. Easy!
Click to expand...

ohhh.. I'm gonna try that ... :)
 
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