XLG Chinese Silk Embroidery

Create a Post
L

Leslie S.

MGF, Master Grumble Framer
Joined
Apr 11, 2002
Posts
710
Loc
Waxahachie, TX
Hi, guys!
I am framing 4 extra large embroideries on white silk, to be hung in the local Chinese food restaurant. I have drymounted a thin batting to my backing board in hopes that it might help with the creepy-crawlies usually associated with silk. I am experiencing two problems.
First, these pieces were mailed to my client from China by her sister. They were seriously creased where they were folded. I know from past experience that silk will take a fairly hot iron, and have laid them face down on a pad and ironed them from the back. Most of the creases have come out but not all. Of course, the worst offenders are right in the center! I have been using a dry iron for fear of water spots...does any one have any better suggestions/comments?
Secondly, lacing these puppies was out of the question (she wants these as cheap as possible...of course) so I tried the very thin silk pin technique, but it seems to leave little valleys in the fabric where the pins are stationed. What about needlework tape (the kind you can buy from United) from the back side? I know this is not really archival, but these pieces cost very little and the client is not all that concerned about preservation, just looks. Has anybody had any experience with this type of tape? I am mainly concerned with it letting go....I hope to never have to re-do these big suckers!!!
Any comments on projects of this type would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Leslie
 
I just finished doing one. I ironed it on the back with brown paper under it and another one on top which I had misted with a plant mister. It came out so well that the customer almost cried. I stitched it into place with a basting stitch, not pulling tightly at all, but, to tell the truth, I have been known to use a small width of needlework tape. Just don't let it be under any place where it would show, as the adhesive will migrate. Pretend I never said that I would use nwk tape. I have a reputation to uphold, you know...
 
Hey Leslie! Where were you about 5:30 p.m. on Thursday the 18th?
shrug.gif


I'll tell you where I was. I was driving through the streets of Waxahachie with my window down yelling, "Leslie! Where are you?"

(Waxahachie is a bigger community than I anticipated.)

Oh well. Maybe next time.
 
These came with a yucky (poster board) white paper border glued on, which the customer did not want to show ( no mats, of course). We removed it, but it left a stiff edging of glue around, so I have left a pretty good margin to wrap around to the back of the backing board. I guess I will be drummed out of the Good Framers Union for even considering tape....But I think I may go for it. I'm just wondering how long it will hold.
 
Sorry for the double post, but I was typing as Ron was posting...Ron, see my post on Warped (Texas). I am really sorry I missed you guys!
 
Ok... you say they are not worth anything and the customer doesn't want to spend much that she just wants them to look good. All that totaled up equals dry mount them and be done with it. They will be flat and look good and that's all she wants. Tell her about this option explaining the limitations and I bet she goes for it. Not everything needs to be conservation mounted even if you think it should. As the saying goes... "If the guy wants a green suit, you sell him a green suit." You don't have to like it but they do.
 
I just got in 3 old German engravings? that were printed on white silk cloth. They were last framed in 1973 (from the stamp on the dust cover) and I decided to open one up while the customer was present. Boy! Was I glad I did!!

The silk was ATG'd down completely around the silk onto what appears to be poster board, and THEN, they took masking tape and taped down all the edges! I pulled off some of the masking tape, which wasn't difficult because all the adhesive had hardened and been left on the silk, and the customer couldn't believe what they were viewing!

Dark yellow glue stains around the edges of the silk, a half inch of ATG that had soaked through the silk over the years, and wrinkles all over from puckering. They didn't want to pay any extra to have me remove the glue stains (and I am not convinced I could remove them completely) so they opted to mount the backing et al onto foamcore and mat and frame them. The lady said that they had enjoyed them for so many years and they would just enjoy them some more until they finally gave up and went to etching heaven!

It's amazing the advances we have made in mounting techniques in the past 30 years.

Framerguy
 
Create a Post
Back
Top